autonomous

name	autonomous
description	Force VibeOS back into full autonomous session mode. Use when the user says "go autonomous", "stop checking in", "run on your own", "stay in autonomous mode", or wants VibeOS to keep building until it hits a real blocker, finishes the plan, or needs an explicit risk decision.
argument-hint	[optional: brief goal or scope reminder]
allowed-tools	Read, Write, Edit, Glob, Grep, Bash, Agent, AskUserQuestion

/vibeos:autonomous — Full Autonomous Session Override

Turn on a temporary full-autonomous session override, record the session state, and continue building without routine check-ins. For 24-48 hour runs, use the long-run autonomy control plane: heartbeat files, checkpoints, audit cadence, failure detection, recovery planning, recovery resolution, and resumable handoff state.

Communication Contract

Follow the full USER-COMMUNICATION-CONTRACT.md (docs/USER-COMMUNICATION-CONTRACT.md). Key rules:

• Lead with outcome, follow with mechanism
• Present decisions with consequences
• Introduce every concept on first use with plain English definition

Skill-specific addenda:

• Explain clearly that autonomous mode still obeys the Product Anchor, Engineering Principles, gates, and audit rules
• Do not stop for routine progress check-ins while the autonomous session override is active
• If the system pauses, explain that it is because a real blocker, explicit risk decision, or plan boundary required intervention
• Treat long-run autonomy as resumable execution, not a promise that one model context stays alive forever

Prerequisites

Before enabling autonomous mode, verify these exist:

• project-definition.json
• docs/planning/DEVELOPMENT-PLAN.md
• docs/planning/WO-INDEX.md

If planning files are missing, explain that VibeOS needs discovery and planning before it can run autonomously.

Autonomous Flow

Step 1: Read and Update Project Config

1. Read .vibeos/config.json if it exists.
2. Preserve the negotiated autonomy level if one already exists.
3. Update .vibeos/config.json so it includes:

{
  "autonomy": {
    "level": "wo|phase|major",
    "negotiated_at": "ISO-8601 timestamp",
    "session_override": {
      "mode": "autonomous",
      "active": true,
      "set_at": "ISO-8601 timestamp",
      "set_by": "/vibeos:autonomous"
    },
    "long_run": {
      "active": true,
      "target_hours": 24,
      "max_hours": 48,
      "heartbeat_interval_minutes": 30,
      "checkpoint_interval_minutes": 60,
      "audit_interval_minutes": 180,
      "evidence_dir": ".vibeos/autonomy",
      "stop_conditions": [
        "security_or_secret_risk",
        "destructive_or_irreversible_action",
        "unclear_product_decision",
        "repeated_gate_failure",
        "provider_or_session_limit",
        "repeated_no_progress_loop",
        "plan_complete"
      ]
    }
  }
}

If the file does not exist, create .vibeos/ and write a valid config file that includes the override.

Step 2: Create or Refresh Session State

Create or update .vibeos/session-state.json.

Use this shape:

{
  "session_id": "ISO timestamp or CLAUDE_SESSION_ID",
  "mode": "autonomous",
  "active": true,
  "started_at": "ISO-8601 timestamp",
  "last_updated": "ISO-8601 timestamp",
  "started_from_wo": "WO-NNN or unknown",
  "completed_wos": [],
  "phase_checkpoints": [],
  "last_audit_report": null,
  "last_audited_at": null,
  "long_run": {
    "run_id": "longrun-session-id",
    "active": true,
    "target_hours": 24,
    "max_hours": 48,
    "heartbeat_interval_minutes": 30,
    "checkpoint_interval_minutes": 60,
    "audit_interval_minutes": 180,
    "loop_iteration": 0,
    "last_heartbeat_at": "ISO-8601 timestamp",
    "last_checkpoint_at": null,
    "last_audit_at": null
  }
}

If a session file already exists:

• keep any existing completed_wos and phase_checkpoints
• set active back to true
• update mode to autonomous
• clear any stale ended_at or paused_at fields

Step 3: Log the Mode Change

Ensure .vibeos/build-log.md exists, then append a log entry like:

[timestamp] autonomy session autonomous [enabled] full autonomous session override requested

Step 4: Record the First Long-Run Heartbeat

If .vibeos/scripts/autonomy-heartbeat.py exists, record the first heartbeat before continuing:

python3 ".vibeos/scripts/autonomy-heartbeat.py" \
  --status running \
  --iteration 0 \
  --summary "autonomous long-run session enabled" \
  --next-action "continue build loop"

This creates .vibeos/autonomy/heartbeats/*.json, updates .vibeos/session-state.json, and gives future sessions a durable resume point.

Then write the first supervisor plan:

python3 ".vibeos/scripts/autonomy-supervisor.py" --project-dir "."
python3 ".vibeos/scripts/autonomy-runner.py" --project-dir "." --json

This creates .vibeos/autonomy/resume-plan.json, which records whether the next loop should continue building, record a heartbeat, run a checkpoint, run an audit, or stop. The runner writes .vibeos/autonomy/runner-report.json, blocks untrusted shell commands, and marks Codex/Claude continuation steps as handoff-required model work. External schedulers or runtime adapters can call python3 ".vibeos/scripts/autonomy-loop.py" --project-dir "." --json to run one deterministic supervisor-plus-runner tick and write .vibeos/autonomy/loop-state.json. When the loop reports handoff_required, python3 ".vibeos/scripts/autonomy-runtime-adapter.py" --project-dir "." --json writes the Codex/Claude handoff plan without launching it. Use --execute only when the surrounding automation is intentionally allowed to start a new runtime process. If loop ticks, runtime handoffs, runner blocks, lease conflicts, or provider/session limit signals repeat, run python3 ".vibeos/scripts/autonomy-failure-detector.py" --project-dir "." --json and then python3 ".vibeos/scripts/autonomy-recovery-planner.py" --project-dir "." --json. Use python3 ".vibeos/scripts/autonomy-recovery-resolution.py" --project-dir "." --action-id "<ACTION_ID>" --summary "<what changed>" --evidence "<path-or-note>" --json to record evidence for resolved recovery actions. python3 ".vibeos/scripts/autonomy-scheduler-guard.py" --project-dir "." --json must pass before scheduling another tick. Before installing a scheduler profile, generate it with python3 ".vibeos/scripts/autonomy-scheduler-profile.py" --project-dir "." --json and run python3 ".vibeos/scripts/autonomy-smoke.py" --runtime-provider codex --json against a disposable target or reviewed project path.

Step 5: Explain What Happens Next

Tell the user, in plain English:

• VibeOS will keep building without routine check-ins
• for 24-48 hour runs, VibeOS will write heartbeat, checkpoint, and audit evidence so the run can resume safely if the runtime is interrupted
• quality gates, audit agents, anchor checks, and prompt-engineering rules still apply
• VibeOS will still pause for blockers, explicit risk decisions, or if the plan is complete

If $ARGUMENTS includes a scope reminder, include that reminder in the confirmation.

Step 6: Continue Building Immediately

After updating config and session state:

1. Read skills/build/SKILL.md
2. Continue directly into the build flow
3. Treat the autonomous session override as active for the rest of the build session

While the override is active:

• do not stop for routine WO or phase check-ins
• use autonomy-loop.py for scheduler-safe loop ticks when a non-model process is driving the session
• respect .vibeos/autonomy/run-lease.json; if a lease conflict appears, treat another autonomy driver as active
• use autonomy-runtime-adapter.py for dry-run-first Codex/Claude runtime handoff planning
• use autonomy-failure-detector.py for repeated handoff loops, runner blocks, runtime failures, lease conflicts, and provider/session limits
• use autonomy-recovery-planner.py for plan-only recovery actions after failure detection
• use autonomy-recovery-resolution.py to record summary and evidence for resolved recovery actions
• use autonomy-scheduler-guard.py to block scheduler-driven ticks while recovery actions lack matching resolution evidence
• use autonomy-scheduler-profile.py only to generate reviewed profile files; it does not install cron, launchd, or CI jobs
• use autonomy-smoke.py before trusting a scheduler profile
• record a long-run heartbeat at least every 30 minutes, after every WO boundary, and after every checkpoint/audit boundary
• classify each supervisor resume plan with autonomy-runner.py; use --execute only for allowlisted local VibeOS scripts
• save checkpoints at least every 60 minutes or after each agent/work-package boundary
• run a checkpoint or session audit at least every 180 minutes or phase boundary
• at phase boundaries, run the checkpoint flow automatically before continuing
• only pause when a real blocker, escalation, explicit risk decision, or plan-completion condition requires it

Step 7: Clearing the Override

When the user later says "stop autonomous mode", "change autonomy", or the autonomous session finishes:

• set .vibeos/config.json autonomy.session_override.active to false
• update .vibeos/session-state.json with active: false and an ended_at timestamp
• record a terminal heartbeat:

  python3 ".vibeos/scripts/autonomy-heartbeat.py" --status complete --summary "autonomous session complete" --next-action "run session audit"
  

• run long-run closeout validation:

  python3 ".vibeos/scripts/validate-long-run-autonomy.py" --project-dir "." --require-closed
  

Output Summary

Artifact	Path	Purpose
Config	.vibeos/config.json	Preserves negotiated autonomy and temporary autonomous-session override
Session state	.vibeos/session-state.json	Tracks the current or most recent autonomous session
Build log	.vibeos/build-log.md	Records when autonomous mode was enabled
Heartbeats	.vibeos/autonomy/heartbeats/*.json	Durable evidence and resume points for 24-48 hour autonomous runs
Run lease	.vibeos/autonomy/run-lease.json	Active driver lease preventing concurrent loop/runtime mutation
Lease evidence	.vibeos/autonomy/last-lease.json	Last acquired and released lease evidence
Lease conflict	.vibeos/autonomy/lease-conflict.json	Latest blocked concurrent driver attempt
Loop state	.vibeos/autonomy/loop-state.json	Latest scheduler-safe supervisor-plus-runner tick state
Loop history	.vibeos/autonomy/loop-history.jsonl	Append-only loop tick history for stuck-loop detection
Runner report	.vibeos/autonomy/runner-report.json	Records safe resume-plan classification, execution, blocked commands, and model handoffs
Runtime adapter plan	.vibeos/autonomy/runtime-adapter-plan.json	Planned or executed Codex/Claude handoff command
Runtime adapter history	.vibeos/autonomy/runtime-adapter-history.jsonl	Append-only runtime handoff history for repeated failure detection
Failure report	.vibeos/autonomy/failure-report.json	Repeated loop, blocked runner, runtime, lease, and provider/session failure report
Recovery plan	.vibeos/autonomy/recovery-plan.json	Plan-only recovery actions for detected autonomy failure classes
Recovery resolution	.vibeos/autonomy/recovery-resolution.json	Evidence-backed resolution state for recovery-plan actions
Recovery resolution history	.vibeos/autonomy/recovery-resolution-history.jsonl	Append-only recovery resolution history
Scheduler guard report	.vibeos/autonomy/scheduler-guard-report.json	Pre-tick guard result for unresolved recovery actions
Scheduler profile	.vibeos/autonomy/scheduler-profile.json	Generated scheduler profile manifest
Smoke report	.vibeos/autonomy/smoke-report.json	Disposable autonomy smoke-test result