--- name: evolve description: 'Run autonomous improvement loops.' skill_api_version: 1 user-invocable: true context: window: fork intent: mode: task sections: exclude: [HISTORY] intel_scope: full metadata: tier: execution dependencies: - rpi # required - executes each improvement cycle - post-mortem # required - auto-runs at teardown to harvest learnings - compile # optional - knowledge warmup when --compile is passed triggers: - evolve - improve everything - autonomous improvement - run until done - postmortem and continue - analyze repo and keep going output_contract: "code changes, GOALS.md fitness deltas" --- # /evolve — Goal-Driven Compounding Loop > Measure what's wrong. Fix the worst thing. Measure again. Compound. **V2 command surface:** keep the name `evolve`. Use `ao evolve` for the terminal-native loop. It is the top-level operator entrypoint for `ao rpi loop --supervisor`, preserving the old `/evolve` concept while reusing the v2 RPI loop engine. **Operator cadence:** post-mortem finished work, analyze the current repo state, select or create the next highest-value work item, let `/rpi` handle research, planning, pre-mortem, implementation, and validation, then harvest follow-ups and repeat until a kill switch, max-cycle cap, regression breaker, or real dormancy stops the run. Always-on autonomous loop over `/rpi`. Work selection order: 1. **Harvested `.agents/rpi/next-work.jsonl` work** (freshest concrete follow-up) 2. **Open ready beads work** (`bd ready`) 3. **Failing goals and directive gaps** (`ao goals measure`) 4. **Testing improvements** (missing/thin coverage, missing regression tests) 5. **Validation tightening and bug-hunt passes** (gates, audits, bug sweeps) 6. **Complexity / TODO / FIXME / drift / dead code / stale docs / stale research mining** 7. **Concrete feature suggestions** derived from repo purpose when no sharper work exists **Work generators** that feed the selection ladder (auto-invoked, skip with `--no-lifecycle`): - `Skill(skill="test", args="coverage")` → files with <40% coverage become queue items (Step 3.4) - `Skill(skill="refactor", args="--sweep all --dry-run")` → functions with CC > 20 become queue items (Step 3.6) - `Skill(skill="deps", args="audit")` → deps with CVSS >= 7.0 or 2+ major versions behind become queue items (Step 3.5) - `Skill(skill="perf", args="profile --quick")` → perf findings become queue items when hot paths detected (Step 3.5) **Dormancy is last resort.** Empty current queues mean "run the generator layers", not "stop". Only go dormant after the queue layers and generator layers come up empty across multiple consecutive passes. ```bash /evolve # Run until kill switch, max-cycles, or real dormancy /evolve --max-cycles=5 # Cap at 5 cycles /evolve --dry-run # Show what would be worked on, don't execute /evolve --beads-only # Skip goals measurement, work beads backlog only /evolve --quality # Quality-first mode: prioritize post-mortem findings /evolve --quality --max-cycles=10 # Quality mode with cycle cap /evolve --compile # Mine → Defrag warmup before first cycle /evolve --compile --max-cycles=5 # Warm knowledge base then run 5 cycles /evolve --test-first # Default strict-quality /rpi execution path /evolve --no-test-first # Explicit opt-out from test-first mode ``` ## Delineation vs /dream | Lane | Runs | Mutates code? | Mutates corpus? | Outer loop? | Budget | |------|------|---------------|-----------------|-------------|--------| | `/dream` | nightly, private local | **No** | **Yes (heavy)** | **Yes (convergence)** | wall-clock + plateau | | `/evolve` | daytime, operator-driven | Yes (via `/rpi`) | Yes (light) | Yes | cycle cap | Dream owns the knowledge compounding layer; `/evolve` owns the code compounding layer. Both share fitness-measurement substrate via `corpus.Compute` / `ao goals measure`. Run Dream overnight, then start each day with `/evolve` against the freshly-compounded corpus with a clean fitness baseline. ## Flags | Flag | Default | Description | |------|---------|-------------| | `--max-cycles=N` | unlimited | Stop after `N` completed cycles | | `--dry-run` | off | Show planned cycle actions without executing | | `--beads-only` | off | Skip goal measurement and run backlog-only selection | | `--skip-baseline` | off | Skip first-run baseline snapshot | | `--quality` | off | Prioritize harvested post-mortem findings | | `--compile` | off | Run `ao mine` + `ao defrag` warmup before cycle 1 | | `--test-first` | on | Pass strict-quality defaults through to `/rpi` | | `--no-test-first` | off | Explicitly disable test-first passthrough to `/rpi` | | `--no-lifecycle` | off | Skip lifecycle work generators in Steps 3.4-3.6 (/test, /deps, /perf, /refactor). Falls back to manual scanning. | ## Execution Steps **YOU MUST EXECUTE THIS WORKFLOW. Do not just describe it.** **FULLY AUTONOMOUS.** Read `references/autonomous-execution.md`. Every `/rpi` uses `--auto`. Do NOT ask the user anything. Each cycle = complete 3-phase `/rpi` run. ### Step 0: Setup ```bash mkdir -p .agents/evolve ao lookup --query "autonomous improvement cycle" --limit 5 2>/dev/null || true ``` **Apply retrieved knowledge:** If learnings are returned, check each for applicability to the current improvement cycle. For applicable learnings, cite by filename and record: `ao metrics cite "" --type applied 2>/dev/null || true` Before cycle recovery, load the repo execution profile contract when it exists. The repo execution profile is the source for repo policy; the user prompt should mostly supply mission/objective, not restate startup reads, validation bundle, tracker wrapper rules, or `definition_of_done`. - Locate `docs/contracts/repo-execution-profile.md` and `docs/contracts/repo-execution-profile.schema.json`. - Read the ordered `startup_reads` and bootstrap from those repo paths before selecting work. - Cache repo `validation_commands`, `tracker_commands`, and `definition_of_done` into session state. - If the repo execution profile is present but missing required fields, stop or downgrade with an explicit warning before cycle 1. Do not silently invent repo policy. Then load the repo-local autodev program contract when it exists. The execution profile remains the repo bootstrap and landing-policy layer; `PROGRAM.md` or `AUTODEV.md` is the repo-local execution layer for the current improvement loop. - Locate `PROGRAM.md` and `AUTODEV.md`. `PROGRAM.md` takes precedence. - Read the resolved program before cycle recovery and cache `program_path`, `mutable_scope`, `immutable_scope`, `validation_commands`, `decision_policy`, and `stop_conditions` into session state. - If the program file exists but is structurally invalid, stop or downgrade with an explicit warning before cycle 1. Do not silently ignore a broken operator contract. - When a program contract exists, prefer work that can land wholly inside mutable scope. Do not silently widen scope around immutable files. Recover cycle number, generator streaks, and the last claimed work item from disk (survives context compaction). Initialize `CYCLE` from `cycle-history.jsonl`, recover `IDLE_STREAK`, `GENERATOR_EMPTY_STREAK`, `LAST_SELECTED_SOURCE`, and `CLAIMED_WORK_REF` from `session-state.json`. **Circuit breakers:** Time-based (60 min no productive work). **Oscillation quarantine:** Pre-populate quarantine list from cycle history (scan for goals with 3+ improved-to-fail transitions). See `references/oscillation.md`. Parse flags: `--max-cycles=N` (default unlimited), `--dry-run`, `--beads-only`, `--skip-baseline`, `--quality`, `--compile`. Track cycle-level execution state: ```text evolve_state = { cycle: , mode: , test_first: , repo_profile_path: , startup_reads: , validation_commands: , tracker_commands: , definition_of_done: , program_path: , program_mutable_scope: , program_immutable_scope: , program_validation_commands: , program_decision_policy: , program_stop_conditions: , generator_empty_streak: , last_selected_source: , claimed_work: , queue_refresh_count: } ``` Persist `evolve_state` to `.agents/evolve/session-state.json` at each cycle boundary, after work claims, after release/finalize, and during teardown. `cycle-history.jsonl` remains the canonical cycle ledger; `session-state.json` carries resume-only state that has not yet earned a committed cycle entry. ### Step 0.2: Compile Warmup (--compile only) Skip if `--compile` was not passed or if `--dry-run`. Read `references/knowledge-loop-integration.md` for the full warmup procedure (mine + defrag + signal notes). ### Step 0.5: Baseline (first run only) Skip if `--skip-baseline` or `--beads-only` or baseline already exists. Read `references/fitness-scoring.md` for the baseline capture procedure. ### Step 1: Kill Switch Check Run at the TOP of every cycle: ```bash CYCLE_START_SHA=$(git rev-parse HEAD) [ -f ~/.config/evolve/KILL ] && echo "KILL: $(cat ~/.config/evolve/KILL)" && exit 0 [ -f .agents/evolve/STOP ] && echo "STOP: $(cat .agents/evolve/STOP 2>/dev/null)" && exit 0 ``` ### Step 2: Measure Fitness Skip if `--beads-only`. Run `scripts/evolve-measure-fitness.sh` to produce a rolling fitness snapshot at `.agents/evolve/fitness-latest.json`. Read `references/fitness-scoring.md` for the full measurement procedure, baseline capture, and post-cycle regression detection. ### Step 3: Select Work Selection is a ladder, not a one-shot check. After every productive cycle, return to the TOP of this step and re-read the queue before considering dormancy. When a repo-local program contract exists, apply a scope filter before Step 4: - candidate work that clearly requires immutable-scope edits is not eligible for direct execution - prefer harvested, beads, goals, and generated work that can plausibly land within mutable scope - if the selected item is inherently out of scope, escalate it or convert it into durable follow-up work instead of invoking `/rpi` and hoping discovery widens scope **Step 3.1: Harvested work first** Read `.agents/rpi/next-work.jsonl` and pick the highest-value unconsumed item. Prefer exact repo match, then concrete implementation work, then higher severity. Read `references/knowledge-loop-integration.md` for the claim/release protocol. **Step 3.2: Open ready beads** If no harvested item is ready, check `bd ready`. Pick the highest-priority unblocked issue. **Step 3.3: Failing goals and directive gaps** (skip if `--beads-only`) First assess directives, then goals: - top-priority directive gap from `ao goals measure --directives` - highest-weight failing goals (skip quarantined oscillators) - lower-weight failing goals This step exists even when all queued work is empty. Goals are the third source, not the stop condition. ```bash DIRECTIVES=$(ao goals measure --directives 2>/dev/null) FAILING=$(jq -r '.goals[] | select(.result=="fail") | .id' .agents/evolve/fitness-latest.json | head -1) ``` **Oscillation check:** Before working a failing goal, check if it has oscillated (improved-to-fail transitions >= 3 times). If so, quarantine it and try the next goal. See `references/oscillation.md` and `references/fitness-scoring.md` for the detection procedure. **Step 3.4: Testing improvements** When queues and goals are empty, generate concrete testing work via `/test`: ``` if --no-lifecycle is NOT set: Skill(skill="test", args="coverage") Only files with < 40% coverage become queue items (severity threshold). ``` If `/test` is unavailable or `--no-lifecycle` is set, fall back to manual scanning: - find packages/files with thin or missing tests - look for missing regression tests around recent bug-fix paths - identify flaky or absent headless/runtime smokes Convert any real finding into durable work: - add a bead when the work needs tracked backlog ownership, or - append a queue item under the shared next-work contract when it should flow directly back into `/rpi` **Step 3.5: Validation tightening and bug-hunt passes** If testing improvement generation returns nothing, run lifecycle generators then bug-hunt sweeps: ``` if --no-lifecycle is NOT set: a) Skill(skill="deps", args="audit") Only deps with CVSS >= 7.0 or 2+ major versions behind become queue items. b) if perf-sensitive code detected (benchmarks exist, hot path patterns): Skill(skill="perf", args="profile --quick") Convert significant perf findings to queue items. ``` If lifecycle generators return nothing or are skipped, fall back to manual sweeps: - missing validation gates - weak lint/contract coverage - bug-hunt style audits for risky areas - stale assumptions between docs, contracts, and runtime truth Again: convert findings into beads or queue items, then immediately select the highest-priority result and continue. **Step 3.6: Drift / hotspot / dead-code mining** If the prior generators are empty, mine for complexity debt via `/refactor`: ``` if --no-lifecycle is NOT set: Skill(skill="refactor", args="--sweep all --dry-run") Only functions with CC > 20 become queue items (severity threshold). ``` If `/refactor` is unavailable or `--no-lifecycle` is set, fall back to manual mining: - complexity hotspots - stale TODO/FIXME markers - dead code - stale docs - stale research - drift between generated artifacts and source-of-truth files Do not stop here. Normalize findings into tracked work and continue. **Step 3.7: Feature suggestions** If all concrete remediation layers are empty, propose one or more specific feature ideas grounded in the repo purpose, write them as durable work, and continue: - create a bead when the feature needs review/backlog treatment - or append a queue item with `source: "feature-suggestion"` when it is ready for the next `/rpi` cycle **Quality mode (`--quality`)** — inverted cascade (findings before directives): Step 3.0q: Unconsumed high-severity post-mortem findings: ```bash HIGH=$(jq -r 'select(.consumed==false) | .items[] | select(.severity=="high") | .title' \ .agents/rpi/next-work.jsonl 2>/dev/null | head -1) ``` Step 3.1q: Unconsumed medium-severity findings. Step 3.2q: Open ready beads. Step 3.3q: Emergency gates (weight >= 5) and top directive gaps. Step 3.4q: Testing improvements. Step 3.5q: Validation tightening / bug-hunt / drift mining. Step 3.6q: Feature suggestions. This inverts the standard cascade only at the top of the ladder: findings BEFORE goals and directives. It does NOT skip the generator layers. When evolve picks a finding, claim it first in next-work.jsonl: - Set `claim_status: "in_progress"`, `claimed_by: "evolve-quality:cycle-N"`, `claimed_at: ""` - Set `consumed: true` only after the /rpi cycle and regression gate succeed - If the /rpi cycle fails (regression), clear the claim and leave `consumed: false` See `references/quality-mode.md` for scoring and full details. **Nothing found?** HARD GATE — only consider dormancy after the generator layers also came up empty: ```bash # Count trailing idle/unchanged entries in cycle-history.jsonl (portable, no tac) IDLE_STREAK=$(awk '/"result"\s*:\s*"(idle|unchanged)"/{streak++; next} {streak=0} END{print streak+0}' \ .agents/evolve/cycle-history.jsonl 2>/dev/null) if [ "$GENERATOR_EMPTY_STREAK" -ge 2 ] && [ "$IDLE_STREAK" -ge 2 ]; then # Work layers are empty AND producer layers were empty for the 3rd consecutive pass — STOP echo "Stagnation reached after repeated empty work + generator passes. Dormancy is the last-resort outcome." # go to Teardown — do NOT log another idle entry fi ``` If the work layers were empty but a generator pass has not been exhausted 3 times yet, persist the new generator streak in `session-state.json` and loop back to Step 1. Empty pre-cycle work sources are not a stop reason by themselves. A cycle is idle only if NO work source returned actionable work and every generator layer also came up empty. A cycle that targeted an oscillating goal and skipped it counts as idle only after the remaining ladder was exhausted. If `--dry-run`: report what would be worked on and go to Teardown. ### Step 4: Execute Primary engine: `/rpi` for implementation-quality work (all 3 phases mandatory). `/implement` or `/crank` only when a bead has execution-ready scope. If a repo-local `PROGRAM.md` contract is active, `/rpi` will load it automatically. `/evolve` must compose with that behavior, not bypass it: - Do not select work that is obviously outside mutable scope. - If a bead or goal would require edits under immutable scope, escalate it or convert it into durable follow-up work instead of launching `/rpi`. - When work is plausibly in scope but still uncertain, let `/rpi` discovery validate the fit and surface a scope escape explicitly. For a **harvested item, failing goal, directive gap, testing improvement, validation tightening task, bug-hunt result, drift finding, or feature suggestion**: ``` Invoke /rpi "{normalized work title}" --auto --max-cycles=1 ``` For a **beads issue**: ``` Prefer: /rpi "Land {issue_id}: {title}" --auto --max-cycles=1 Fallback: /implement {issue_id} ``` Or for an epic with children: `Invoke /crank {epic_id}`. If Step 3 created durable work instead of executing it immediately, re-enter Step 3 and let the newly-created bead item win through the normal selection order. ### Step 5: Regression Gate After execution, run the project build+test bundle. If the repo execution profile declared `validation_commands`, run them. If a repo-local program contract exists, run its `validation_commands` too, de-duplicated and in declared order after the repo bootstrap checks. Also check `if [ -f scripts/check-wiring-closure.sh ]; then bash scripts/check-wiring-closure.sh; fi`. Use the program contract's `decision_policy` as the first keep/revert rule set for the cycle: - if the cycle breached immutable scope, treat it as regressed - if program validation commands fail, treat it as regressed - if the decision policy declares a revert rule that fired, revert before consuming claimed work or advancing the queue Treat program `stop_conditions` as per-cycle done criteria. Do not mark claimed work consumed, completed, or productive until both the stop conditions and the regression gate pass. If not `--beads-only`, re-measure fitness to `fitness-latest-post.json` and detect regressions. The AgentOps CLI is required for fitness measurement. Read `references/fitness-scoring.md` for the full measurement, regression detection, and revert procedure. Work finalization after the regression gate: claim it first, then keep `consumed: false` until the /rpi cycle succeeds. After the cycle's `/post-mortem` finishes, immediately re-read `.agents/rpi/next-work.jsonl` before selecting the next item. Read `references/knowledge-loop-integration.md` for full claim/release semantics. ### Step 6: Log Cycle + Commit Two paths: productive cycles get committed, idle cycles are local-only. **PRODUCTIVE cycles** (result is improved, regressed, or harvested): compute quality score (if `--quality`), log via `scripts/evolve-log-cycle.sh`, commit if real changes exist. See `references/quality-mode.md` for scoring. **IDLE cycles** (nothing found even after generator layers): log via `evolve-log-cycle.sh` with `--result "unchanged"`. No git add, no commit. ### Step 7: Loop or Stop ```bash while true; do # Step 1 .. Step 6 # Stop if kill switch, max-cycles, or a real safety breaker triggers # Otherwise increment cycle and re-enter selection CYCLE=$((CYCLE + 1)) done ``` Push only when productive work has accumulated: ```bash if [ $((PRODUCTIVE_THIS_SESSION % 5)) -eq 0 ] && [ "$PRODUCTIVE_THIS_SESSION" -gt 0 ]; then git push fi ``` ### Teardown Read `references/knowledge-loop-integration.md` for the full teardown learning extraction procedure (commit staged artifacts, run `/post-mortem`, push, report summary). ## Examples **User says:** `/evolve --max-cycles=5` **What happens:** Evolve re-enters the full selection ladder after every `/rpi` cycle and runs producer layers instead of idling on empty queues. **User says:** `/evolve --beads-only` **What happens:** Evolve skips goals measurement and works through `bd ready` backlog. **User says:** `/evolve --dry-run` **What happens:** Evolve shows what would be worked on without executing. **User says:** `/evolve --compile` **What happens:** Evolve runs `ao mine` + `ao defrag` at session start to surface fresh signal (orphaned research, code hotspots, oscillating goals) before the first evolve cycle. Use before a long autonomous run or after a burst of development activity. **User says:** `/evolve` **What happens:** See `references/examples.md` for a worked overnight flow that moves through beads -> harvested work -> goals -> testing -> bug hunt -> feature suggestion before dormancy is considered. See `references/examples.md` for detailed walkthroughs. ## Troubleshooting | Problem | Solution | |---------|----------| | Loop exits immediately | Remove `~/.config/evolve/KILL` or `.agents/evolve/STOP` | | Stagnation after repeated empty passes | Queue layers and producer layers were empty across multiple passes — dormancy is the fallback outcome | | `ao goals measure` hangs | Use `--timeout 30` flag or `--beads-only` to skip | | Regression gate reverts | Review reverted changes, narrow scope, re-run; claimed work items must be released back to available state | See `references/cycle-history.md` for advanced troubleshooting. ## References - `references/cycle-history.md` — JSONL format, recovery protocol, kill switch - `references/compounding.md` — Knowledge flywheel and work harvesting - `references/goals-schema.md` — GOALS.yaml format and continuous metrics - `references/parallel-execution.md` — Parallel /swarm architecture - `references/teardown.md` — Trajectory computation and session summary - `references/examples.md` — Detailed usage examples - `references/artifacts.md` — Generated files registry - `references/oscillation.md` — Oscillation detection and quarantine - `references/quality-mode.md` — Quality-first mode: scoring, priority cascade, artifacts ## See Also - `skills/dream/SKILL.md` — the nightly knowledge compounder; absorbs /harvest and runs the compounding loop overnight - `skills/rpi/SKILL.md` — Full lifecycle orchestrator (called per cycle) - `skills/crank/SKILL.md` — Epic execution (called for beads epics) - `docs/contracts/autodev-program.md` — Repo-local operational contract for bounded autonomous development - `GOALS.yaml` — Fitness goals for this repo - [test](../test/SKILL.md) — Test generation and coverage analysis - [refactor](../refactor/SKILL.md) — Safe, verified refactoring - [deps](../deps/SKILL.md) — Dependency audit and vulnerability scanning - [perf](../perf/SKILL.md) — Performance profiling and benchmarking ## Reference Documents - [references/artifacts.md](references/artifacts.md) - [references/compounding.md](references/compounding.md) - [references/cycle-history.md](references/cycle-history.md) - [references/examples.md](references/examples.md) - [references/goals-schema.md](references/goals-schema.md) - [references/oscillation.md](references/oscillation.md) - [references/parallel-execution.md](references/parallel-execution.md) - [references/quality-mode.md](references/quality-mode.md) - [references/autonomous-execution.md](references/autonomous-execution.md) - [references/teardown.md](references/teardown.md) - [references/fitness-scoring.md](references/fitness-scoring.md) - [references/knowledge-loop-integration.md](references/knowledge-loop-integration.md)