The supervisor agent was confusingly named "factory" (same as the project). Rename directory, script, log, lock, status, and escalation files. Update all references across scripts and docs. FACTORY_ROOT env var unchanged (refers to project root, not agent). Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
3.4 KiB
Dev-Agent Best Practices
Architecture
dev-poll.sh(cron */10) → finds ready backlog issues → spawnsdev-agent.shdev-agent.shusesclaude -pfor implementation, runs in git worktree- Lock file:
/tmp/dev-agent.lock(contains PID) - Status file:
/tmp/dev-agent-status - Worktrees:
/tmp/${PROJECT_NAME}-worktree-<issue-number>/
Safe Fixes
- Remove stale lock:
rm -f /tmp/dev-agent.lock(only if PID is dead) - Kill stuck agent:
kill <pid>then clean lock - Restart on derailed PR:
bash ${FACTORY_ROOT}/dev/dev-agent.sh <issue-number> & - Clean worktree:
cd $PROJECT_REPO_ROOT && git worktree remove /tmp/${PROJECT_NAME}-worktree-<N> --force - Remove
in-progresslabel if agent died without cleanup:codeberg_api DELETE "/issues/<N>/labels/in-progress"
Dangerous (escalate)
- Restarting agent on an issue that has an open PR with review changes — may lose context
- Anything that modifies the PR branch history
- Closing PRs or issues
Known Issues
claude -p -c(continue) fails if session was compacted — falls back to fresh-p- CI_FIX_COUNT is now reset on CI pass (fixed 2026-03-12), so each review phase gets fresh CI fix budget
- Worktree creation fails if main repo has stale rebase — auto-heals now
- Large text in jq
--argcan break — write to file first $([ "$VAR" = true ] && echo "...")crashes underset -euo pipefail
Lessons Learned
- Agents don't have memory between tasks — full context must be in the prompt
- Prior art injection (closed PR diffs) prevents rework
- Feature issues MUST list affected e2e test files
- CI fix loop is essential — first attempt rarely works
- CLAUDE_TIMEOUT=7200 (2h) is needed for complex issues
Dependency Resolution
Trust closed state. If a dependency issue is closed, the code is on the primary branch. Period.
DO NOT try to find the specific PR that closed an issue. This is over-engineering that causes false negatives:
- Codeberg shares issue/PR numbering — no guaranteed relationship
- PRs don't always mention the issue number in title/body
- Searching last N closed PRs misses older merges
- The dev-agent closes issues after merging, so closed = merged
The only check needed: issue.state == "closed".
False Positive: Status Unchanged Alert
The supervisor-poll alert 'status unchanged for Nmin' is a false positive for complex implementation tasks. The status is set to 'claude assessing + implementing' at the START of the timeout 7200 claude -p ... call and only updates after Claude finishes. Normal complex tasks (multi-file Solidity changes + forge test) take 45-90 minutes. To distinguish a false positive from a real stuck agent: check that the claude PID is alive (ps -p <PID>), consuming CPU (>0%), and has active threads (pstree -p <PID>). If the process is alive and using CPU, do NOT restart it — this wastes completed work.
False Positive: 'Waiting for CI + Review' Alert
The 'status unchanged for Nmin' alert is also a false positive when status is 'waiting for CI + review on PR #N (round R)'. This is an intentional sleep/poll loop — the agent is waiting for CI to pass and then for review-poll to post a review. CI can take 20–40 minutes; review follows. Do NOT restart the agent. Confirm by checking: (1) agent PID is alive, (2) CI commit status via codeberg_api GET /commits/<sha>/status, (3) review-poll log shows it will pick up the PR on next cycle.