build-tracker

name

build-tracker

description

Set up a recurring build tracker cron job for any GitHub repo. Runs a zero-LLM shell script to detect stale PRs, stale assigned issues, and phase progress, then posts to a Discord channel only when there's something actionable. Use when asked to "track this build every N hours", "prod agents on a project", "set up a build monitor", "watch this repo for stale work", or similar. The tracker is cheap to run — script does all the work, the agent only speaks when findings exist.

Build Tracker Skill

What This Skill Does

Wires a periodic cron that:

1. Runs scripts/run-tracker.sh — pure gh CLI, no LLM calls
2. If TRACKER_OK: agent replies HEARTBEAT_OK, stays silent
3. If TRACKER_ALERT: agent posts a brief findings summary to Discord + mentions relevant agents

Cost: ~$0 when silent (HEARTBEAT_OK path), ~$0.005 per alert on sonnet.

---

Wire a New Tracker

Quick (no phases)

bash ~/d/popashot-agent/skills/build-tracker/scripts/wire-cron.sh \
  <owner/repo> \
  <discord-channel-id> \
  "<cron-expr>"

With phase tracking

bash ~/d/popashot-agent/skills/build-tracker/scripts/wire-cron.sh \
  <owner/repo> \
  <discord-channel-id> \
  "<cron-expr>" \
  --phases-file ~/d/popashot-agent/state/<project>-phases.json \
  --stale-pr-hours 2 \
  --stale-issue-hours 6 \
  --label "popashot/<project>.build-tracker"

Defaults: stale-pr-hours=4, stale-issue-hours=8, label=popashot/<repo-slug>.build-tracker

---

Run Manually

STALE_PR_HOURS=4 STALE_ISSUE_HOURS=8 \
  bash ~/d/popashot-agent/skills/build-tracker/scripts/run-tracker.sh owner/repo

Exit 0 = nothing actionable. Exit 1 = findings present (check stdout).

---

Cron Payload Template

The wire-cron.sh script injects this pattern automatically. The cron message is:

Run tracker script → read output → if TRACKER_OK: HEARTBEAT_OK → if TRACKER_ALERT: post summary to channel, mention relevant agents, one message.

Model is always sonnet. Session is always isolated.

---

Removing a Tracker

When a project is done (UAT passed, all phases closed):

import json
with open('/Users/stevengonsalvez/.openclaw/cron/jobs.json', 'r') as f:
    data = json.load(f)
label = "popashot/<project>.build-tracker"
data['jobs'] = [j for j in data['jobs'] if j.get('name') != label]
with open('/Users/stevengonsalvez/.openclaw/cron/jobs.json', 'w') as f:
    json.dump(data, f, indent=2)

---

References

• Cron patterns, phase file format, agent mention map, cost model: See references/cron-patterns.md
• Script details: scripts/run-tracker.sh (pure bash/python, no LLM)
• Wiring script: scripts/wire-cron.sh (modifies ~/.openclaw/cron/jobs.json)

---

Design Principles

• Script-first: run-tracker.sh does all data gathering — gh CLI only
• Silent by default: Only speaks when stale/blocked work exists
• Skip blocked issues: Labels parked, blocked, needs-approval, later, in-review are ignored
• Unassigned issues are not stale: Only assigned issues count as stale
• Always backup ~/.openclaw/cron/jobs.json before modifying (wire-cron.sh does this automatically)