---
name: setup-pstack
description: Configure which models pstack uses per role and at what reasoning budget. Detects your available models and writes an always-applied rule that overrides the skill defaults. Use for /setup-pstack, "configure pstack models", "pstack budget", or changing pstack's model choices.
---

# Setup pstack

Write `~/.claude/rules/pstack-models.md`, an always-applied rule that sets pstack's model per role.

## Steps

### 1. Detect available models

The Agent tool's `model` parameter accepts exactly `sonnet`, `opus`, `haiku`, and `fable` (Claude Code runs only Claude models). Those four are the detected set. Never write any other real slug. The aliases `inherit-parent` and `auto` are always valid even though they are not detected slugs.

### 2. Load current state

The default role-to-model mapping is the rule shape shown in step 5 below. If `~/.claude/rules/pstack-models.md` already exists, read it and treat its `# budget` line and its role values as the current choices. Otherwise start from those defaults. A line whose role is not in step 5, such as `how critics`, is from a retired role. Drop it.

### 3. Budget, map, and confirm

**(a) Ask for a budget.** Prefer AskUserQuestion over free text. Offer these four options with these exact labels, and name the current budget when the rule records one. With no rule, say that `large` matches the skill defaults.

- `unlimited — max reasoning`
- `large — xhigh reasoning`
- `medium — high reasoning`
- `small — medium reasoning`

**(b) Apply it.** Build the working table from the skill defaults, and on a re-run keep any role you changed by model, list, or alias (`inherit-parent`, `auto`). The budget changes no model name. It sets the starting reasoning effort that every spawn passes as the Agent tool's `effort` parameter. `unlimited` sets `max`, `large` sets `xhigh`, `medium` sets `high`, and `small` sets `medium`. `large` keeps the skill defaults.

**(c) Show the roles and confirm.** Show every role with its model, marking any real slug not in the detected set as needing a choice. Also list each line step 2 dropped. Ask whether to accept as-is or change specific roles, offering the detected models plus `inherit-parent` and `auto` (both mean: this role runs on the parent chat model, which is how Auto users stay on Auto) as the options. Prefer AskUserQuestion over free text. For panel roles (arena runners, architect runners, interrogate reviewers) the value is a list, and one subagent runs per entry, alias entries included, so the list length sets the count. `arena cross-judge pool` is also a list, but Arena selects one value from it whose model family differs from the parent's when possible. `swarm workers` is the default model for every worker unless a race or comparison assigns another model per arm.

### 4. Validate

Every real slug written must be in the detected set. `inherit-parent` and `auto` always pass. If a chosen real slug is not available, stop and ask again.

### 5. Write the rule

Write `~/.claude/rules/pstack-models.md` (plain markdown, no frontmatter, so it loads into every session) with a `# budget` line with the chosen label and its target effort, and one line per role, using the same labels poteto-mode uses. Overwrite the whole file so re-runs stay idempotent. Shape:

```
# pstack model configuration. One line per role. Delete a line to fall back to the skill default.
# `inherit-parent` or `auto` as a value: the role runs on the parent chat model (omit Agent `model`). Alias entries in a panel list still count toward its fan-out.
# budget: large (xhigh)
feature, refactoring: sonnet
bug-fix: sonnet
perf-issue: sonnet
hillclimb: sonnet
judgment and prose: opus
hardest tasks: opus
how explorer: sonnet
how explainer: opus
why investigators: sonnet
why synthesizer: opus
reflect tooling: sonnet
reflect judgment, divergent, synthesizer: opus
arena runners: opus, sonnet
arena cross-judge pool: opus, sonnet
swarm workers: sonnet
architect runners: opus, sonnet
interrogate reviewers: opus, sonnet
```

### 6. Confirm

Tell the user the rule was written and that it applies to new sessions. Re-running this skill updates it.

### 7. Offer a verification skill (optional)

Check whether the project has a way to drive the real app for proof (a `verify-*` skill, or an existing harness). If not, offer once: "want a project-local verification skill, so agents can drive the app the way a user does and prove changes work? I can generate one with /create-verification-skill." On yes, invoke `/create-verification-skill` (resolves wherever pstack is installed: workspace, user, or plugin). On no, move on without pushing.