goal-mode

name	goal-mode
description	Diagnose and document native Claude Code /goal readiness safely inside the minmaxing harness. This route is static readiness and effectiveness guidance only; set native goals manually with /goal inside Claude Code.
argument-hint	["status/troubleshoot/template"]
disable-model-invocation	true

/goal-mode

Diagnose native Claude Code /goal readiness and safe harness usage for:

$ARGUMENTS

Claude Code /goal is a native session-scoped continuation command. In this harness, /goal-mode is a readiness, troubleshooting, and effectiveness route only. It does not set a live goal, does not run claude -p, does not start Remote Control, does not open Agent View, and does not dispatch claude --bg.

Use the native command manually inside Claude Code:

/goal <condition>
/goal
/goal clear

Do not create .claude/skills/goal/SKILL.md: that would risk shadowing or confusing the native Claude Code /goal command.

Native Boundary

Native /goal is separate from:

• /opusworkflow: the governed mutating workflow. /goal may continue a bounded session, but it does not replace research, code audit, SPEC.md, /specqa, /introspect, /verify, or release gates.
• /workflow: the underlying lifecycle and explicit fallback. /goal is not a lifecycle, artifact format, or closeout policy.
• /parallel: packet orchestration. /goal can be used inside an already-owned packet, but it does not satisfy packet DAG, ownership matrix, sidecar, aggregation, parent verification, or sync-barrier requirements.
• /hive: role coordination. /goal does not provide queen/supervisor, blackboard, dissent log, synthesis, or hive aggregation.
• /agent-view: an operator TUI for background sessions. Agent View can monitor independent sessions where the operator manually uses /goal, but Agent View plus /goal is still not /parallel.
• /remote-control: a web/mobile access surface for a local session. Remote Control plus /goal is not cloud durability or CI.
• Subagents and Agent View background sessions: subagents report back to a parent conversation; Agent View sessions report to the operator. /goal changes neither reporting path.
• Stop hooks: official docs describe /goal as a wrapper around a session-scoped prompt-based Stop hook. Harness command hooks and release gates remain the deterministic enforcement layer.

Effectiveness Yield Policy

/goal increases persistence, not correctness. It can keep Claude working across turns, but the goal evaluator is not an independent verifier. Parent verification and command evidence still decide whether the work is done.

High-yield pattern:

main harness session = planner, supervisor, verifier
native /goal = bounded continuation inside one Claude Code session
existing scripts = real pass/fail evidence
parent closeout = command evidence plus repo-state verification

Use /goal only when the harness already knows the acceptance checks and wants Claude Code to keep iterating until those checks are shown in the transcript.

Safe template:

/goal bash scripts/release-check.sh --static-only exits 0 and git diff --check exits 0, or stop after 6 turns with a blocker summary

Goal Assist Prompt Pattern

Goal Assist is the harness pattern for composing copy-paste native /goal conditions after /opusworkflow has already reached a concrete, repairable gate. It is not a runner. It must not set /goal, run claude -p, open Remote Control, open Agent View, dispatch claude --bg, read transcripts, or claim runtime proof.

Goal Assist may only produce native /goal text when the failed gate is deterministic and already known. Required fields:

• failed gate or exact command
• owned scope
• forbidden paths/actions
• transcript evidence required
• stop bound
• blocker-summary fallback
• parent verification command

Canonical shape:

Goal Assist:
Status: suggest_only
Failed gate: <exact command or artifact check>
Owned scope: <paths/artifacts>
Forbidden: .env, .env.*, .claude/*.local.json, secrets/**, deploy/push/ship, unrelated files
Evidence required: command output and exit status shown in transcript
Stop bound: stop after <N> turns with blocker summary
Parent verification: rerun <commands> before closeout

/goal <exact command(s)> exit 0 and <specific artifact/diff check> is shown, without touching <forbidden paths/actions>, or stop after <N> turns with a blocker summary

Eligibility states:

• not_eligible: missing research/audit/spec/estimate, missing or failed /specqa, missing /introspect, provider identity proof, secrets/customer data, deploy/push/ship, approval waits, security-policy failures, shared-file parallel edits, or broad "production ready" goals.
• suggest_only: a deterministic gate exists but runtime is unproven, the CLI is below the observed launch baseline, bypassPermissions risk exists, or operator approval is needed. This is the default local state until runtime is manually proven.
• eligible_bounded: exact failed command, owned scope, forbidden paths, stop bound, transcript evidence, and parent verification are all present. The harness still emits only a copy-paste template.

Other good uses:

• keep repairing until bash scripts/hook-smoke.sh, bash scripts/security-smoke.sh, and git diff --check pass, or stop after a named turn limit
• keep a single isolated packet focused until its required artifact and tests exist
• use inside an Agent View background session only when the packet has owned files/worktree, forbidden paths, expected artifact, stop bound, and parent verification

Bad uses:

• broad product building with no SPEC.md
• "make it production ready" or "fix everything" without measurable checks, stop bounds, forbidden files, and evidence requirements
• shared-file parallel edits
• secrets or customer data work
• deploy, push, or ship decisions
• replacing /specqa, /introspect, /verify, release checks, provider identity proof, or CI
• unattended trusted-local bypassPermissions loops against the real repo

Prerequisites

• Official /goal docs do not state a /goal-specific minimum version.
• The observed launch evidence and Agent View minimum point to Claude Code 2.1.139+; until this machine is updated and manually proven, runtime /goal remains local-runtime-unproven.
• Runtime /goal needs hooks available and workspace trust accepted.
• disableAllHooks blocks the native hook mechanism that /goal relies on.
• claude -p "/goal ..." works according to official docs, but the harness treats it as manual/authenticated runtime only, never static CI proof.
• --max-turns and --no-session-persistence are required for any later disposable runtime smoke.
• This repo defaults to trusted-local bypassPermissions; unattended /goal loops in the real repo are high-risk unless the operator explicitly accepts that authority.

Checks

Run the static doctor:

bash scripts/goal-mode-doctor.sh --static --json

Run the fixture gate:

bash scripts/goal-mode-smoke.sh --fixtures

These checks do not set /goal, do not run claude -p, do not start Remote Control, do not open Agent View, do not dispatch background sessions, do not read ~/.claude/jobs, do not inspect transcripts, and do not prove paid-account runtime availability. They only prove that the committed harness documents and validates native /goal safely.

Manual Runtime Evidence

After updating Claude Code, use only a disposable temp workspace with no secrets for runtime smoke:

claude --version
claude -p --max-turns 2 --no-session-persistence "/goal <toy condition or stop after 1 turn>"

Do not run runtime smoke in the real repo, with Remote Control, with Agent View, with --bg, or with bypassPermissions. Report the result as manual runtime evidence, never as CI/static proof.

Static Artifact

scripts/goal-mode-doctor.sh --static --json emits:

{
  "artifact_type": "goal-mode-readiness",
  "native_claude_code_goal": true,
  "runtime_goal_started": false,
  "runtime_goal_proof_status": "blocked_by_cli_version",
  "official_minimum_required_version": null,
  "minimum_observed_launch_version": "2.1.139",
  "operator_boundary": "manual_or_bounded_runtime_only"
}

Allowed runtime_goal_proof_status values:

• blocked_by_cli_version
• not_run_static_only
• ready_static_only
• local_runtime_unproven

Static artifacts must not claim that /goal was set, that claude -p ran, that Remote Control or Agent View opened, that a paid Claude account connected, or that a goal evaluator verified repo state.

Anti-Patterns

• Creating .claude/skills/goal/SKILL.md.
• Treating /goal as /opusworkflow, /workflow, /parallel, /hive, or /verify.
• Claiming the evaluator ran tests, read files, inspected diffs, or proved CI.
• Claiming claude -p "/goal ..." is CI-safe by default.
• Running a real-repo /goal loop with no stop bound, no command evidence, and bypassPermissions.
• Claiming Goal Assist passed, verified repo state, or satisfied /verify without parent command evidence.
• Treating Agent View rows or a /goal success message as parent-verified worker results.
• Reading .env, local Claude settings, ~/.claude/jobs, transcripts, or private session state for static readiness.