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docs(tools): trim ACP agents reference, merge quick-start flows, accordion smoke test, dedupe command cookbook

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Vincent Koc
2026-04-23 09:13:30 -07:00
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docs/tools/acp-agents.md
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@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ read_when:
- Troubleshooting ACP backend and plugin wiring
- Debugging ACP completion delivery or agent-to-agent loops
- Operating /acp commands from chat
title: "ACP Agents"
title: "ACP agents"
---
# ACP agents
@@ -32,61 +32,33 @@ There are three nearby surfaces that are easy to confuse:
## Does this work out of the box?
Usually, yes.
Usually, yes. Fresh installs ship the bundled `acpx` runtime plugin enabled by default, with a plugin-local pinned `acpx` binary that OpenClaw probes and self-repairs on startup. Run `/acp doctor` for a readiness check.
- Fresh installs now ship the bundled `acpx` runtime plugin enabled by default.
- The bundled `acpx` plugin prefers its plugin-local pinned `acpx` binary.
- On startup, OpenClaw probes that binary and self-repairs it if needed.
- Start with `/acp doctor` if you want a fast readiness check.
First-run gotchas:
What can still happen on first use:
- A target harness adapter may be fetched on demand with `npx` the first time you use that harness.
- Target harness adapters (Codex, Claude, etc.) may be fetched on demand with `npx` the first time you use them.
- Vendor auth still has to exist on the host for that harness.
- If the host has no npm/network access, first-run adapter fetches can fail until caches are pre-warmed or the adapter is installed another way.
- If the host has no npm or network access, first-run adapter fetches fail until caches are pre-warmed or the adapter is installed another way.
Examples:
## Operator runbook
- `/acp spawn codex`: OpenClaw should be ready to bootstrap `acpx`, but the Codex ACP adapter may still need a first-run fetch.
- `/acp spawn claude`: same story for the Claude ACP adapter, plus Claude-side auth on that host.
Quick `/acp` flow from chat:
## Fast operator flow
1. **Spawn** — `/acp spawn codex --bind here` or `/acp spawn codex --mode persistent --thread auto`
2. **Work** in the bound conversation or thread (or target the session key explicitly).
3. **Check state** — `/acp status`
4. **Tune** — `/acp model <provider/model>`, `/acp permissions <profile>`, `/acp timeout <seconds>`
5. **Steer** without replacing context — `/acp steer tighten logging and continue`
6. **Stop** — `/acp cancel` (current turn) or `/acp close` (session + bindings)
Use this when you want a practical `/acp` runbook:
1. Spawn a session:
- `/acp spawn codex --bind here`
- `/acp spawn codex --mode persistent --thread auto`
2. Work in the bound conversation or thread (or target that session key explicitly).
3. Check runtime state:
- `/acp status`
4. Tune runtime options as needed:
- `/acp model <provider/model>`
- `/acp permissions <profile>`
- `/acp timeout <seconds>`
5. Nudge an active session without replacing context:
- `/acp steer tighten logging and continue`
6. Stop work:
- `/acp cancel` (stop current turn), or
- `/acp close` (close session + remove bindings)
## Quick start for humans
Examples of natural requests:
Natural-language triggers that should route to the ACP runtime:
- "Bind this Discord channel to Codex."
- "Start a persistent Codex session in a thread here and keep it focused."
- "Start a persistent Codex session in a thread here."
- "Run this as a one-shot Claude Code ACP session and summarize the result."
- "Bind this iMessage chat to Codex and keep follow-ups in the same workspace."
- "Use Gemini CLI for this task in a thread, then keep follow-ups in that same thread."
What OpenClaw should do:
1. Pick `runtime: "acp"`.
2. Resolve the requested harness target (`agentId`, for example `codex`).
3. If current-conversation binding is requested and the active channel supports it, bind the ACP session to that conversation.
4. Otherwise, if thread binding is requested and the current channel supports it, bind the ACP session to the thread.
5. Route follow-up bound messages to that same ACP session until unfocused/closed/expired.
OpenClaw picks `runtime: "acp"`, resolves the harness `agentId`, binds to the current conversation or thread when supported, and routes follow-ups to that session until close/expiry.
## ACP versus sub-agents
@@ -124,52 +96,27 @@ For operators, the practical rule is:
### Current-conversation binds
Use `/acp spawn <harness> --bind here` when you want the current conversation to become a durable ACP workspace without creating a child thread.
Behavior:
- OpenClaw keeps owning the channel transport, auth, safety, and delivery.
- The current conversation is pinned to the spawned ACP session key.
- Follow-up messages in that conversation route to the same ACP session.
- `/new` and `/reset` reset the same bound ACP session in place.
- `/acp close` closes the session and removes the current-conversation binding.
What this means in practice:
- `--bind here` keeps the same chat surface. On Discord, the current channel stays the current channel.
- `--bind here` can still create a new ACP session if you are spawning fresh work. The bind attaches that session to the current conversation.
- `--bind here` does not create a child Discord thread or Telegram topic by itself.
- The ACP runtime can still have its own working directory (`cwd`) or backend-managed workspace on disk. That runtime workspace is separate from the chat surface and does not imply a new messaging thread.
- If you spawn to a different ACP agent and do not pass `--cwd`, OpenClaw inherits the **target agent's** workspace by default, not the requester's.
- If that inherited workspace path is missing (`ENOENT`/`ENOTDIR`), OpenClaw falls back to the backend default cwd instead of silently reusing the wrong tree.
- If the inherited workspace exists but cannot be accessed (for example `EACCES`), spawn returns the real access error instead of dropping `cwd`.
`/acp spawn <harness> --bind here` pins the current conversation to the spawned ACP session — no child thread, same chat surface. OpenClaw keeps owning transport, auth, safety, and delivery; follow-up messages in that conversation route to the same session; `/new` and `/reset` reset the session in place; `/acp close` removes the binding.
Mental model:
- chat surface: where people keep talking (`Discord channel`, `Telegram topic`, `iMessage chat`)
- ACP session: the durable Codex/Claude/Gemini runtime state OpenClaw routes to
- child thread/topic: an optional extra messaging surface created only by `--thread ...`
- runtime workspace: the filesystem location where the harness runs (`cwd`, repo checkout, backend workspace)
- **chat surface** — where people keep talking (Discord channel, Telegram topic, iMessage chat).
- **ACP session** — the durable Codex/Claude/Gemini runtime state OpenClaw routes to.
- **child thread/topic** — an optional extra messaging surface created only by `--thread ...`.
- **runtime workspace** — the filesystem location (`cwd`, repo checkout, backend workspace) where the harness runs. Independent of the chat surface.
Examples:
- `/acp spawn codex --bind here`: keep this chat, spawn or attach a Codex ACP session, and route future messages here to it
- `/acp spawn codex --thread auto`: OpenClaw may create a child thread/topic and bind the ACP session there
- `/acp spawn codex --bind here --cwd /workspace/repo`: same chat binding as above, but Codex runs in `/workspace/repo`
Current-conversation binding support:
- Chat/message channels that advertise current-conversation binding support can use `--bind here` through the shared conversation-binding path.
- Channels with custom thread/topic semantics can still provide channel-specific canonicalization behind the same shared interface.
- `--bind here` always means "bind the current conversation in place".
- Generic current-conversation binds use the shared OpenClaw binding store and survive normal gateway restarts.
- `/acp spawn codex --bind here` — keep this chat, spawn or attach Codex, route future messages here.
- `/acp spawn codex --thread auto` — OpenClaw may create a child thread/topic and bind there.
- `/acp spawn codex --bind here --cwd /workspace/repo` — same chat binding, Codex runs in `/workspace/repo`.
Notes:
- `--bind here` and `--thread ...` are mutually exclusive on `/acp spawn`.
- On Discord, `--bind here` binds the current channel or thread in place. `spawnAcpSessions` is only required when OpenClaw needs to create a child thread for `--thread auto|here`.
- If the active channel does not expose current-conversation ACP bindings, OpenClaw returns a clear unsupported message.
- `resume` and "new session" questions are ACP-session questions, not channel questions. You can reuse or replace runtime state without changing the current chat surface.
- `--bind here` and `--thread ...` are mutually exclusive.
- `--bind here` only works on channels that advertise current-conversation binding; OpenClaw returns a clear unsupported message otherwise. Bindings persist across gateway restarts.
- On Discord, `spawnAcpSessions` is only required when OpenClaw needs to create a child thread for `--thread auto|here` — not for `--bind here`.
- If you spawn to a different ACP agent without `--cwd`, OpenClaw inherits the **target agent's** workspace by default. Missing inherited paths (`ENOENT`/`ENOTDIR`) fall back to the backend default; other access errors (e.g. `EACCES`) surface as spawn errors.
### Thread-bound sessions
@@ -427,45 +374,19 @@ Notes:
- The target agent must support `session/load` (Codex and Claude Code do).
- If the session ID isn't found, the spawn fails with a clear error — no silent fallback to a new session.
### Operator smoke test
<Accordion title="Post-deploy smoke test">
Use this after a gateway deploy when you want a quick live check that ACP spawn
is actually working end-to-end, not just passing unit tests.
After a gateway deploy, run a live end-to-end check rather than trusting unit tests:
Recommended gate:
1. Verify the deployed gateway version and commit on the target host.
2. Open a temporary ACPX bridge session to a live agent.
3. Ask that agent to call `sessions_spawn` with `runtime: "acp"`, `agentId: "codex"`, `mode: "run"`, and task `Reply with exactly LIVE-ACP-SPAWN-OK`.
4. Verify `accepted=yes`, a real `childSessionKey`, and no validator error.
5. Clean up the temporary bridge session.
1. Verify the deployed gateway version/commit on the target host.
2. Confirm the deployed source includes the ACP lineage acceptance in
`src/gateway/sessions-patch.ts` (`subagent:* or acp:* sessions`).
3. Open a temporary ACPX bridge session to a live agent (for example
`razor(main)` on `jpclawhq`).
4. Ask that agent to call `sessions_spawn` with:
- `runtime: "acp"`
- `agentId: "codex"`
- `mode: "run"`
- task: `Reply with exactly LIVE-ACP-SPAWN-OK`
5. Verify the agent reports:
- `accepted=yes`
- a real `childSessionKey`
- no validator error
6. Clean up the temporary ACPX bridge session.
Keep the gate on `mode: "run"` and skip `streamTo: "parent"` — thread-bound `mode: "session"` and stream-relay paths are separate richer integration passes.
Example prompt to the live agent:
```text
Use the sessions_spawn tool now with runtime: "acp", agentId: "codex", and mode: "run".
Set the task to: "Reply with exactly LIVE-ACP-SPAWN-OK".
Then report only: accepted=<yes/no>; childSessionKey=<value or none>; error=<exact text or none>.
```
Notes:
- Keep this smoke test on `mode: "run"` unless you are intentionally testing
thread-bound persistent ACP sessions.
- Do not require `streamTo: "parent"` for the basic gate. That path depends on
requester/session capabilities and is a separate integration check.
- Treat thread-bound `mode: "session"` testing as a second, richer integration
pass from a real Discord thread or Telegram topic.
</Accordion>
## Sandbox compatibility
@@ -554,30 +475,6 @@ Notes:
## ACP controls
Available command family:
- `/acp spawn`
- `/acp cancel`
- `/acp steer`
- `/acp close`
- `/acp status`
- `/acp set-mode`
- `/acp set`
- `/acp cwd`
- `/acp permissions`
- `/acp timeout`
- `/acp model`
- `/acp reset-options`
- `/acp sessions`
- `/acp doctor`
- `/acp install`
`/acp status` shows the effective runtime options and, when available, both runtime-level and backend-level session identifiers.
Some controls depend on backend capabilities. If a backend does not support a control, OpenClaw returns a clear unsupported-control error.
## ACP command cookbook
| Command | What it does | Example |
| -------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `/acp spawn` | Create ACP session; optional current bind or thread bind. | `/acp spawn codex --bind here --cwd /repo` |
@@ -596,7 +493,7 @@ Some controls depend on backend capabilities. If a backend does not support a co
| `/acp doctor` | Backend health, capabilities, actionable fixes. | `/acp doctor` |
| `/acp install` | Print deterministic install and enable steps. | `/acp install` |
`/acp sessions` reads the store for the current bound or requester session. Commands that accept `session-key`, `session-id`, or `session-label` tokens resolve targets through gateway session discovery, including custom per-agent `session.store` roots.
`/acp status` shows the effective runtime options plus runtime-level and backend-level session identifiers. Unsupported-control errors surface clearly when a backend lacks a capability. `/acp sessions` reads the store for the current bound or requester session; target tokens (`session-key`, `session-id`, or `session-label`) resolve through gateway session discovery, including custom per-agent `session.store` roots.
## Runtime options mapping
@@ -739,16 +636,9 @@ Then verify backend health:
### acpx command and version configuration
By default, the bundled acpx backend plugin (`acpx`) uses the plugin-local pinned binary:
By default, the bundled `acpx` plugin uses its plugin-local pinned binary (`node_modules/.bin/acpx` inside the plugin package). Startup registers the backend as not-ready and a background job verifies `acpx --version`; if the binary is missing or mismatched, it runs `npm install --omit=dev --no-save acpx@<pinned>` and re-verifies. The gateway stays non-blocking throughout.
1. Command defaults to the plugin-local `node_modules/.bin/acpx` inside the ACPX plugin package.
2. Expected version defaults to the extension pin.
3. Startup registers ACP backend immediately as not-ready.
4. A background ensure job verifies `acpx --version`.
5. If the plugin-local binary is missing or mismatched, it runs:
`npm install --omit=dev --no-save acpx@<pinned>` and re-verifies.
You can override command/version in plugin config:
Override the command or version in plugin config:
```json
{
@@ -766,13 +656,9 @@ You can override command/version in plugin config:
}
```
Notes:
- `command` accepts an absolute path, relative path, or command name (`acpx`).
- Relative paths resolve from OpenClaw workspace directory.
- `command` accepts an absolute path, relative path (resolved from the OpenClaw workspace), or command name.
- `expectedVersion: "any"` disables strict version matching.
- When `command` points to a custom binary/path, plugin-local auto-install is disabled.
- OpenClaw startup remains non-blocking while the backend health check runs.
- Custom `command` paths disable plugin-local auto-install.
See [Plugins](/tools/plugin).