An MCP server for orchestrating parallel Claude Code worker swarms with protocol-based behavioral governance.
Enables multi-hour autonomous coding sessions with persistent state, parallel workers, and runtime enforcement of behavioral constraints.
Installation •
Quick Start •
Dashboard •
Protocols •
Tools
---
## Features
### Worker Orchestration
- **Persistent State** - Session state survives context compaction via MCP server
- **Parallel Workers** - Run multiple Claude Code workers simultaneously via tmux
- **Git Worktree Isolation** - Workers run in isolated git worktrees for safe parallel modification
- **Worker Plan Mode** - Workers analyze codebases and produce plans before implementing (auto-approved)
- **Competitive Planning** - Complex features get two competing implementation plans
- **Confidence Monitoring** - Multi-signal scoring detects struggling workers
- **Enforced Verification** - Test-as-supervisor pattern with configurable verification commands
- **Auto-retry** - Failed features automatically retry with configurable limits
- **Feature Dependencies** - Define execution order between features
- **File-Based Task Locking** - Atomic mutual exclusion prevents workers from conflicting
- **Post-Completion Reviews** - Automated code and architecture reviews with actionable findings
### Long-Running Autonomy
- **Ralph Loop** - Fresh Claude context per iteration eliminates context rot for long sessions
- **Days-Long Sessions** - Supports hours/days of autonomous execution with checkpointing
- **Crash Recovery** - Automatic session resumption after crashes or machine restarts
- **Failure Pattern Learning** - Records what works/fails for future worker prompts
### Protocol-Based Governance
- **Behavioral Protocols** - Define constraints on what workers can/cannot do
- **Pre-spawn Validation** - Verify protocols allow task before worker starts
- **Continuous Monitoring** - Track constraint violations during execution
- **LLM-Generated Protocols** - Workers can propose new protocols (validated against base constraints)
- **Cross-instance Sync** - Share protocols across MCP instances
### Monitoring & Dashboard
- **Real-time Web Dashboard** - Live UI at `http://localhost:3456` with Server-Sent Events
- **Live Terminal Streaming** - Watch worker output with ANSI color support
- **Review Worker Visibility** - Code and architecture review progress in dashboard
- **Violation Tracking** - Audit log of all protocol violations
- **Git Checkpoints** - Commit progress after each feature
### Repository Setup
- **Auto-Configuration** - Set up CI/CD, issue templates, and documentation in parallel
- **Platform Detection** - GitHub, GitLab, Gitea, Bitbucket, Azure DevOps support
- **Project Analysis** - Detects languages, frameworks, and adapts configuration
- **Merge Mode** - Preserves existing configs by default, with optional force overwrite
## How It Works
The orchestrator pattern separates concerns for reliable long-running sessions:
- **Orchestrator (Claude Code)**: Plans work, monitors progress, makes decisions
- **MCP Server**: Maintains persistent state that survives context compaction
- **Workers**: Isolated Claude Code sessions in git worktrees via tmux that implement individual features
- **Protocols**: Behavioral constraints governing what workers can/cannot do
- **Ralph Loop**: External bash loop that launches fresh Claude sessions per iteration, with state persisted to the filesystem (progress files, git history)
### Worker Lifecycle
Workers follow a two-phase lifecycle when plan mode is enabled (complexity >= 30):
1. **Plan Phase** - Worker runs with read-only tools (Read, Glob, Grep, Write), analyzes the codebase, and produces a structured plan
2. **Auto-Review** - Orchestrator scores the plan on test strategy, risk assessment, file specificity, and step count
3. **Implement Phase** - Worker runs with full tools, following the approved plan step by step
### Ralph Loop (Long-Running Autonomy)
For long-running features, the Ralph Loop replaces single long-lived sessions:
1. Each iteration launches a **fresh Claude session** (no context rot)
2. State persists via **filesystem**: progress.md, git history, .done files
3. Prompt **re-reads current state** each iteration (self-reloading context)
4. Configurable stopping conditions: completion marker, time limit, max iterations
5. Git diff injected into prompt so worker sees what changed
### Session Resilience
Sessions survive crashes and machine restarts:
- **Checkpointing** - State snapshots every ~15 minutes while workers are running
- **Heartbeat Detection** - PID-based liveness detection identifies stale sessions
- **Crash Recovery** - `resume_session` detects crashes, loads checkpoints, restarts dead workers
- **Graceful Shutdown** - `shutdown_session` creates checkpoint and stops workers cleanly
This separation enables:
- **Parallel execution**: Multiple workers implement features simultaneously
- **State persistence**: Session state survives context compaction via the MCP server
- **Failure recovery**: Workers can retry, rollback, or be guided when stuck
- **Behavioral governance**: Protocols enforce constraints on worker actions
## Quick Start
### Prerequisites
- Node.js 18+
- tmux (`brew install tmux` on macOS)
- Claude Code CLI
### Installation
**One-liner install** (recommended):
```bash
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/cj-vana/claude-swarm/main/install.sh | bash
```
This will clone the repo, build, register the MCP server, and install the `/swarm` skill.
Manual installation
```bash
git clone https://github.com/cj-vana/claude-swarm.git
cd claude-swarm
npm install
npm run build
# Add to Claude Code
claude mcp add claude-swarm --scope user -- node $(pwd)/dist/index.js
# Install the skill (optional but recommended)
mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills/swarm && cp skill/SKILL.md ~/.claude/skills/swarm/
```
### Basic Usage
Tell Claude to use the swarm:
```
Use /swarm to build a REST API with authentication, user management, and tests
```
Or follow the workflow phases manually:
```
Phase 1: Setup
→ orchestrator_init - Initialize session with features
→ configure_verification - Set up test/build commands
→ set_dependencies - Define feature order
Phase 2: Pre-Work (per feature)
→ get_feature_complexity - Check if competitive planning needed
→ enrich_feature - Add relevant context
Phase 3: Execute
→ start_worker or start_parallel_workers
Phase 4: Monitor
→ sleep 180 - Wait before checking
→ check_worker (heartbeat: true) - Lightweight status
→ send_worker_message - Guide if stuck
Phase 5: Complete
→ run_verification - Run tests
→ mark_complete - Record success/failure
→ commit_progress - Git checkpoint
Phase 6: Review
→ check_reviews - Monitor automated reviews
→ get_review_results - See findings
```
### The `/swarm` Skill
The `/swarm` skill provides guided orchestration with a complete workflow:
```
Use /swarm to build a REST API with authentication, user management, and tests
```
The skill automates:
- **Phase 0**: Repository readiness check (runs `setup_analyze`)
- **Phase 1**: Session setup with feature decomposition
- **Phase 2**: Pre-work preparation (complexity analysis, context enrichment)
- **Phase 3**: Execution (manual or auto-orchestration)
- **Phase 4**: Monitoring loop with confidence tracking
- **Phase 5**: Completion verification and git checkpoints
- **Phase 6**: Post-completion reviews
**Installing the skill:**
```bash
mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills/swarm && cp skill/SKILL.md ~/.claude/skills/swarm/
```
See `skill/SKILL.md` for the complete workflow reference.
## Protocol System
Protocols define behavioral constraints that govern worker actions, enabling safe autonomous operation with clear boundaries.
### Constraint Types
| Type | Description | Example |
|------|-------------|---------|
| `tool_restriction` | Allow/deny specific tools | Only allow Read, Glob, Grep |
| `file_access` | Control file system access | Block access to `.env` files |
| `output_format` | Require specific output patterns | Must include test coverage report |
| `behavioral` | High-level behavior rules | Require confirmation before destructive actions |
| `temporal` | Time-based constraints | Max 30 minutes per feature |
| `resource` | Resource usage limits | Max 100 file operations |
| `side_effect` | Control external effects | No network requests, no git push |
### Example Protocol
```json
{
"id": "safe-refactoring-v1",
"name": "Safe Refactoring Protocol",
"version": "1.0.0",
"priority": 100,
"constraints": [
{
"id": "no-secrets",
"type": "file_access",
"rule": {
"type": "file_access",
"deniedPaths": ["**/.env", "**/secrets.*", "**/credentials.json"]
},
"severity": "error",
"message": "Cannot access files that may contain secrets"
}
],
"enforcement": {
"mode": "strict",
"preExecution": true,
"postExecution": true,
"onViolation": "block"
}
}
```
### Protocol Workflow
```
1. protocol_register - Register a new protocol
2. protocol_activate - Activate for enforcement
3. start_worker - Workers are validated against active protocols
4. [worker runs with continuous monitoring]
5. get_violations - Review any constraint violations
```
### LLM-Generated Protocols
Workers can propose new protocols validated against immutable base constraints:
```
1. get_base_constraints - View immutable security rules
2. propose_protocol - Worker submits proposal
3. review_proposals - See pending proposals with risk scores
4. approve_protocol / reject_protocol - Human review for high-risk
```
**Base Constraints** (cannot be overridden):
- Certain tools always denied (e.g., dangerous system commands)
- Critical paths always protected (e.g., `/etc`, system files)
- Maximum privilege ceiling enforced
## Competitive Planning
For complex features, spawn two planners with different approaches:
```
1. get_feature_complexity(featureId) # Analyze complexity (0-100)
2. start_competitive_planning(featureId) # Spawn Planner A & B
3. [wait for planners to complete]
4. evaluate_plans(featureId) # Compare and pick winner
5. start_worker(featureId) # Implement with winning plan
```
- **Planner A**: Incremental, safe approach
- **Planner B**: Elegant, innovative approach
- **Threshold**: Features scoring 60+ trigger competitive planning
## Confidence Monitoring
Real-time confidence scoring detects struggling workers:
| Signal | Weight | Measures |
|--------|--------|----------|
| Tool Activity | 35% | Read->Edit->Test cycles, stuck loops |
| Self-Reported | 35% | Worker writes to `.confidence` file |
| Output Analysis | 30% | Error patterns, frustration language |
**Levels**: High (80-100), Medium (50-79), Low (25-49), Critical (0-24)
```
set_confidence_threshold(35) # Configure alert level
get_worker_confidence(featureId) # Get detailed breakdown
```
## Auto-Orchestration
For fully autonomous execution, use `auto_orchestrate`:
```
auto_orchestrate(projectDir, strategy: "adaptive", maxConcurrent: 5)
```
This handles Phases 3-5 automatically:
- Schedules workers based on dependencies
- Monitors progress and handles failures
- Runs verification commands
- Marks features complete
- Commits progress at checkpoints
### Scheduling Strategies
| Strategy | Behavior |
|----------|----------|
| `breadth-first` | Maximize parallel execution of independent features |
| `depth-first` | Focus on unblocking dependent feature chains |
| `adaptive` | System decides based on dependency graph (default) |
### When to Use
- **Auto-orchestration**: Large feature sets, hands-off execution
- **Manual orchestration**: Fine-grained control, complex dependencies, debugging
## Post-Completion Reviews
Automated code and architecture reviews run after all workers complete:
```
1. All features complete -> session status changes to "reviewing"
2. Code review worker analyzes: bugs, security, style, test coverage
3. Architecture review worker analyzes: coupling, patterns, scalability
4. Findings aggregated into progress log
5. Session completes with review summary
```
Review workers output structured JSON findings:
- `.claude/orchestrator/workers/code-review.findings.json`
- `.claude/orchestrator/workers/architecture-review.findings.json`
**Severity levels**: clean, minor, moderate, major, critical
### Acting on Review Findings
Convert review findings into actionable features:
```
# View available issues from reviews
implement_review_suggestions(projectDir)
# Create features from specific issues
implement_review_suggestions(projectDir, issueIndices: [0, 2, 5])
# Auto-select warnings and errors
implement_review_suggestions(projectDir, autoSelect: true, minSeverity: "warning")
```
Configure or trigger manually:
```
configure_reviews(enabled: true, skipOnFailure: false)
run_review(reviewTypes: ["code", "architecture"])
get_review_results(format: "detailed")
```
## Repository Setup
Automatically configure repositories with development best practices:
```
# Analyze repository freshness and missing configs
setup_analyze(projectDir)
# Initialize setup with parallel workers
setup_init(projectDir)
# Check setup progress
setup_status(projectDir)
```
### Configuration Types
| Type | Description | Files Created |
|------|-------------|---------------|
| **CLAUDE.md** | Project guidance for Claude Code | `CLAUDE.md` |
| **GitHub CI** | Build, test, lint workflows | `.github/workflows/ci.yml` |
| **Dependabot** | Automated dependency updates | `.github/dependabot.yml` |
| **Release Please** | Automated version bumps and changelogs | `.github/workflows/release-please.yml` |
| **Issue Templates** | Structured bug/feature reporting | `.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/*.yml` |
| **PR Template** | Consistent pull request descriptions | `.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md` |
| **CONTRIBUTING.md** | Contribution guidelines | `CONTRIBUTING.md` |
| **SECURITY.md** | Security policy and vulnerability reporting | `SECURITY.md` |
### Customization
```bash
# Skip specific config types
setup_init(projectDir, skipConfigs: ["dependabot", "release-please"])
# Force overwrite existing files
setup_init(projectDir, force: true)
# Override platform detection
setup_init(projectDir, platform: "gitlab")
```
## Feature Rollback
The orchestrator creates git snapshot branches before each worker starts, enabling safe rollback of failed features.
### How Rollback Works
1. **Snapshot Creation**: `start_worker` creates `swarm/{featureId}` branch at current HEAD
2. **Worker Execution**: Worker makes changes to working directory
3. **On Failure**: Use `rollback_feature` to restore pre-worker state
### Rollback Tools
| Tool | Description |
|------|-------------|
| `rollback_feature` | Restore files changed by a worker |
| `check_rollback_conflicts` | Check for conflicts with other workers |
### Usage
```
# Rollback all files changed by feature
rollback_feature(projectDir, featureId: "feature-1")
# Rollback specific files only
rollback_feature(projectDir, featureId: "feature-1", files: ["src/component.ts"])
```
**Warning**: When rolling back in parallel worker environments, other workers' changes to the same files will also be reverted.
## Web Dashboard
A real-time web dashboard is available at `http://localhost:3456`:
- **Session Overview** - Progress bar, feature counts, session statistics
- **Feature Cards** - Status, dependencies, worker assignment
- **Live Terminal Output** - Real-time streaming with ANSI color support
- **Review Worker Progress** - Code and architecture review visibility
- **Dark Mode** - Automatic theme detection
### Dashboard API
The dashboard exposes a REST API for programmatic access:
| Endpoint | Method | Description |
|----------|--------|-------------|
| `/api/status` | GET | Session overview with elapsed time and progress summary |
| `/api/features` | GET | Feature list with details (supports `?status=` filter) |
| `/api/workers` | GET | All worker statuses with summary counts |
| `/api/workers/:featureId/output` | GET (SSE) | Stream worker terminal output in real-time |
| `/api/review-workers` | GET | Review worker statuses and findings summary |
| `/api/review-workers/:type/output` | GET (SSE) | Stream review worker output |
| `/api/logs` | GET | Progress log entries (supports `?limit=N`) |
| `/api/stats` | GET | Session statistics (completion times, success rates) |
| `/api/events` | GET (SSE) | Real-time updates for all session changes |
| `/health` | GET | Health check endpoint |
**Server-Sent Events** (`/api/events`):
- `status` - Session status changes
- `feature` - Feature status updates
- `worker` - Active worker count changes
- `reviewWorker` - Review worker status updates
- `log` - New progress log entries
- `heartbeat` - Keep-alive (every 15s)
## Architecture
*Claude Code orchestrates workers through the MCP Server. Workers run in isolated tmux sessions and share access to the project codebase. The dashboard provides real-time monitoring via SSE.*
## MCP Tools Reference
### Core Orchestration (3 tools)
| Tool | Description |
|------|-------------|
| `orchestrator_init` | Start session with task and features |
| `orchestrator_status` | Get current state (use after compaction) |
| `orchestrator_reset` | Clear state and kill all workers |
### Worker Management (9 tools)
| Tool | Description |
|------|-------------|
| `start_worker` | Launch worker for a feature |
| `start_parallel_workers` | Launch multiple workers simultaneously |
| `start_ralph_loop` | Launch worker with Ralph Loop (fresh context per iteration) |
| `validate_workers` | Pre-flight validation before parallel execution |
| `check_worker` | Get worker output (supports heartbeat mode) |
| `check_all_workers` | Check all active workers at once |
| `send_worker_message` | Send instructions to running worker |
| `configure_plan_mode` | Enable/configure worker plan-before-implement mode |
| `configure_ralph_loop` | Enable/configure Ralph Loop execution defaults |
### Competitive Planning (3 tools)
| Tool | Description |
|------|-------------|
| `get_feature_complexity` | Analyze complexity score |
| `start_competitive_planning` | Spawn 2 planners with different approaches |
| `evaluate_plans` | Compare plans and select winner |
### Confidence Monitoring (2 tools)
| Tool | Description |
|------|-------------|
| `get_worker_confidence` | Get detailed confidence breakdown |
| `set_confidence_threshold` | Configure alert threshold |
### Feature Management (6 tools)
| Tool | Description |
|------|-------------|
| `mark_complete` | Mark feature done/failed (auto-retry) |
| `retry_feature` | Reset failed feature for retry |
| `run_verification` | Run tests/build commands |
| `add_feature` | Add discovered work |
| `set_dependencies` | Define feature dependencies |
| `configure_verification` | Set pre-completion verification commands |
### Pre-Completion Verification
Configure commands that workers must run before marking features complete:
```
configure_verification(projectDir, commands: ["npm test", "npx tsc --noEmit"])
```
Workers will run these commands and fix any errors before completion. Allowed commands include:
- `npm test`, `npm run test`, `yarn test`, `pnpm test`
- `npx tsc --noEmit`, `npx vitest`, `npx jest`
- `pytest`, `python -m pytest`
- `cargo test`, `cargo check`
- `go test`, `make test`
### Session & Progress (7 tools)
| Tool | Description |
|------|-------------|
| `get_progress_log` | View history (paginated) |
| `get_session_stats` | Success rates and timing |
| `pause_session` | Pause and stop all workers |
| `resume_session` | Resume paused session (supports crash recovery) |
| `shutdown_session` | Graceful shutdown with checkpoint |
| `commit_progress` | Create git checkpoint |
| `auto_orchestrate` | Hands-free orchestration until completion |
### Feature Rollback (2 tools)
| Tool | Description |
|------|-------------|
| `rollback_feature` | Restore files changed by a worker |
| `check_rollback_conflicts` | Check for conflicts with other workers |
### Post-Completion Reviews (5 tools)
| Tool | Description |
|------|-------------|
| `run_review` | Manually trigger code/architecture reviews |
| `check_reviews` | Monitor review worker status |
| `get_review_results` | Get aggregated findings (summary/detailed/json) |
| `configure_reviews` | Set auto-review preferences |
| `implement_review_suggestions` | Convert review findings into features |
### Repository Setup (3 tools)
| Tool | Description |
|------|-------------|
| `setup_analyze` | Analyze repo freshness and missing configs |
| `setup_init` | Initialize repo configuration with parallel workers |
| `setup_status` | Check setup progress |
### Protocol Management (5 tools)
| Tool | Description |
|------|-------------|
| `protocol_register` | Register a new protocol |
| `protocol_activate` | Activate protocol for enforcement |
| `protocol_deactivate` | Deactivate protocol |
| `protocol_list` | List all registered protocols |
| `protocol_status` | Get protocol details and violations |
### Protocol Enforcement (4 tools)
| Tool | Description |
|------|-------------|
| `validate_feature_protocols` | Check if feature can run under active protocols |
| `get_violations` | Get recorded violations (paginated) |
| `resolve_violation` | Mark violation as resolved |
| `get_audit_log` | Get protocol audit history |
### LLM Protocol Generation (5 tools)
| Tool | Description |
|------|-------------|
| `get_base_constraints` | View immutable base constraints |
| `propose_protocol` | Submit a protocol proposal |
| `review_proposals` | List pending proposals with risk scores |
| `approve_protocol` | Approve a protocol proposal |
| `reject_protocol` | Reject a protocol proposal |
### Protocol Networking (4 tools)
| Tool | Description |
|------|-------------|
| `export_protocols` | Export protocols to shareable bundle |
| `import_protocols` | Import protocols from bundle |
| `sync_protocols` | Sync with peer instances |
| `discover_protocols` | Discover peer MCP instances |
### Context Management (4 tools)
| Tool | Description |
|------|-------------|
| `enrich_feature` | Auto-enrich feature with relevant docs and code |
| `set_feature_context` | Manually set feature context |
| `get_feature_graph` | View feature dependency graph with context |
| `route_feature` | Configure worker routing preferences |
## Files Created
```
your-project/
├── .claude/orchestrator/
│ ├── state.json # Session state
│ ├── feature_list.json # Feature status
│ ├── protocols/
│ │ ├── registry.json # Protocol definitions
│ │ ├── active.json # Active protocols
│ │ ├── violations.json # Violation records
│ │ ├── audit.json # Audit log
│ │ └── proposals/ # Pending proposals
│ ├── sync/ # Cross-instance sync
│ ├── checkpoints/ # Session checkpoints for crash recovery
│ │ └── *.json # Timestamped state snapshots
│ ├── heartbeat.json # Orchestrator liveness detection
│ ├── learnings.json # Failure pattern learning
│ ├── locks/ # File-based mutual exclusion
│ │ └── *.lock # Per-file lock files
│ ├── worktrees/ # Git worktree directories
│ └── workers/
│ ├── *.prompt # Worker prompts
│ ├── *.log # Worker output logs
│ ├── *.done # Completion markers
│ ├── *.status # Worker status
│ ├── *.plan.json # Competitive plans
│ ├── *.confidence # Self-reported confidence
│ ├── *.worker-plan.json # Worker plan-phase output
│ ├── *.plan-done # Plan phase completion markers
│ ├── *.progress.md # Ralph Loop progress files
│ ├── code-review.findings.json # Code review results
│ └── architecture-review.findings.json # Architecture review results
├── claude-progress.txt # Human-readable log
└── init.sh # Environment setup
```
## Configuration
| Variable | Default | Description |
|----------|---------|-------------|
| `DASHBOARD_PORT` | `3456` | Dashboard HTTP port |
| `ENABLE_DASHBOARD` | `true` | Set to `false` to disable |
## Security
### Input Validation
- **Path traversal protection** - All file paths validated against project directory
- **Cryptographically secure IDs** - Uses `crypto.randomUUID()`
- **Symlink escape prevention** - Real paths validated before file operations
- **Input validation** - All inputs validated with Zod schemas
### Regex Safety (ReDoS Protection)
- **Pattern validation** - `isDangerousRegexPattern()` detects catastrophic backtracking
- **Safe regex testing** - `safeRegexTest()` falls back to literal matching for dangerous patterns
- **Glob-to-regex conversion** - Proper metacharacter escaping prevents injection
### Memory Safety
- **Bounded collections** - Operation counts, alerts, and observed patterns have maximum limits
- **LRU eviction** - Least-recently-used entries removed when limits reached (max 50 cached managers)
- **Timestamp truncation** - Historical data pruned to prevent unbounded growth
### Network Safety
- **Localhost-only CORS** - Dashboard only accepts requests from localhost origins
- **No external network access** - Workers operate in isolated tmux sessions
### Execution Safety
- **Fail-closed enforcement** - Unknown constraint types block by default
- **Command allowlist** - Only safe verification commands allowed
- **No shell injection** - Uses `execFile` with arguments, prompts via files
- **Circuit breaker pattern** - Monitor auto-stops after repeated failures
- **Review worker isolation** - Read-only tools (no Bash access)
### Protocol Security
- **Base constraints** - Immutable security rules cannot be overridden
- **Proposal validation** - LLM-generated protocols checked against security boundaries
- **Token-based matching** - Tool prohibition uses exact token matching, not substring
## Inspiration
- [Anthropic's "Effective harnesses for long-running agents"](https://www.anthropic.com/engineering/effective-harnesses-for-long-running-agents)
- [Ralph Loop: A Continuous Iteration Paradigm for AI Agents](https://www.alibabacloud.com/blog/from-react-to-ralph-loop-a-continuous-iteration-paradigm-for-ai-agents_602799)
- [Claude Code Agent Teams](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/agent-teams)
- [MAKER: "Solving a Million-Step LLM Task with Zero Errors"](https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.09030)
- [Multi-Agent Collaboration via Evolving Orchestration](https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.19591)
- [AFlow: Automatic Workflow Optimization](https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.10762)
- [AgentsNet: Coordinating Multi-Agent Networks](https://arxiv.org/html/2507.08616v1)
## Troubleshooting
### "No active session"
Run `orchestrator_status` to check state, or `orchestrator_init` to start fresh.
### Worker seems stuck
1. `check_worker(featureId)` to see current output
2. `get_worker_confidence(featureId)` to check confidence score
3. `send_worker_message(featureId, "guidance")` to provide direction
4. If truly stuck, `mark_complete(featureId, success: false)` triggers auto-retry
### Lost context after compaction
Call `orchestrator_status(projectDir)` - the MCP server maintains all state externally.
### Feature has unmet dependencies
1. Check dependencies with `orchestrator_status`
2. Complete dependency features first
3. Or use `set_dependencies` to modify the chain
### Protocol violations blocking work
1. `get_violations()` to see what was violated
2. `resolve_violation(violationId, resolution)` if false positive
3. Adjust protocol constraints if too restrictive
### Debugging tmux sessions
```bash
# List all worker sessions
tmux list-sessions | grep cc-worker
# Attach to a worker session
tmux attach -t cc-worker-feature-1-abc123
# Capture recent output
tmux capture-pane -t -p -S -100
```
### Session crashed, how to recover
Use `resume_session(projectDir)` - it automatically detects crashes via stale heartbeat, loads the latest checkpoint, and restarts dead workers. Set `restartDeadWorkers: true` (default) to auto-restart Ralph Loop workers that were running.
### Worker keeps failing verification
Check the Ralph Loop progress file (`.claude/orchestrator/workers/{featureId}.progress.md`) for error patterns across iterations. The progress file records issues encountered in each iteration, helping identify systematic problems.
### Plan mode is too slow
Lower the complexity threshold (default: 30) via `configure_plan_mode(projectDir, { complexityThreshold: 50 })` so only higher-complexity features trigger planning. Or disable per-feature by setting `planMode: false` on the feature.
### Monitor stops unexpectedly
The monitor auto-stops after 5 consecutive errors (circuit breaker). Check MCP server logs and restart if needed.
## Limitations
- Requires tmux (WSL on Windows)
- Workers use your Claude Code subscription
- Protocol enforcement is observational (monitors but doesn't intercept tool calls)
- Complex feature detection is heuristic-based
## Contributing
Contributions welcome! See [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md) for guidelines.
## License
MIT