orchestrator

name	orchestrator
description	Orchestrator: routing work and agent phases

Orchestrator: meta-workflow (pointer)

Important. Previously, the orchestrator's entire operational main-thread handling lived in this always-on document and was inherited by subagents - exactly the kind of channel A bloat that retiering eliminated (see the manifest docs/rules-skills-retiering/manifest.md, §6, §7.1, §7.2). Now, handling is the durable identity of the main thread in its system prompt, not a loaded document.

Where things live

Layer	Content	Location	Durability
1. Lead / dispatcher	classification; choosing the short/full cycle; for short - self vs delegate under the quick-fix guard	profile framework/subagents/orchestrator.md	durable, every request (main-only)
2. Orchestration discipline	"I do not execute - I delegate", routing, gates, review-cycle, BUG-routing, escalation filter, cross-provider (§7), Infostart audit (§9), LOG protocol	profile framework/subagents/orchestrator.md	durable; active only in full mode
3. Detailed phase mechanics	phases Phase 0...4, artifact transfer, error handling	framework/workflows/full-cycle/SKILL.md	read-on-choice (when entering a phase)
Anchor / cross-harness bridge	a thin self-promoting stub that raises the profile on any harness	framework/rules/framework-bootstrap/SKILL.md (always-on)	survives compact, re-triggers

How it works in the flow

1. The main thread starts under the orchestrator profile (--append-system-prompt is the recommended default, or --agent orchestrator; see profile § "Launch method" and manifest §6.1). On harnesses without these flags, the profile raises the portable framework-bootstrap stub (manifest §7.3).
2. The Lead classifies the task (Layer 1 of the profile) -> chooses short (quick-fix) or full.
3. In full mode, the orchestrator works according to Layer 2 discipline (profile) and raises the detailed phase mechanics from full-cycle.md on entry to each phase.
4. "Escalation quick-fix -> full" = the orchestrator raises the phase handling in itself (it is already in the profile), rather than passing it to an external document.

The "do not execute yourself" prohibition is scoped to full mode

The main agent is Lead, putting on one of the hats, not "always the orchestrator". The prohibition "the orchestrator is NOT an executor" applies ONLY in full mode. In Lead/short mode, main executes itself or delegates one subagent within the quick-fix bounds (< 20 lines, 1 file, no new metadata objects, no architecture) with a mandatory verify step. The full wording is in the profile (Layer 1 §1.3, Layer 2 "PROHIBITED").

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depends_on:

• framework/subagents/orchestrator.md
• framework/workflows/full-cycle/SKILL.md
• framework/skills/agent-process/quick-fix/SKILL.md
• framework/rules/agent-context-protocol/SKILL.md
• framework/rules/source-of-truth/SKILL.md
• framework/skills/tool-usage/review/cross-provider-review/SKILL.md
• framework/subagents/scenario-author.md
• framework/subagents/scenario-coder.md
• framework/subagents/debugger.md
• framework/skills/tool-usage/diagnostics/bug-reporting/SKILL.md
• framework/skills/tool-usage/diagnostics/runtime-investigation/SKILL.md

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