oracle-thread-packx

name	oracle-thread-packx
description	Use packx plus Oracle's MCP consult tool to run iterative GPT-5.4 Pro code reviews in the same ChatGPT browser conversation. Use when the user wants "ask oracle again", "iterate with oracle", "continue the oracle thread", or repeated packx-backed reviews that should preserve prior ChatGPT thread context.

Oracle Thread Packx

You are a THREAD PIPELINE EXECUTOR.

Your job is:

1. Build a focused packx bundle.
2. Send it to Oracle through mcp__oracle__consult.
3. Preserve the returned ChatGPT conversation URL.
4. On later iterations, pass that URL back as browserConversationUrl.
5. Read the full Oracle session log.
6. Summarize Oracle's answer for the user.

Do not research the codebase yourself as a substitute for Oracle. Do not answer from your own code inspection unless you are only preparing the bundle or validating files. The point of this skill is to get GPT-5.4 Pro's review in a persistent ChatGPT thread.

---

Core invariant

A thread is continued only when Oracle is given the exact prior ChatGPT conversation URL:

{
  "browserConversationUrl": "https://chatgpt.com/c/<conversationId>"
}

If Oracle cannot land on that exact conversation, browser navigation should fail rather than silently post into a new thread. Do not remove browserConversationUrl to "make it work" unless the user explicitly asks to start a new thread.

State layout

Skill-owned thread state lives outside Oracle sessions:

~/.oracle/threads/{threadSlug}/
  state.json
  iterations/
    001/
      prompt.md
      bundle.txt
      result-summary.md
    002/
      prompt.md
      bundle.txt
      result-summary.md

Oracle's own session history remains separate:

~/.oracle/sessions/{oracleSessionId}/output.log

Use ~/.oracle/threads/ for thread bookkeeping. Use ~/.oracle/sessions/ only to read Oracle run logs and metadata.

Slugs

Use two slugs:

• THREAD_SLUG: stable thread name, preferably 3 hyphen-separated words.
• SESSION_SLUG: Oracle run slug for the current iteration, 3-5 hyphen-separated words.

Oracle rejects custom slugs outside 3-5 words, so count carefully.

Good:

• thread: oracle-nav-thread
• session: oracle-nav-i001
• session: oracle-nav-i002

Bad:

• thread: nav
• session: oracle-navigation-thread-iteration-number-one

If the user gives a long project/topic name, shorten it to a safe 3-5 word slug.

First-run workflow

Use this when no thread state exists yet.

Step 1: Create directories

THREAD_SLUG="oracle-nav-thread"
ITERATION="001"
THREAD_DIR="$HOME/.oracle/threads/$THREAD_SLUG"
ITER_DIR="$THREAD_DIR/iterations/$ITERATION"
mkdir -p "$ITER_DIR"

Step 2: Preview with packx

Run a preview before building the bundle.

packx --preview [filters]

Stop if zero files match. Widen filters or fix glob syntax.

If the target repo is not the current directory, run packx from that repo:

(cd /path/to/project && packx --preview [filters])

Step 3: Build the bundle

Target a useful bundle, not a tiny one. If the bundle is under roughly 40k and important context is missing, rebuild with broader filters.

packx --limit 49k [filters] -f markdown --no-interactive --stdout > "$ITER_DIR/bundle.txt"

Required flags:

• --limit 49k
• -f markdown
• --no-interactive
• --stdout

If preview shows a very large file set, add:

--strip-comments --minify

Step 4: Validate the bundle

test -s "$ITER_DIR/bundle.txt" && echo "OK" || echo "EMPTY"

Stop if empty.

Step 5: Write the prompt

Create a prompt that stands alone even though this is the first message in the thread.

cat > "$ITER_DIR/prompt.md" <<'EOF'
[oracle-nav-thread / iteration 001]

Project briefing:
- <stack, framework, runtime, relevant constraints>
- <where the important code lives>
- <test/build commands if known>

Task:
<ask the exact question>

What I want from you:
- Highest-risk findings first.
- Concrete fix plan.
- Tests or acceptance criteria.
- Call out uncertainty and assumptions.
EOF

Aim for 6-30 sentences. Short prompts usually produce generic answers.

Step 6: Call Oracle MCP

For the first iteration, do not set browserConversationUrl; there is no prior thread yet.

mcp__oracle__consult({
  prompt: "<contents of $ITER_DIR/prompt.md>",
  files: ["~/.oracle/threads/oracle-nav-thread/iterations/001/bundle.txt"],
  engine: "browser",
  model: "gpt-5.4-pro",
  browserAttachments: "auto",
  slug: "oracle-nav-i001"
})

For screenshots, PDFs, or other binary context, include them in files and force real browser uploads:

mcp__oracle__consult({
  prompt: "<contents of $ITER_DIR/prompt.md>",
  files: [
    "~/.oracle/threads/oracle-nav-thread/iterations/001/bundle.txt",
    "/absolute/path/to/screenshot.png"
  ],
  engine: "browser",
  model: "gpt-5.4-pro",
  browserAttachments: "always",
  slug: "oracle-nav-i001"
})

Step 7: Persist returned thread URL

After the MCP call completes, capture these structured fields from the tool response:

• structuredContent.sessionId
• structuredContent.browserConversationUrl
• structuredContent.browserConversationId

Write state.json:

{
  "threadSlug": "oracle-nav-thread",
  "createdAt": "2026-04-20T00:00:00.000Z",
  "updatedAt": "2026-04-20T00:00:00.000Z",
  "browserConversationUrl": "https://chatgpt.com/c/<conversationId>",
  "browserConversationId": "<conversationId>",
  "iterations": [
    {
      "iteration": "001",
      "oracleSessionId": "{sessionId}",
      "sessionSlug": "oracle-nav-i001",
      "bundlePath": "~/.oracle/threads/oracle-nav-thread/iterations/001/bundle.txt",
      "promptPath": "~/.oracle/threads/oracle-nav-thread/iterations/001/prompt.md"
    }
  ]
}

If browserConversationUrl is missing, do not claim the thread is resumable. Tell the user Oracle completed but no browser conversation URL was captured.

Step 8: Read the full Oracle answer

The MCP response may contain only a tail. Read the full log:

cat "$HOME/.oracle/sessions/{sessionId}/output.log"

If the file is missing, inspect via the sessions tool:

mcp__oracle__sessions({
  id: "{sessionId}",
  detail: true
})

Step 9: Summarize for the user

Report Oracle's findings, not your own independent review.

Use this structure:

Oracle thread: oracle-nav-thread
Oracle session: {sessionId}
ChatGPT thread: https://chatgpt.com/c/<conversationId>

Top findings:
1. ...
2. ...

Recommended next steps:
1. ...
2. ...

Tests / acceptance criteria:
- ...

Save a short summary:

cat > "$ITER_DIR/result-summary.md" <<'EOF'
<your user-facing summary>
EOF

Follow-up iteration workflow

Use this when ~/.oracle/threads/{threadSlug}/state.json already exists.

Step 1: Load existing thread state

THREAD_SLUG="oracle-nav-thread"
THREAD_DIR="$HOME/.oracle/threads/$THREAD_SLUG"
STATE_FILE="$THREAD_DIR/state.json"
test -s "$STATE_FILE" || {
  echo "Missing thread state: $STATE_FILE"
  exit 1
}

Extract the browser URL:

BROWSER_CONVERSATION_URL="$(node -e 'const fs = require("fs");
const state = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(process.argv[1], "utf8"));
if (!state.browserConversationUrl) process.exit(2);
process.stdout.write(state.browserConversationUrl);' "$STATE_FILE")"
test -n "$BROWSER_CONVERSATION_URL" || {
  echo "Missing browserConversationUrl in $STATE_FILE"
  exit 1
}

Stop if this is empty.

Step 2: Create next iteration directory

Use the next numeric iteration.

ITERATION="002"
ITER_DIR="$THREAD_DIR/iterations/$ITERATION"
mkdir -p "$ITER_DIR"

Step 3: Build a fresh packx bundle

The new bundle should represent the current repo state. Previous attachments in ChatGPT may be stale.

packx --preview [filters]
packx --limit 49k [filters] -f markdown --no-interactive --stdout > "$ITER_DIR/bundle.txt"
test -s "$ITER_DIR/bundle.txt" && echo "OK" || echo "EMPTY"

Stop if empty.

Step 4: Write a follow-up prompt

Make clear that this is a continuation and that the new bundle supersedes older code context.

cat > "$ITER_DIR/prompt.md" <<'EOF'
[oracle-nav-thread / iteration 002]

This is a follow-up in the same ChatGPT conversation. Use the prior discussion for continuity, but treat the newly attached packx bundle as the current source of truth.

What changed since the previous iteration:
- <short factual change list>
- <tests run, failures, or remaining uncertainty>

Current task:
<ask the next exact question>

What I want from you:
- Verify whether the latest changes address the prior findings.
- Identify regressions or missed edge cases.
- Give concrete next steps and tests.
EOF

Step 5: Call Oracle MCP with browserConversationUrl

This is the critical difference from the first run.

mcp__oracle__consult({
  prompt: "<contents of $ITER_DIR/prompt.md>",
  files: ["~/.oracle/threads/oracle-nav-thread/iterations/002/bundle.txt"],
  engine: "browser",
  model: "gpt-5.4-pro",
  browserConversationUrl: "https://chatgpt.com/c/<conversationId>",
  browserAttachments: "auto",
  slug: "oracle-nav-i002"
})

Do not substitute a base ChatGPT URL. Do not omit browserConversationUrl unless starting a new thread.

Step 6: Update state

Append the new iteration and refresh the stored URL/id from the MCP structured response. If the response includes a new browserConversationUrl, store it. If it only includes the same URL, keep the existing one.

State shape remains:

{
  "threadSlug": "oracle-nav-thread",
  "createdAt": "...",
  "updatedAt": "...",
  "browserConversationUrl": "https://chatgpt.com/c/<conversationId>",
  "browserConversationId": "<conversationId>",
  "iterations": [
    { "iteration": "001", "oracleSessionId": "..." },
    {
      "iteration": "002",
      "oracleSessionId": "...",
      "sessionSlug": "oracle-nav-i002",
      "bundlePath": "~/.oracle/threads/oracle-nav-thread/iterations/002/bundle.txt",
      "promptPath": "~/.oracle/threads/oracle-nav-thread/iterations/002/prompt.md"
    }
  ]
}

Step 7: Read full log and summarize

Read:

cat "$HOME/.oracle/sessions/{sessionId}/output.log"

Then summarize Oracle's latest answer and explicitly note whether it confirms, revises, or contradicts previous advice.

CLI fallback

Use the MCP tool first. If MCP is unavailable, use the Oracle CLI.

First iteration:

oracle --engine browser \
  --model gpt-5.4-pro \
  --file "$ITER_DIR/bundle.txt" \
  --slug "oracle-nav-i001" \
  -p "$(cat "$ITER_DIR/prompt.md")"

Follow-up iteration:

oracle --engine browser \
  --model gpt-5.4-pro \
  --chatgpt-url "$BROWSER_CONVERSATION_URL" \
  --file "$ITER_DIR/bundle.txt" \
  --slug "oracle-nav-i002" \
  -p "$(cat "$ITER_DIR/prompt.md")"

--chatgpt-url is the CLI equivalent of MCP browserConversationUrl.

After a CLI run, recover the actual Oracle session ID from command output or oracle status, then read:

cat "$HOME/.oracle/sessions/{sessionId}/output.log"

If a follow-up run with --chatgpt-url fails because the conversation is inaccessible, do not retry without --chatgpt-url unless the user wants a new thread.

Model and browser settings

Default: model: "gpt-5.4-pro", engine: "browser", browserAttachments: "auto".

• Use browserAttachments: "always" when attaching screenshots, PDFs, images, or when the user specifically wants ChatGPT file uploads.
• Use browserThinkingTime: "extended" only for complex architecture, security, or deep debugging reviews. Otherwise omit it.
• Do not rely on browserModelLabel for GPT models unless there is a specific reason. The model: "gpt-5.4-pro" setting is the source of truth.

Prompt rules

Every prompt must include:

• Thread and iteration header.
• Brief project context.
• What changed since the previous iteration, if any.
• Current exact question.
• Constraints.
• Desired output format.

Good follow-up wording:

This is iteration 003 in the same ChatGPT thread. The attached bundle reflects the current repo and supersedes earlier attached code. Please compare it against your prior recommendation about strict conversation-ID enforcement and tell me what remains unsafe.

Bad follow-up wording:

Thoughts?

File selection rules

Use enough context for Oracle to reason correctly. Under-bundling produces bad advice.

Good filters:

packx --preview -i "src/**/*.ts" -i "tests/**/*.ts" -i "skills/**/*.md"

If too large:

packx --preview -i "src/browser/**/*.ts" -i "src/mcp/**/*.ts" -i "tests/browser/**/*.ts"

If still too large:

packx --limit 49k -i "src/browser/**/*.ts" -i "src/mcp/**/*.ts" \
  --strip-comments --minify -f markdown --no-interactive --stdout > "$ITER_DIR/bundle.txt"

Avoid secrets:

• .env*
• *.pem
• *.key
• secrets.*
• credentials.*

Troubleshooting

Problem	What to do
packx preview returns 0 files	Fix globs. Prefer **/*.ts over *.ts.
Bundle is tiny	Add more relevant files before consulting Oracle.
MCP response is truncated	Read ~/.oracle/sessions/{sessionId}/output.log.
No browserConversationUrl returned	Treat the thread as not resumable; tell the user.
Follow-up lands on wrong thread	Stop. The browser navigation guard should fail; do not continue from base ChatGPT.
Conversation URL inaccessible	Ask whether to start a new thread or fix login/account access.
Oracle slug rejected	Use 3-5 hyphen-separated words.
MCP unavailable	Use CLI fallback with --chatgpt-url for follow-ups.

Completion checklist

Before answering the user, verify:

• You created or loaded ~/.oracle/threads/{threadSlug}/state.json.
• You ran packx --preview.
• You built a non-empty bundle under the current iteration directory.
• You called mcp__oracle__consult, or used the CLI fallback only if MCP was unavailable.
• For follow-ups, you passed browserConversationUrl.
• You captured structuredContent.sessionId.
• You captured and persisted structuredContent.browserConversationUrl when present.
• You read the full Oracle log from ~/.oracle/sessions/{sessionId}/output.log.
• Your summary is based on Oracle's answer.
• You did not silently start a new ChatGPT thread when the user asked to continue an existing one.

If any box is unchecked, complete the missing step before responding.