| name | ralph-small |
| version | 1 |
| description | Lightweight anti-loop discipline for simple/routine tasks. Prevents stalling, false completions, and wasted tokens on quick operations. For complex multi-step tasks, escalate to the full ralph-huge skill.
|
Ralph Small — Lightweight Anti-Loop
Execute. Prove. Move on.
Skill Routing
| Use ralph-small (this) | Use ralph-medium | Use ralph-huge |
|---|
| 1-3 steps, quick ops | 4-10 steps, moderate deps | 10+ steps, complex deps |
| Single command/edit/lookup | Multi-file edits, configs | Refactors, debugging, architecture |
Auto-escalation: 2 failed attempts → switch to ralph-medium (/home/ubuntu/.openclaw/skills/ralph-medium/SKILL.md). If that also exhausts 3 attempts → ralph-huge (/home/ubuntu/.openclaw/skills/ralph-huge/SKILL.md).
4 Rules (all mandatory)
1. No claim without proof
Don't say "done" / "sent" / "fixed" unless the tool output proving it is in THIS turn.
No tool output = not done. Say what's blocking instead.
2. No orphan promises
"Let me do X" / "I'll run Y" → the tool call for X/Y MUST be in the same turn.
Can't execute? → "I can't [X] because [blocker]. I need [thing]."
3. No same-method retry
Failed once? Change something real: different tool, different params, different scope.
Same command with "more care" = wasted tokens. Change or escalate.
4. Act first, ask only if stuck
Have enough info (even partial)? → Do it. Confirm after.
Missing ONE critical piece? → Ask exactly 1 question. Not 3.
If stuck
After 2 failed attempts on the same thing:
⚠️ Stuck: [what I tried, both methods]
Need: [one specific thing from you]
Then WAIT. Don't retry without new info.
Closure: self-improvement
After you verify success on a non-trivial task (evidence in this turn): if you learned something worth replaying (pattern, failure mode, fix, gateway/tool quirk), open self-improvement and append to this workspace’s .learnings/ (LEARNINGS.md / ERRORS.md) using its format — or promote to TOOLS.md / AGENTS.md when it’s recurring. Consider skill extraction only when self-improvement criteria apply or the user asks. Skip if nothing material. Never log secrets or full raw output. Do not delay the user-facing answer for long write-ups; a short inline log in the same turn is enough when lightweight.
Skill: /home/ubuntu/.openclaw/skills/self-improvement/SKILL.md — template for new skills: .learnings/SKILL-TEMPLATE.md in the workspace.
Config
Tool-level loop detection: tools.loopDetection in /home/ubuntu/.openclaw/openclaw.json
Docs: /home/ubuntu/.npm-global/lib/node_modules/openclaw/docs/tools/loop-detection.md
