goblintown-sidecar

name	goblintown-sidecar
description	Use when the user wants Codex to install, register, verify, configure, or use Goblintown as a local npm-distributed MCP sidecar; also use when deciding whether to offer Goblintown for Single Goblin, full rites, planner DAGs, provider checks, chat import, or local Warren workflows.

Goblintown Codex Plugin 1.0

Goblintown Codex Plugin 1.0 is the Codex front-end adapter for Goblintown, an agent-first, model-augmentable orchestration tool compatible with most front ends. It is installed through npm, ships a Codex composer plugin plus this skill, and runs as a stdio MCP server from the user's machine. Do not suggest a hosted MCP unless the user explicitly asks for hosted operations.

The desktop installers are a separate distribution named Goblintown Desktop Beta 0.1. The upcoming ChatGPT integration should be named Goblintown ChatGPT App 1.0. Future harness packages should use the same pattern: Goblintown App/Plugin <major.minor>.

The default mode is AI-autopilot: the Tank displays a live diorama with creature animations, DAG progress, and result panels. There is no chat surface — the agent drives everything via MCP tools.

Policy links for the Codex plugin listing and review:

• Privacy Policy: https://goblintown-mcp.vercel.app/privacy.html
• Terms of Service: https://goblintown-mcp.vercel.app/terms.html

Consent Rules

Do not ask before safe inspection:

• Checking npm tags or versions with npm view.
• Running goblintown mcp --doctor or goblintown mcp --config-snippet.
• Using already-available Goblintown MCP tools when the user explicitly asked for Goblintown, a rite, a sidecar action, or a provider/status check.

Ask before changing the user's machine or local data unless they explicitly asked for that exact install/setup/import action:

• Running goblintown install or npm install -g goblintown@latest.
• Writing Codex config with goblintown mcp --install-codex.
• Installing or replacing this Codex skill with goblintown skill install.
• Installing or replacing the Codex composer extension with goblintown plugin install.
• Running goblintown init, because it creates .goblintown in the project.
• Importing chat history, scanning personal folders, or vectorizing stored records.
• Changing provider routes, API-key storage, voice settings, or model choices.
• Running a full local-provider rite or planner DAG when the user only asked a normal Codex question and has not opted into possible API spend.

If Goblintown would be helpful but optional, ask once in plain language whether to use it. If the user says yes, proceed without repeated confirmation for the same setup/workflow.

Single-Command Install

The fastest path to Goblintown Codex Plugin 1.0 is one command:

npx -y goblintown@latest install

This single command:

1. Creates a Warren if none exists in the current directory.
2. Installs the Codex MCP config into ~/.codex/config.toml.
3. Installs this skill into ~/.codex/skills/goblintown-sidecar.
4. Installs and enables the Codex plugin for the composer + menu.
5. Starts the Tank in AI-autopilot mode at http://localhost:7777.

Skip the server with --no-serve:

npx -y goblintown@latest install --no-serve

Install The Skill

If this skill is not already installed in Codex, install it from the npm package:

npx -y goblintown@latest skill install

This copies goblintown-sidecar into ${CODEX_HOME:-$HOME/.codex}/skills and backs up an existing skill folder before replacement. Restart Codex after installing or updating the skill so the new instructions load.

For a local checkout, install from the repo copy instead:

npm install
npm run build
node dist/cli.js skill install --source-dir ./skills/goblintown-sidecar

Install The Composer Extension

To make Goblintown available from Codex's composer + menu, install the bundled plugin/extension:

npx -y goblintown@latest plugin install

This copies the plugin to ~/plugins/goblintown, creates or updates the personal marketplace at ~/.agents/plugins/marketplace.json, and runs codex plugin add goblintown@personal so Codex installs and enables it.

For local checkout testing, point the installed plugin at the current built CLI instead of npm latest:

npm install
npm run build
node dist/cli.js plugin install --local-mcp

Restart Codex after installing or updating the plugin so the composer menu can load the new plugin cache.

Install Packages

For MCP-only usage, prefer npx; it keeps updates package-managed and does not require a global binary:

npm view goblintown@latest name version dist-tags --json
npx -y goblintown@latest mcp --doctor

If the user wants the CLI or desktop launcher available globally, ask first unless they already requested a global install:

npm install -g goblintown@latest
goblintown mcp --doctor

Install The MCP

Use the package-managed installer for Codex Desktop:

npx -y goblintown@latest mcp --install-codex

It writes this TOML block into ${CODEX_HOME:-$HOME/.codex}/config.toml and creates a timestamped backup when it changes an existing config:

[mcp_servers.goblintown]
command = "npx"
args = ["-y", "goblintown@latest", "mcp"]

Restart Codex after --install-codex. For MCP clients that accept JSON, the equivalent local stdio config is:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "goblintown": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "goblintown@latest", "mcp"]
    }
  }
}

For unpublished local checkout testing only, use the built CLI path:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "goblintown": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/goblintown/dist/cli.js", "mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Verify

Run the doctor from the directory Codex will use:

npx -y goblintown@latest mcp --doctor

Interpret the result carefully:

• ok: true means the package can serve the MCP.
• A project Warren wins when the current folder or a parent contains .goblintown/warren.json.
• If no project Warren exists, MCP uses or creates a Codex-local global Warren at ${CODEX_HOME:-$HOME/.codex}/goblintown, so rites can run from any Codex thread.
• To keep a rite, Hoard, and provider settings bound to a specific project, move to the project root and run goblintown init only after the user agrees or explicitly asks.

Use The MCP Tools

Goblintown exposes these local tools:

• goblintown_tank: launch or reuse the local Tank in AI-autopilot mode and return the local URL. Call this first when the user invokes the Goblintown plugin, asks to open Goblintown, or wants to land in the Tank.
• goblintown_doctor: setup, cwd, Warren, and install diagnostics.
• goblintown_provider: provider, model route, and missing-key status without exposing secrets.
• goblintown_chat: Single Goblin mode for one direct local model call.
• goblintown_rite: configures a full rite for the current harness. By default the connected harness executes the model work with its own tokens; pass executionMode: "local_provider" only when the user has opted into spending the configured local provider.
• goblintown_plan: configures a planner DAG for the current harness by default; pass executionMode: "local_provider" only for explicit local-provider execution where each node becomes a sub-rite.

When the user selects or calls the Goblintown plugin from Codex, start by calling goblintown_tank so the Tank is visible right away. If the in-app Browser is available, open the returned tankUrl there.

Use goblintown_doctor first when setup or cwd is uncertain. Use goblintown_provider before changing model/provider assumptions. Use goblintown_chat for quick local continuity, goblintown_rite for pack review or multi-agent scrutiny, and goblintown_plan for complex multi-step work. If the user says "run a rite" in Codex or another harness, call the tool without executionMode so Goblintown configures the rite and the harness spends its own tokens. Only opt into executionMode: "local_provider" after the user asks for the local Tank/provider to execute the model calls.

Autopilot Mode

By default, goblintown serve runs in AI-autopilot mode. The Tank displays the full creature diorama (goblins, gremlins, raccoon, troll, ogre, pigeon) with streaming thinking bubbles, a DAG progress panel, and result cards.

There is no chat input box — the agent controls everything through MCP tools. When the agent calls goblintown_rite or goblintown_plan with executionMode: "local_provider", the Tank streams the rite live and renders the output. In default harness mode, the Tank remains available for setup, history, and inspection while the connected harness carries the token spend.

To restore the legacy chat surface, use:

goblintown serve --chat

Troubleshooting

• Missing API key: only matters for goblintown_chat or explicit executionMode: "local_provider" rite/plan runs. Configure the provider in the Tank's Settings > API panel or set the provider env var, then rerun goblintown mcp --doctor.
• Wrong directory: MCP inherits Codex's working directory, but falls back to the Codex-local global Warren when no project Warren exists. Point Codex at a project root or initialize a project Warren when project-local memory matters.
• Stale package: run npm view goblintown@latest version dist-tags --json, then use goblintown@latest unless the user requests a pinned version.
• Tank not responding: the Tank runs on http://localhost:7777 by default. Only local-provider rites/plans started via MCP need the Tank to stream live execution.