add-linear

name	add-linear
description	Add Linear channel integration via Chat SDK. Issue comment threads as conversations.

Add Linear Channel

Adds Linear support via the Chat SDK bridge. The agent participates in issue comment threads. Every comment on a Linear issue triggers the agent — no @-mention needed. NanoClaw doesn't ship channels in trunk — this skill copies the Linear adapter in from the channels branch.

The mechanical steps under Apply carry nc: directive fences: an agent reads the prose and applies them, and a parser can apply them deterministically from the same document. Every directive is idempotent, so the whole skill is safe to re-run; anything a parser can't apply falls back to the prose beside it.

Prerequisites

Recommended: Create a Linear OAuth application so the agent posts as an app identity, not as you. This prevents the adapter from filtering your own comments as self-messages.

1. Go to Linear Settings > API > OAuth Applications
2. Create an app (e.g. "NanoClaw Bot")
   • Developer URL: your repo URL (e.g. https://github.com/your-org/nanoclaw)
   • Callback URL: http://localhost
3. After creating, click the app and enable Client credentials under grant types
4. Copy the Client ID and Client Secret

Alternative: Use a Personal API Key (LINEAR_API_KEY) for simpler setup. The agent will post as you, and your own comments will be filtered (other team members' comments still work).

Apply

Linear OAuth apps post and read comments under an app identity that can't be @-mentioned; the adapter's declared channel defaults therefore respond to plain comments rather than mention-only, and the wiring below sets that same pattern mode explicitly.

1. Copy the adapter and its registration test

Fetch the channels branch and copy the Linear adapter and its registration test into src/channels/ (overwrite — the branch is canonical):

src/channels/linear.ts
src/channels/linear-registration.test.ts

2. Register the adapter

Append the self-registration import to the channel barrel (skipped if the line is already present). This one line is the skill's only reach-in into the channel registry:

import './linear.js';

3. Install the adapter package

Pinned to an exact version — the supply-chain policy rejects ranges and latest:

@chat-adapter/linear@4.29.0

4. Build and validate

Build first: it guards the typed createChatSdkBridge(...) core call and proves the dependency is installed. Then run the one integration test.

pnpm run build

pnpm exec vitest run src/channels/linear-registration.test.ts

Both must be clean before proceeding. linear-registration.test.ts imports the real channel barrel and asserts the registry contains linear. It goes red if the import './linear.js'; line is deleted or drifts, if the barrel fails to evaluate, or if @chat-adapter/linear isn't installed (the import throws) — so it also covers the dependency from step 3. End-to-end message delivery against a real Linear workspace is verified manually once the service is running — see Wiring and Next Steps.

Credentials

Linear app and webhook setup is human and interactive — these steps are prose (no parser can click through the Linear UI), except the final env write.

1. Set up a webhook

1. Go to Linear Settings > API > Webhooks > New webhook
2. Label: NanoClaw
3. URL: https://your-domain/webhook/linear (the shared webhook server, default port 3000)
4. Team: select the team you want to monitor
5. Events: check Comment
6. Save — copy the signing secret

Note: Linear webhook delivery may be delayed 1-5 minutes for new webhooks. This is normal.

2. Store the credentials

Capture the values, then write them. prompt only asks and binds the answer to a name; a separate directive consumes it. Here they go to .env (set-if-absent — a value you've already filled in is never overwritten) and sync to the container.

Use either the OAuth app credentials (recommended) or a Personal API key. For the API-key path, paste none at the OAuth prompts and set LINEAR_API_KEY in .env by hand (commented in the template below). LINEAR_BOT_USERNAME is the display name for the bot, used for self-message detection when using a Personal API Key. LINEAR_TEAM_KEY is the Linear team key (e.g. ENG, NAN) — find it in Linear under Settings > Teams; all issues in this team route to one messaging group.

Paste the OAuth Client ID — Linear Settings > API > OAuth Applications. Paste `none` if using a Personal API key instead.

Paste the OAuth Client Secret. Paste `none` if using a Personal API key instead.

Paste the webhook signing secret from the webhook you just created.

Enter the Linear team key (e.g. `ENG`, `NAN`) — Settings > Teams.

Enter the bot display name (e.g. `NanoClaw Bot`).

LINEAR_CLIENT_ID={{linear_client_id}}
LINEAR_CLIENT_SECRET={{linear_client_secret}}
LINEAR_WEBHOOK_SECRET={{linear_webhook_secret}}
LINEAR_TEAM_KEY={{linear_team_key}}
LINEAR_BOT_USERNAME={{linear_bot_username}}

If you went the Personal API key route, add this line to .env instead of the OAuth pair (agent posts as you, your own comments are filtered):

LINEAR_API_KEY=lin_api_...

Wiring

Linear is team-routed: the assistant watches one team and answers every comment on its issues (it can't be @-mentioned). Wire the team you set up to an agent — pick which one should answer (ncl groups list shows their folders). The host service must be running — ncl connects to it over a Unix socket.

The sender policy depends on the workspace: a private workspace can use public (only workspace members can comment anyway); a public workspace should use strict so only registered members may talk to the agent.

Which agent should answer Linear comments? Enter its folder (run `ncl groups list`).

Is this a private or public Linear workspace? Enter `public` for a private workspace (only members can comment) or `strict` for a public workspace (only registered members may talk to the agent).

ncl messaging-groups create --channel-type linear --platform-id linear:{{linear_team_key}} --is-group 1 --unknown-sender-policy {{linear_sender_policy}} --name {{linear_team_key}}
ncl wirings create --channel-type linear --platform-id linear:{{linear_team_key}} --agent-group {{agent_folder}} --engage-mode pattern --engage-pattern . --session-mode per-thread

The explicit pattern engage mode with pattern . matches the Linear adapter's declared channel defaults — Linear can't be @-mentioned, so the agent answers every comment. Each issue thread becomes its own conversation. There's no welcome — Linear has no direct message, so the assistant greets people when it first answers a comment. If you chose strict, register the people who may talk to the agent (see the GitHub skill for adding members).

Next Steps

If you're in the middle of /setup, return to the setup flow now.

Otherwise, restart the service to pick up the new channel.

Run from your NanoClaw project root:

source setup/lib/install-slug.sh
launchctl kickstart -k gui/$(id -u)/$(launchd_label)  # macOS
systemctl --user restart $(systemd_unit)              # Linux

Channel Info

• type: linear
• terminology: Linear has "teams" containing "issues." Each issue's comment thread is a separate conversation.
• how-to-find-id: The platform ID is linear:<TEAM_KEY> (e.g. linear:ENG). Find your team key in Linear under Settings > Teams. Each issue becomes its own thread automatically.
• supports-threads: yes (issue comment threads are native conversations)
• typical-use: Webhook-driven — the agent receives all issue comment events and responds automatically. No @-mention needed (Linear OAuth apps can't be @-mentioned).
• default-isolation: Use per-thread session mode. Each issue comment thread gets its own isolated agent session.

Troubleshooting

Comments never reach the agent. New Linear webhooks can lag 1–5 minutes, so wait before digging. Then check the webhook in Linear Settings → API → Webhooks: the URL must be your public host at /webhook/linear (shared webhook server, port 3000), the right team selected, and the Comment event checked. A mismatch between the webhook's signing secret and LINEAR_WEBHOOK_SECRET makes deliveries fail signature verification silently — re-copy the secret from the webhook page.

OAuth credentials rejected. The Client ID and Secret come from Linear Settings → API → OAuth Applications, and the app must have Client credentials enabled under grant types after creation — without that toggle the token exchange 401s. If you meant to use a Personal API key instead, answer none at both OAuth prompts and set LINEAR_API_KEY in .env by hand.

The agent ignores your own comments. That's Personal-API-key mode working as designed: comments from the key's account are filtered as self-messages so the bot doesn't answer itself. Other members' comments still trigger it; if it must answer you too, switch to the OAuth app identity.

Sender-policy answer rejected, or issues route nowhere. The policy must be exactly public or strict (lowercase), and LINEAR_TEAM_KEY must be the short team key (e.g. ENG) from Settings → Teams — all issues in that one team route to the messaging group.

Wired but dead. Run pnpm exec vitest run src/channels/linear-registration.test.ts — red means the barrel import or the @chat-adapter/linear install drifted, so re-run the Apply steps. If green, restart the service (see Next Steps) so the adapter and .env values are live.