| name | codexscientist-codex |
| description | Low-token router for CodexScientist in Codex CLI. MCP-only default for research-control workflows after Codex has entered ordinary or goal context. |
CodexScientist Codex Router
This skill is a thin router. It states policy and boundaries; it is not a full command manual.
Core rules
- MCP-only default: use the curated
cs_* MCP surface for repeated research-control workflows.
/goal is Codex-native. CodexScientist does not implement slash commands; after Codex has entered goal context, this router maps research semantics to MCP calls, project-local state, checkpoint, and resume contracts.- Start from the visible MCP surface: inspect
tools/list, then call cs_tool_schema for the one tool you intend to use.
- Runtime state lives in
<project>/CodexScientist/.
- Persist durable research facts through
cs_* calls when they affect root-bound research state, memory, artifacts, baselines, experiments, reviews, analysis, method improvement, or evidence.
- For long-task recovery, call
cs_status then cs_resume_brief with the default 4K-8K budget; use cs_pack_delta only when changes after a checkpoint are too large for the brief.
- Use
cs_log_digest before reading raw logs, and cs_artifact_index before opening artifact files.
- End each completed stage with
cs_checkpoint so later turns can resume without chat history.
- Load bundled Codex plugin support skills only through the Codex-native skill mechanism, and only when the current subtask actually needs one.
Default autonomy mode
The default mode is copilot.
In copilot mode, CodexScientist records, checks, organizes, retrieves, and summarizes research state. It may check novelty or duplicate risk for a user-provided or document-provided idea, but it must not own the research direction.
autonomous_idea_improvement is disabled by default. Enable it only when the user explicitly asks for automatic idea/novelty improvement, or when a project manifest or handoff explicitly requires autonomous idea improvement. Otherwise, do not invent or improve ideas automatically; output candidate plans for user review instead of creating new running experiments.
execution-grounded gate
execution-grounded work is opt-in. automatic idea search, variant implementation, run scheduling, and executor-backed operations require an explicit user request or manifest. In normal copilot use, record evidence and produce plans; do not submit experiments or create new executor-backed runs from this router.
Use execution_planning only for plan-first environment, feedback, trajectory, and evolutionary planning tools after they exist. Use executor_local only when the user or manifest explicitly authorizes local executor work and the tool reports that the gate is open. The default path stays MCP-visible, fail-closed, and non-executor.
Operation boundary
Codex-native operation layer:
- routine file, shell, Git, test, build, and process work;
- file read/search/edit/patch and code navigation;
- ordinary dependency checks, lint, smoke tests, commits, diffs, and process monitoring.
CodexScientist semantic/provenance layer:
- root-bound research state and provenance metadata;
- durable user requirements, memory, artifacts, milestones, decisions, baselines, experiment records, analysis slices, method improvement gates, and paper/reliability ledgers;
- formal evidence commands whose logs must be project-local evidence.
Codex does the mechanical action; CodexScientist records the research meaning. Use cs_bash_exec only when the command itself must be auditable CodexScientist provenance, not as a general shell replacement.
Start of work
From the target project root, initialize and inspect the MCP surface with CodexScientist MCP smoke helpers or direct MCP initialize / tools/list. Then follow this MCP-first flow:
- Call
cs_status or cs_doctor.
- If no research state exists, let the first durable write lazily create it; normally record stable user constraints with
cs_record_user_requirement.
- Treat any supplied
quest_id only as provenance validation, not as a path selector.
- Choose the explicit profile that matches the work:
evidence, formal_run, literature, or paper_write.
- Call
cs_tool_schema for the selected tool before using it when arguments are not obvious.
- Use only tools visible in the current profile for status, manifest, context pack, durable research state, evidence, literature, paper, or recovery.
- If MCP is unavailable, fail closed in the default agent path: run diagnostics and repair MCP configuration instead of switching the research workflow to an admin/debug path.
Output policy
Prefer compact status, bounded log tails, artifact paths, hashes, and summaries. Do not inject full logs, full JSONL ledgers, full papers, or full reference repositories into Codex context unless an explicit raw/range read is required. Full support-skill text and raw artifact content are explicit opt-in paths, not defaults.
Final reply checklist
Report:
- quest id and stage if used;
- MCP tools used;
- files created or modified;
- new or updated durable memory/artifacts;
- verification results;
- next action or user-gated decision.
