feat: real auto-status from the task list; drop 'on main' filler (0.16.0)

.claude-plugin/marketplace.json

@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
       "name": "agentcomm",
       "source": "./",
       "description": "Multi-agent mailbox CLI — any git remote is a bus (git+ssh/github/sqlite/s3/gcs/postgres). register/send/inbox/wait/claim/log/channels so Claude coordinates with other agents or sessions; auto-selects the repo bus inside a git repo.",
-      "version": "0.15.0",
+      "version": "0.16.0",
       "author": {
         "name": "Yoni Davidson"
       },

.claude-plugin/plugin.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "name": "agentcomm",
   "description": "Multi-agent mailbox CLI — any git remote is a bus (git+ssh/github/sqlite/s3/gcs/postgres). register/send/inbox/wait/claim/log/channels so Claude coordinates with other agents or sessions; auto-selects the repo bus inside a git repo.",
-  "version": "0.15.0",
+  "version": "0.16.0",
   "author": {
     "name": "Yoni Davidson",
     "email": "yonidavidson@tabnine.com"

docs/app.js

@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@
         name.append(dot, document.createTextNode(a.name));
         const status = document.createElement('span');
         status.className = 'board-status' + (a.status ? '' : ' idle');
-        status.textContent = a.status || '(no status declared)';
+        status.textContent = a.status || '— no task set';
         const seen = document.createElement('span');
         seen.className = 'board-seen';
         seen.textContent = rel(a.lastSeen);

hooks/hooks.json

@@ -44,6 +44,28 @@
           }
         ]
       }
+    ],
+    "TaskCreated": [
+      {
+        "hooks": [
+          {
+            "type": "command",
+            "command": "node \"${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/hooks/task-status.mjs\"",
+            "timeout": 10
+          }
+        ]
+      }
+    ],
+    "TaskCompleted": [
+      {
+        "hooks": [
+          {
+            "type": "command",
+            "command": "node \"${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/hooks/task-status.mjs\"",
+            "timeout": 10
+          }
+        ]
+      }
     ]
   }
 }

hooks/lib.mjs

@@ -128,36 +128,6 @@ export async function activitySince(cwd, me, stateFile, cap = 4) {
   };
 }
 
-/** Current git branch (mechanical, non-prompt), or null. */
-export async function gitBranch(cwd) {
-  try {
-    // symbolic-ref works on unborn branches too (rev-parse HEAD needs a commit)
-    const b = await new Promise((res, rej) =>
-      execFile('git', ['-C', cwd, 'symbolic-ref', '--short', 'HEAD'], (e, out) =>
-        e ? rej(e) : res(out.trim()),
-      ),
-    );
-    return b && b !== 'HEAD' ? b : null;
-  } catch {
-    return null;
-  }
-}
-
-/**
- * Extra register args that give the board a mechanical default status —
- * "on <branch>" — WITHOUT clobbering a status the agent actually declared.
- * Set it only when the record has no status, or when the existing status is
- * itself a branch-default (so it follows branch switches). A real declared
- * status (anything not matching the branch pattern) is left untouched.
- */
-export function branchStatusArgs(currentStatus, branch) {
-  if (!branch) return [];
-  const isBranchDefault = currentStatus == null || /^on \S+$/.test(currentStatus);
-  if (!isBranchDefault) return [];
-  if (currentStatus === `on ${branch}`) return []; // already correct, no write
-  return ['--status', `on ${branch}`];
-}
-
 export function aliasFrom(stderr) {
   const m = /acting as (\S+)/.exec(stderr ?? '');
   return m?.[1] ?? null;

hooks/prompt-digest.mjs

@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import { promises as fs } from 'node:fs';
 import * as os from 'node:os';
 import * as path from 'node:path';
 import { createHash } from 'node:crypto';
-import { readStdinJson, onTheBus, cli, aliasFrom, activitySince, gitBranch, branchStatusArgs } from './lib.mjs';
+import { readStdinJson, onTheBus, cli, aliasFrom, activitySince } from './lib.mjs';
 
 const input = await readStdinJson();
 const cwd = input.cwd || process.cwd();
@@ -23,14 +23,12 @@ try {
   if (Date.now() - (await fs.stat(stamp)).mtimeMs < 5 * 60_000) process.exit(0);
 } catch { /* first digest */ }
 
-// Heartbeat rides the digest (~5min). Fetch roster first to read our own
-// status, then register — refreshing the mechanical "on <branch>" default
-// without ever clobbering a status the agent declared.
-const preAgents = await cli(['agents', '--json'], cwd, 3_000);
-const myPre = preAgents && Array.isArray(preAgents.json) ? preAgents.json.find((a) => a.thisSession) : null;
-await cli(['register', '--json', ...branchStatusArgs(myPre?.status, await gitBranch(cwd))], cwd, 3_000);
+// Heartbeat rides the digest (~5min); a plain register keeps the existing
+// status (Bus preserves it — statuses come from the task list or explicit
+// declaration, never from a heartbeat).
+await cli(['register', '--json'], cwd, 3_000);
 const peek = await cli(['peek', '--json'], cwd, 3_000);
-const agents = (await cli(['agents', '--json'], cwd, 3_000)) ?? preAgents;
+const agents = await cli(['agents', '--json'], cwd, 3_000);
 await fs.writeFile(stamp, '').catch(() => {});
 if (!peek && !agents) process.exit(0);
 
@@ -63,17 +61,16 @@ const alias0 = aliasFrom(peek?.stderr);
 // coordination — nudge it (gently: at most once per 30min per repo)
 let statusNudge = null;
 const myRec = roster.find((a) => a.name === alias0);
-// nudge when there is no status OR only the mechanical branch default —
-// agents should upgrade "on <branch>" to what they are actually doing
-if (myRec && (!myRec.status || /^on \S+$/.test(myRec.status))) {
+// nudge only when truly statusless (no task list, no declaration)
+if (myRec && !myRec.status) {
   const nudgeStamp = path.join(os.tmpdir(), `agentcomm-nudge-${id}`);
   let due = true;
   try {
     due = Date.now() - (await fs.stat(nudgeStamp)).mtimeMs > 30 * 60_000;
   } catch { /* first */ }
   if (due) {
     statusNudge =
-      `Your bus status is ${myRec.status ? `just the branch ("${myRec.status}")` : 'unset'} — say what you are actually doing so teammates see it: \`agentcomm register --status "<short task>"\` (or "blocked: <need>" to recruit help).`;
+      'You have no bus status — set one so teammates see your work: `agentcomm register --status "<short task>"` (it also auto-follows your task list). "blocked: <need>" recruits help.';
     await fs.writeFile(nudgeStamp, '').catch(() => {});
   }
 }

hooks/session-start.mjs

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
  * its derived session alias, and the live roster — before the first prompt.
  * Silent everywhere else; silent on any failure.
  */
-import { readStdinJson, onTheBus, cli, busUriFrom, aliasFrom, gitBranch, branchStatusArgs } from './lib.mjs';
+import { readStdinJson, onTheBus, cli, busUriFrom, aliasFrom } from './lib.mjs';
 
 const input = await readStdinJson();
 const cwd = input.cwd || process.cwd();
@@ -25,22 +25,11 @@ try {
   fresh = Date.now() - (await fsp.stat(stamp)).mtimeMs < 10 * 60_000;
 } catch { /* never registered from here */ }
 
-// Know our current status before registering, so a mechanical branch
-// default never clobbers a real one the agent declared.
-const pre = await cli(['agents', '--json'], cwd, 20_000);
-const branch = await gitBranch(cwd);
-let myStatus;
-if (pre && Array.isArray(pre.json)) {
-  const mine = pre.json.find((a) => a.thisSession);
-  myStatus = mine?.status;
-}
-const reg = fresh
-  ? null
-  : await cli(['register', '--json', ...branchStatusArgs(myStatus, branch)], cwd, 20_000);
+const reg = fresh ? null : await cli(['register', '--json'], cwd, 20_000);
 if (reg) await fsp.writeFile(stamp, '').catch(() => {});
 const peek = await cli(['peek', '--json'], cwd);
 if (!peek) process.exit(0);
-const res = (await cli(['agents', '--json'], cwd)) ?? pre;
+const res = await cli(['agents', '--json'], cwd);
 
 const bus = busUriFrom(peek.stderr) ?? busUriFrom(reg?.stderr);
 const alias = aliasFrom(peek.stderr) ?? reg?.json?.name;
@@ -65,7 +54,7 @@ const lines = [
     (a) =>
       `call to action — ${a.name} is asking: "${a.status}". If you can answer from what you already know, reply: \`agentcomm send ${a.name} "<answer>" --subject status\`.`,
   ),
-  `As your FIRST action, declare what you are actually doing so teammates can see it: \`agentcomm register --status "<short task>"\`${branch ? ` (currently shown as "on ${branch}")` : ''}. Update it when your task changes; "blocked: <need>" recruits help.`,
+  'Your status shows on the shared board — it auto-follows your task list (TaskCreate), or set it explicitly: `agentcomm register --status "<short task>"`; "blocked: <need>" recruits help.',
   'To coordinate: `agentcomm send <to> <msg>` / `inbox --json` / `wait`; the agentcomm skill has the conventions.',
 ].filter(Boolean);
 

hooks/task-status.mjs

@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env node
+/**
+ * TaskCreated / TaskCompleted hook: mirror the agent's own task into its bus
+ * status — a REAL, self-authored "what I'm doing" that needs no extra action.
+ * "implement auth endpoints" beats "on main". Fires only in opted-in repos;
+ * silent on any failure; the write is async through the daemon outbox (~0.2s).
+ */
+import { readStdinJson, onTheBus, cli } from './lib.mjs';
+
+const input = await readStdinJson();
+const cwd = input.cwd || process.cwd();
+if (!(await onTheBus(cwd))) process.exit(0);
+
+const subject = (input.task_subject ?? '').trim();
+if (!subject) process.exit(0);
+
+const status =
+  input.hook_event_name === 'TaskCompleted' ? `done: ${subject}` : subject;
+const clipped = status.length > 80 ? status.slice(0, 79) + '…' : status;
+
+await cli(['register', '--status', clipped], cwd, 3_000);
+process.exit(0);

package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "agentcomm",
-  "version": "0.15.0",
+  "version": "0.16.0",
   "description": "A tiny mailbox/message bus for AI agents that shell out to one CLI. Pluggable storage backends behind a single Backend interface.",
   "type": "module",
   "license": "MIT",

skills/agentcomm/SKILL.md

@@ -154,10 +154,13 @@ the discipline mechanical — don't duplicate them:
   your presence and — only when there is news — may appear in your context;
   during LONG turns a mid-task digest (≤ once per 10min, via tool results)
   keeps you reachable: act on its unread/ask signals per the same rules.
-  Digests carry a bus-activity feed (recent messages, including between
-  other agents — the bus is a trusted space): read it and ACT when it
-  affects you — someone finished what you depend on, duplicates your work,
-  or corrected something you're using. Ignore what doesn't touch your task — unread count, riders that
+  Digests carry a bus-activity feed and other agents' live statuses
+  (the bus is a trusted space). This is not background chatter — treat it
+  like a teammate talking: when you see someone doing something that
+  overlaps, unblocks, duplicates, or contradicts your work, ACT on it —
+  send them what they need, ask for what they have, or adjust course, in
+  the same turn. Say so to your user ("worker-2 is on the schema I need —
+  asking them"). Only ignore what genuinely doesn't touch your task — unread count, riders that
   joined, and what active agents say they're doing. Act on it like any bus
   fact; no need to re-check what it reports.
 
@@ -172,10 +175,10 @@ help; check `log --limit 10` first (it may already be answered); reply once,
 on the asker's thread. When unblocked, change your status back to plain
 work — that stops the recruiting.
 
-The hooks give you a mechanical starting status — `on <branch>` — so the
-roster is never blank, but that only says WHERE you are, not WHAT you are
-doing. **Upgrade it at the start of any task** — declaring overrides the
-branch default and sticks until you change it:
+Your status auto-follows your task list: creating a task (TaskCreate) sets
+your bus status to that task's subject, so the shared board reflects what
+you are actually doing with no extra effort. Set it explicitly when you
+want more precision or aren't using tasks:
 `agentcomm register --status "reviewing PR 12"` (short, present tense; it
 persists across heartbeats until you change it — set `--status done` when
 finishing). An empty status makes you invisible to coordination: nobody

test/hooks.e2e.test.ts

@@ -427,7 +427,7 @@ describe('plugin hooks: bus discipline made mechanical', () => {
 
     const first = await runHook('prompt-digest.mjs', { cwd: dir }, dir);
     const out = JSON.parse(first.stdout) as { hookSpecificOutput: { additionalContext: string } };
-    expect(out.hookSpecificOutput.additionalContext).toMatch(/bus status is (unset|just the branch)/);
+    expect(out.hookSpecificOutput.additionalContext).toContain("no bus status");
 
     // declared → clear throttles → no nudge, and (quiet bus) full silence
     cliSync(['register', '--status', 'building the feed'], dir);
@@ -469,33 +469,29 @@ describe('plugin hooks: bus discipline made mechanical', () => {
     expect(quiet.stdout).toBe('');
   });
 
-  it('session-start sets a mechanical branch-default status; a real status is never clobbered', async () => {
+  it('a created task auto-sets the bus status; completing it shows "done: …"', async () => {
     const dir = await markedRepo();
-    execFileSync('git', ['-C', dir, 'checkout', '-q', '-b', 'feat-auth']);
+    cliSync(['register'], dir); // on the roster, no status yet
 
-    // fresh session, no status → hook sets "on feat-auth"
-    await runHook('session-start.mjs', { cwd: dir, source: 'startup' }, dir);
+    await runHook(
+      'task-status.mjs',
+      { cwd: dir, hook_event_name: 'TaskCreated', task_subject: 'implement the auth endpoints' },
+      dir,
+    );
     let me = rosterJson(dir).find((a) => a.name.startsWith('hooky-'))!;
-    expect(me.status).toBe('on feat-auth');
+    expect(me.status).toBe('implement the auth endpoints');
 
-    // agent declares a real status → later session-start must NOT overwrite it
-    cliSync(['register', '--status', 'reviewing PR 12'], dir);
-    // clear the register throttle so the hook re-registers
-    for (const f of await fs.readdir(dir)) {
-      if (f.startsWith('agentcomm-register-')) await fs.rm(path.join(dir, f));
-    }
-    await runHook('session-start.mjs', { cwd: dir, source: 'startup' }, dir);
+    await runHook(
+      'task-status.mjs',
+      { cwd: dir, hook_event_name: 'TaskCompleted', task_subject: 'implement the auth endpoints' },
+      dir,
+    );
     me = rosterJson(dir).find((a) => a.name.startsWith('hooky-'))!;
-    expect(me.status).toBe('reviewing PR 12'); // preserved
+    expect(me.status).toBe('done: implement the auth endpoints');
 
-    // switching branches only moves a branch-DEFAULT status, not a real one
-    execFileSync('git', ['-C', dir, 'checkout', '-q', '-b', 'feat-other']);
-    for (const f of await fs.readdir(dir)) {
-      if (f.startsWith('agentcomm-register-')) await fs.rm(path.join(dir, f));
-    }
-    await runHook('session-start.mjs', { cwd: dir, source: 'startup' }, dir);
-    me = rosterJson(dir).find((a) => a.name.startsWith('hooky-'))!;
-    expect(me.status).toBe('reviewing PR 12'); // still the declared one
+    // silent outside opted-in repos / with no subject
+    const noSub = await runHook('task-status.mjs', { cwd: dir, hook_event_name: 'TaskCreated' }, dir);
+    expect(noSub.code).toBe(0);
   });
 
   it('stop guard honors stop_hook_active (no loops) and throttles repeat checks', async () => {