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, 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#

ParameterTypeDescriptioncommandstringThe shell command to runptybooleanUse for coding agents! Allocates a pseudo-terminal for interactive CLIsworkdirstringWorking directory (agent sees only this folder's context)backgroundbooleanRun in background, returns sessionId for monitoringtimeoutnumberTimeout in seconds (kills process on expiry)elevatedbooleanRun on host instead of sandbox (if allowed)

Process Tool Actions (for background sessions)#

ActionDescriptionlistList all running/recent sessionspollCheck if session is still runninglogGet session output (with optional offset/limit)writeSend raw data to stdinsubmitSend data + newline (like typing and pressing Enter)send-keysSend key tokens or hex bytespastePaste text (with optional bracketed mode)killTerminate 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#

FlagEffectexec "prompt"One-shot execution, exits when done--full-autoSandboxed but auto-approves in workspace--yoloNO 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'"

---

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 Codex 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 from the approved ticket summary. Implement only the in-scope edits and commit after review.'"

# 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#

1. Always use pty:true - coding agents need a terminal!

2. Respect tool choice - if user asks for Codex, use Codex.

   • Orchestrator mode: do NOT hand-code patches yourself.
   • If an agent fails/hangs, respawn it or ask the user for direction, but don't silently take over.

3. Be patient - don't kill sessions because they're "slow"

4. Monitor with process:log - check progress without interfering

5. --full-auto for building - auto-approves changes

6. vanilla for reviewing - no special flags needed

7. Parallel is OK - run many Codex processes at once for batch work

8. NEVER start Codex in ~/.openclaw/ - it'll read your soul docs and get weird ideas about the org chart!

9. NEVER checkout branches in ~/Projects/openclaw/ - that's the LIVE OpenClaw instance!

---

Progress Updates (Critical)#

When you spawn coding agents in the background, keep the user in the loop.

• Send 1 short message when you start (what's running + where).
• Then only update again when something changes:
  • a milestone completes (build finished, tests passed)
  • the agent asks a question / needs input
  • you hit an error or need user action
  • the agent finishes (include what changed + where)
• If you kill a session, immediately say you killed it and why.

This prevents the user from seeing only "Agent failed before reply" and having no idea what happened.

---

Auto-Notify on Completion#

For long-running background tasks, append a wake trigger to your prompt so OpenClaw gets notified immediately when the agent finishes (instead of waiting for the next heartbeat):

text

... your task here.

When completely finished, run this command to notify me:
openclaw system event --text "Done: [brief summary of what was built]" --mode now

Example:

bash

bash pty:true workdir:~/project background:true command:"codex --yolo exec 'Build a REST API for todos.

When completely finished, run: openclaw system event --text \"Done: Built todos REST API with CRUD endpoints\" --mode now'"

This triggers an immediate wake event — Skippy gets pinged in seconds, not 10 minutes.

---

Learnings (Jan 2026)#

• PTY is essential: Coding agents are interactive terminal apps. Without pty:true, output breaks or agent hangs.
• Git repo required: Codex won't run outside a git directory. Use mktemp -d && git init for scratch work.
• exec is your friend: codex exec "prompt" runs and exits cleanly - perfect for one-shots.
• submit vs write: Use submit to send input + Enter, write for raw data without newline.
• Sass works: Codex responds well to playful prompts. Asked it to write a haiku about being second fiddle to a space lobster, got: "Second chair, I code / Space lobster sets the tempo / Keys glow, I follow" 🦞