smallnest/goclaw/coding-agent

Name: coding-agent
Author: smallnest

Trust tier 3

community

By smallnest
Coding
smallnest/goclaw
internal/builtin_skills/coding-agent/SKILL.md
Updated 23 Mar 2026
Version 1.0.0

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Checking that the SKILL.md file is still in the repository.

Run Codex CLI, Claude Code, Kiro CLI, OpenCode, or Pi Coding Agent via background process for programmatic control.

Install

npx vskill@latest install smallnest/goclaw/coding-agent

SKILL.md

Coding Agent (bash-first)

Use bash (with optional background mode) for all coding agent work. Simple and effective.

⚠️ PTY Mode Required!

Coding agents (Codex, Claude Code, Kiro, Pi) are interactive terminal applications that need a pseudo-terminal (PTY) to work correctly. Without PTY, you'll get broken output, missing colors, or the agent may hang.

Always use `pty:true` when running coding agents:

bash

# ✅ Correct - with PTY
bash pty:true command:"codex exec 'Your prompt'"
 
# ❌ Wrong - no PTY, agent may break
bash command:"codex exec 'Your prompt'"

Bash Tool Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description
`command`	string	The shell command to run
`pty`	boolean	Use for coding agents! Allocates a pseudo-terminal for interactive CLIs
`workdir`	string	Working directory (agent sees only this folder's context)
`background`	boolean	Run in background, returns sessionId for monitoring
`timeout`	number	Timeout in seconds (kills process on expiry)
`elevated`	boolean	Run on host instead of sandbox (if allowed)

Process Tool Actions (for background sessions)

Action	Description
`list`	List all running/recent sessions
`poll`	Check if session is still running
`log`	Get session output (with optional offset/limit)
`write`	Send raw data to stdin
`submit`	Send data + newline (like typing and pressing Enter)
`send-keys`	Send key tokens or hex bytes
`paste`	Paste text (with optional bracketed mode)
`kill`	Terminate the session

Quick Start: One-Shot Tasks

For quick prompts/chats, create a temp git repo and run:

bash

# Quick chat (Codex needs a git repo!)
SCRATCH=$(mktemp -d) && cd $SCRATCH && git init && codex exec "Your prompt here"
 
# Or in a real project - with PTY!
bash pty:true workdir:~/Projects/myproject command:"codex exec 'Add error handling to the API calls'"

Why git init? Codex refuses to run outside a trusted git directory. Creating a temp repo solves this for scratch work.

The Pattern: workdir + background + pty

For longer tasks, use background mode with PTY:

bash

# Start agent in target directory (with PTY!)
bash pty:true workdir:~/project background:true command:"codex exec --full-auto 'Build a snake game'"
# Returns sessionId for tracking
 
# Monitor progress
process action:log sessionId:XXX
 
# Check if done
process action:poll sessionId:XXX
 
# Send input (if agent asks a question)
process action:write sessionId:XXX data:"y"
 
# Submit with Enter (like typing "yes" and pressing Enter)
process action:submit sessionId:XXX data:"yes"
 
# Kill if needed
process action:kill sessionId:XXX

Why workdir matters: Agent wakes up in a focused directory, doesn't wander off reading unrelated files (like your soul.md 😅).

Codex CLI

Model: gpt-5.2-codex is the default (set in ~/.codex/config.toml)

Flags

Flag	Effect
`exec "prompt"`	One-shot execution, exits when done
`--full-auto`	Sandboxed but auto-approves in workspace
`--yolo`	NO sandbox, NO approvals (fastest, most dangerous)

Building/Creating

bash

# Quick one-shot (auto-approves) - remember PTY!
bash pty:true workdir:~/project command:"codex exec --full-auto 'Build a dark mode toggle'"
 
# Background for longer work
bash pty:true workdir:~/project background:true command:"codex --yolo 'Refactor the auth module'"

Reviewing PRs

⚠️ CRITICAL: Never review PRs in OpenClaw's own project folder! Clone to temp folder or use git worktree.

bash

# Clone to temp for safe review
REVIEW_DIR=$(mktemp -d)
git clone https://github.com/user/repo.git $REVIEW_DIR
cd $REVIEW_DIR && gh pr checkout 130
bash pty:true workdir:$REVIEW_DIR command:"codex review --base origin/main"
# Clean up after: trash $REVIEW_DIR
 
# Or use git worktree (keeps main intact)
git worktree add /tmp/pr-130-review pr-130-branch
bash pty:true workdir:/tmp/pr-130-review command:"codex review --base main"

Batch PR Reviews (parallel army!)

bash

# Fetch all PR refs first
git fetch origin '+refs/pull/*/head:refs/remotes/origin/pr/*'
 
# Deploy the army - one Codex per PR (all with PTY!)
bash pty:true workdir:~/project background:true command:"codex exec 'Review PR #86. git diff origin/main...origin/pr/86'"
bash pty:true workdir:~/project background:true command:"codex exec 'Review PR #87. git diff origin/main...origin/pr/87'"
 
# Monitor all
process action:list
 
# Post results to GitHub
gh pr comment <PR#> --body "<review content>"

Claude Code

bash

# With PTY for proper terminal output
bash pty:true workdir:~/project command:"claude 'Your task'"
 
# Background
bash pty:true workdir:~/project background:true command:"claude 'Your task'"

Kiro CLI (AWS)

AWS AI coding assistant with session persistence, custom agents, steering, and MCP integration.

Install: https://kiro.dev/docs/cli/installation

Basic Usage

bash

kiro-cli                           # Start interactive chat (default)
kiro-cli chat "Your question"      # Direct question
kiro-cli --agent my-agent          # Use specific agent
kiro-cli chat --resume             # Resume last session (per-directory)
kiro-cli chat --resume-picker      # Pick from saved sessions
kiro-cli chat --list-sessions      # List all sessions

Non-Interactive Mode (scripting/automation)

bash

# Single response to STDOUT, then exit
kiro-cli chat --no-interactive "Show current directory"
 
# Trust all tools (no confirmation prompts)
kiro-cli chat --no-interactive --trust-all-tools "Create hello.py"
 
# Trust specific tools only (comma-separated)
kiro-cli chat --no-interactive --trust-tools "fs_read,fs_write" "Read package.json"

🔐 Tool Trust: Use --trust-all-tools for automation (default). For untrusted input or sensitive systems, consider --trust-tools "fs_read,fs_write,shell" to limit scope.

OpenClaw Integration

bash

# Interactive session (background)
bash pty:true workdir:~/project background:true command:"kiro-cli"
 
# One-shot query (non-interactive)
bash pty:true workdir:~/project command:"kiro-cli chat --no-interactive --trust-all-tools 'List all TODO comments in src/'"
 
# With specific agent
bash pty:true workdir:~/project background:true command:"kiro-cli --agent aws-expert 'Set up Lambda'"
 
# Resume previous session
bash pty:true workdir:~/project command:"kiro-cli chat --resume"

Custom Agents

Pre-define tool permissions, context resources, and behaviors:

bash

kiro-cli agent list              # List available agents
kiro-cli agent create my-agent   # Create new agent
kiro-cli agent edit my-agent     # Edit agent config
kiro-cli agent validate ./a.json # Validate config file
kiro-cli agent set-default my-agent  # Set default

Benefits: Pre-approve trusted tools, limit tool access, auto-load project docs, share configs across team.

Steering (Project Context)

Provide persistent project knowledge via markdown files in .kiro/steering/:

.kiro/steering/
├── product.md       # Product overview
├── tech.md          # Tech stack
├── structure.md     # Project structure
└── api-standards.md # API conventions

Workspace steering: .kiro/steering/ — applies to current project only
Global steering: ~/.kiro/steering/ — applies to all projects
AGENTS.md support: Place in project root or ~/.kiro/steering/

In custom agents: Add "resources": ["file://.kiro/steering/**/*.md"] to config.

MCP Integration

Connect external tools and data sources via Model Context Protocol:

bash

kiro-cli mcp add --name my-server --command "node server.js" --scope workspace
kiro-cli mcp list [workspace|global]
kiro-cli mcp status --name my-server
kiro-cli mcp remove --name my-server --scope workspace

Plan Agent

Plan Agent is a built-in agent for structured planning before execution. It helps transform ideas into detailed implementation plans.

When to suggest Plan Agent to user:

Complex multi-step features (e.g., "build a user authentication system")
Requirements are unclear or need clarification
Large features that benefit from task breakdown

When NOT to use Plan Agent:

Simple queries or single-step tasks
User already has clear, specific instructions
Quick fixes or small changes

How to use:

bash

# Start Plan mode
> /plan
# Or with immediate prompt
> /plan Build a REST API for user authentication
# Or toggle with keyboard shortcut
Shift + Tab

Plan workflow (4 phases):

Requirements gathering — Structured questions with multiple choice options
Research and analysis — Explores codebase, identifies patterns
Implementation plan — Detailed task breakdown with clear objectives
Handoff to execution — After approval (y), plan transfers to execution agent

Plan Agent limitations (read-only):

✓ Can read files, search code, research documentation
✗ Cannot write files or execute commands (until handoff)

OpenCode

bash

bash pty:true workdir:~/project command:"opencode run 'Your task'"

Pi Coding Agent

bash

# Install: npm install -g @mariozechner/pi-coding-agent
bash pty:true workdir:~/project command:"pi 'Your task'"
 
# Non-interactive mode (PTY still recommended)
bash pty:true command:"pi -p 'Summarize src/'"
 
# Different provider/model
bash pty:true command:"pi --provider openai --model gpt-4o-mini -p 'Your task'"

Note: Pi now has Anthropic prompt caching enabled (PR #584, merged Jan 2026)!

Parallel Issue Fixing with git worktrees

For fixing multiple issues in parallel, use git worktrees:

bash

# 1. Create worktrees for each issue
git worktree add -b fix/issue-78 /tmp/issue-78 main
git worktree add -b fix/issue-99 /tmp/issue-99 main
 
# 2. Launch agent in each (background + PTY!)
bash pty:true workdir:/tmp/issue-78 background:true command:"pnpm install && codex --yolo 'Fix issue #78: <description>. Commit and push.'"
bash pty:true workdir:/tmp/issue-99 background:true command:"pnpm install && codex --yolo 'Fix issue #99: <description>. Commit and push.'"
 
# 3. Monitor progress
process action:list
process action:log sessionId:XXX
 
# 4. Create PRs after fixes
cd /tmp/issue-78 && git push -u origin fix/issue-78
gh pr create --repo user/repo --head fix/issue-78 --title "fix: ..." --body "..."
 
# 5. Cleanup
git worktree remove /tmp/issue-78
git worktree remove /tmp/issue-99

⚠️ Rules

This is the start of the file. Read the full SKILL.md on GitHub.

Security

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Source

SKILL.md in the repositoryCheckinginternal/builtin_skills/coding-agent/SKILL.md

Popularity

Repository stars: 418
Repository forks: 73
7-day trend score: 30

Stars and forks are for the whole GitHub repository, not this skill alone. Refreshed 23 Mar 2026, 7 months ago.

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