# OpenClaw Integration — Running the Harness in OpenClaw

> The ralph-loop.sh runs locally via CLI tools (claude, codex).
> OpenClaw provides a richer runtime: sub-agents, cron scheduling, cross-session 
> messaging, and persistent workspace. This guide shows how to use them.

---

## Architecture: CLI Loop vs OpenClaw

### CLI Approach (ralph-loop.sh)
```
bash loop → spawn CLI agent → agent reads spec → works → exits → loop restarts
```
- Runs on your terminal
- You watch the output in real-time
- Agent uses CLI tool (claude -p, codex)
- Loop manages restarts

### OpenClaw Approach
```
main session → sessions_spawn → sub-agent reads spec → works → exits → result delivered
```
- Runs in the background
- Results delivered to your chat (Telegram, Discord, etc.)
- Sub-agent gets full workspace access
- You orchestrate via main session or cron jobs

### When to Use Which

| Scenario | Use |
|----------|-----|
| Sitting at your terminal, watching progress | ralph-loop.sh |
| Overnight autonomous work | OpenClaw sessions_spawn |
| Scheduled recurring tasks | OpenClaw cron |
| Quick one-off agent tasks | OpenClaw sessions_spawn |
| Need to monitor from your phone | OpenClaw (results come to Telegram) |

---

## Method 1: Manual Orchestration (Main Session)

You drive each iteration from your chat with your agent (Cleo, etc.):

```
You: "Run the next iteration of the agent harness on /path/to/project"
Cleo: *spawns sub-agent* → *sub-agent does one task* → *reports back*
You: "Looks good, run the next one"
Cleo: *spawns another sub-agent* → *reports back*
```

**Pros:** Full control, you review between iterations
**Cons:** Requires your attention, not autonomous

### How Your Agent Orchestrates

Your main agent (e.g., Cleo) uses `sessions_spawn` internally:

```
sessions_spawn(
  task: "Read AGENT.md in /home/user/project/. Follow the core loop: 
         orient, pick one task from IMPLEMENTATION_PLAN.md, implement, 
         verify (build + test), commit, exit. Report what you completed.",
  model: "sonnet",
  timeoutSeconds: 600
)
```

The sub-agent:
1. Reads AGENT.md and PROJECT-SPEC.md
2. Reads IMPLEMENTATION_PLAN.md
3. Picks the first unchecked task
4. Implements and tests it
5. Commits
6. Updates the plan
7. Reports back to your main session

---

## Method 2: Cron-Based Automation

For true overnight autonomy, use OpenClaw cron jobs:

### The Iteration Job

```json
{
  "name": "agent-harness-iteration",
  "schedule": { "kind": "every", "everyMs": 900000 },
  "sessionTarget": "isolated",
  "payload": {
    "kind": "agentTurn",
    "message": "Read AGENT.md in /home/paulh/.openclaw/workspace/projects/my-project/. Follow the core loop: orient → pick ONE task → implement → verify → commit → update plan → exit. If all tasks are done, say DONE. If stuck, say STUCK with details.",
    "model": "sonnet",
    "timeoutSeconds": 600
  },
  "delivery": { "mode": "announce" }
}
```

This spawns a fresh agent every 15 minutes. Each one picks the next task, does it, and reports to your chat.

### The Completion Watcher

Add logic to stop the loop when done:

```json
{
  "name": "agent-harness-completion-check",
  "schedule": { "kind": "every", "everyMs": 3600000 },
  "sessionTarget": "isolated",
  "payload": {
    "kind": "agentTurn",
    "message": "Read IMPLEMENTATION_PLAN.md in /home/paulh/.openclaw/workspace/projects/my-project/. Count completed vs total tasks. If all tasks are checked, disable the cron job named 'agent-harness-iteration' and announce 'All tasks complete!' If less than 80% done and no progress in last 3 git commits, announce a warning.",
    "model": "sonnet",
    "timeoutSeconds": 120
  },
  "delivery": { "mode": "announce" }
}
```

### Starting and Stopping

```
You: "Start the agent harness loop for my-project"
Cleo: *creates cron job* → iterations begin every 15 min

You: "Pause the harness"  
Cleo: *disables cron job*

You: "Resume"
Cleo: *re-enables cron job*
```

---

## Method 3: Shell Script Orchestration

Create a script in your workspace that uses OpenClaw's CLI:

```bash
#!/usr/bin/env bash
# openclaw-harness.sh — Run agent harness via OpenClaw sub-agents
#
# Usage:
#   ./openclaw-harness.sh /path/to/project [max-iterations]

set -euo pipefail

PROJECT_DIR="${1:?Usage: $0 <project-dir> [max-iterations]}"
MAX="${2:-20}"
PLAN="$PROJECT_DIR/IMPLEMENTATION_PLAN.md"

echo "🔄 Starting OpenClaw agent harness"
echo "   Project: $PROJECT_DIR"
echo "   Max iterations: $MAX"

for i in $(seq 1 "$MAX"); do
  echo ""
  echo "━━━ Iteration $i/$MAX ━━━"

  # Check if plan exists and all tasks are done
  if [[ -f "$PLAN" ]] && ! grep -q '^\- \[ \]' "$PLAN" 2>/dev/null; then
    echo "✅ All tasks complete!"
    exit 0
  fi

  # Spawn sub-agent via OpenClaw
  # Note: This is conceptual — actual invocation depends on OpenClaw CLI
  openclaw sessions spawn \
    --task "Read AGENT.md in $PROJECT_DIR. Follow the core loop: orient, pick ONE task, implement, verify, commit, exit." \
    --model sonnet \
    --timeout 600

  echo "   Iteration $i complete. Waiting 30s..."
  sleep 30
done

echo "⚠️  Reached max iterations ($MAX)"
```

**Note:** The exact `openclaw` CLI syntax may vary. Check `openclaw help` for current commands. The `sessions_spawn` tool within an agent session is the most reliable method.

---

## Monitoring Sub-Agent Work

### Real-Time: Session List
```
You: "What sub-agents are running?"
Cleo: *calls sessions_list* → shows active sessions
```

### After Completion: Session History
```
You: "What did the last sub-agent do?"
Cleo: *calls sessions_history(sessionKey)* → shows full transcript
```

The transcript includes:
- Every tool call the agent made (file reads, writes, exec commands)
- The agent's reasoning
- Build/test output
- Git commits made
- Final summary

### Git Log: The Source of Truth
```bash
cd /path/to/project
git log --oneline -10
```

Each iteration should produce exactly one commit. If you see:
- **0 commits** after an iteration → agent was stuck
- **1 commit** → working correctly
- **2+ commits** → task was large or agent fixed its own mistakes

### Plan File: Progress at a Glance
```bash
# Count completed vs total
grep -c '^\- \[x\]' IMPLEMENTATION_PLAN.md  # Done
grep -c '^\- \[ \]' IMPLEMENTATION_PLAN.md  # Remaining
```

---

## Model Selection Strategy

Different tasks need different models:

| Task Type | Recommended Model | Why |
|-----------|------------------|-----|
| Planning (decomposition) | opus | Needs strong reasoning for task ordering |
| Scaffolding (config, structure) | sonnet | Simple, deterministic work |
| Feature implementation | sonnet | Good balance of speed and quality |
| Complex algorithms | opus | Needs deeper reasoning |
| Bug fixing | sonnet or opus | Depends on bug complexity |
| Documentation | sonnet | Writing, not complex reasoning |

### Cost Optimization

```
Planning:     1 iteration × opus     = $$ (one-time cost)
Building:    15 iterations × sonnet  = $ per iteration
Complex:      3 iterations × opus    = $$ per iteration
Total:       19 iterations           = $$$ (manageable)
```

vs.

```
Everything:  19 iterations × opus    = $$$$$$ (expensive!)
```

Use the `model` parameter in sessions_spawn to control this per-iteration.

---

## OpenClaw-Specific Agent Instructions

When running in OpenClaw, add these to your AGENT.md:

```markdown
## OpenClaw Environment Notes

### File Access
- Working directory: /home/paulh/.openclaw/workspace/projects/[project]
- Use absolute paths in all exec commands
- The `~` shorthand does NOT work in exec — use full paths

### Build Commands
- Use `cd /absolute/path && command` pattern (cwd parameter is unreliable)
- Example: `cd /home/paulh/.openclaw/workspace/projects/my-project && npm test`

### Git
- Commit after each completed task
- Use descriptive commit messages: `feat: implement QFX parser with field extraction`
- Don't push — let the human decide when to push

### Communication
- Your output is delivered to the human's chat (Telegram/Discord)
- Keep summaries brief — one paragraph max
- Include: what task you completed, what test results look like, what's next

### Signals
- If all tasks done: include "ALL_TASKS_COMPLETE" in your response
- If stuck: include "STUCK:" followed by a description of the blocker
- If error: include "ERROR:" followed by the error details
```

---

## Troubleshooting OpenClaw Integration

### Sub-agent can't find files
- Verify the project path is absolute
- Check that the workspace is accessible (not in a different user's home)

### Sub-agent uses wrong model
- Specify `model` explicitly in sessions_spawn
- Check session_status to verify which model was used
- Known issue: isolated sessions may not respect model parameter (use main session sub-agents instead)

### Sub-agent times out
- Default timeout may be too short for complex tasks
- Set `timeoutSeconds: 600` (10 minutes) for implementation tasks
- Set `timeoutSeconds: 900` (15 minutes) for complex tasks
- Set `timeoutSeconds: 120` (2 minutes) for simple checks

### Cron job fires but nothing happens
- Check cron job status: `cron list`
- Review recent runs: `cron runs --jobId <id>`
- Verify the project path in the cron job message

### Results not delivered to chat
- Check `delivery.mode` is set to `"announce"` in cron job config
- For sessions_spawn from main session, results auto-deliver

---

_OpenClaw turns the agent harness from a terminal-bound tool into an always-available autonomous workforce._