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# CLAUDE.md
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This file provides guidance to Claude Code (claude.ai/code) when working with code in this repository.
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## ⚠️ CRITICAL: Screen Session Safety
**You may be running inside a Claudeman-managed screen session.** Before killing ANY screen or Claude process:
1. **Check environment** : `echo $CLAUDEMAN_SCREEN` - if it returns `1` , you're in a managed session
2. **NEVER run** `screen -X quit` , `pkill screen` , or `pkill claude` without first confirming you're not killing yourself
3. **Safe debugging** : Use `screen -ls` to LIST sessions, but don't kill them blindly
4. **If you need to kill screens** : Use the web UI or `./scripts/screen-manager.sh` instead of direct commands
**Why this matters** : Killing your own screen terminates your session mid-work, losing context and potentially corrupting state.
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## Project Overview
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Claudeman is a Claude Code session manager with a web interface and autonomous Ralph Loop. It spawns Claude CLI processes via PTY, streams output in real-time via SSE, and supports scheduled/timed runs.
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**Tech Stack** : TypeScript (ES2022/NodeNext, strict mode), Node.js, Fastify, Server-Sent Events, node-pty
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**Key Dependencies** : fastify (REST API), node-pty (PTY spawning), ink/react (TUI), xterm.js (web terminal)
**Requirements** : Node.js 18+, Claude CLI (`claude` ) in PATH, GNU Screen (`apt install screen` / `brew install screen` )
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## First-Time Setup
```bash
npm install
```
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## Commands
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**CRITICAL** : `npm run dev` runs CLI help, NOT the web server. Use `npx tsx src/index.ts web` for development.
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```bash
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npm run build # Compile TypeScript + copy static files to dist/web/
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npm run clean # Remove dist/
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# Start web server (pick one):
npx tsx src/index.ts web # Dev mode - no build needed (RECOMMENDED)
npx tsx src/index.ts web -p 8080 # Dev mode with custom port
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npm run web # After npm run build (shorthand)
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node dist/index.js web # After npm run build
claudeman web # After npm link
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# Start TUI (terminal user interface):
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npx tsx src/index.ts tui # Dev mode - prompts to start web if not running
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claudeman tui # After npm link
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claudeman tui --with-web # Auto-start web server if not running (no prompt)
claudeman tui --no-web # Skip web server check entirely
claudeman tui -p 8080 # Specify web server port
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# Testing (vitest)
# Note: globals: true configured - no imports needed for describe/it/expect
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npm run test # Run all tests once
npm run test:watch # Watch mode
npm run test:coverage # With coverage report
npx vitest run test/session.test.ts # Single file
npx vitest run -t "should create session" # By pattern
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# Test port allocation (integration tests spawn servers):
# 3099: quick-start.test.ts
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# 3102: session.test.ts
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# 3105: scheduled-runs.test.ts
# 3107: sse-events.test.ts
# 3110: edge-cases.test.ts
# 3115: integration-flows.test.ts
# 3120: session-cleanup.test.ts
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# 3125: ralph-integration.test.ts
# Unit tests (no port needed): respawn-controller, ralph-tracker, pty-interactive, task-queue, task, ralph-loop, session-manager, state-store, types, templates, ralph-config
# Next available: 3127+
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# Tests mock PTY - no real Claude CLI spawned
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# Test timeout: 30s (configured in vitest.config.ts)
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# Global test utilities (describe/it/expect) available without imports (globals: true)
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# Tests run sequentially (fileParallelism: false) to respect screen session limits
# Global setup (test/setup.ts) enforces max 10 concurrent screens + orphan cleanup
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#
# ✅ TEST SAFETY: test/setup.ts protects its own process tree during cleanup.
# You can safely run tests from within a Claudeman-managed session - the cleanup
# will not kill your own Claude instance. The respawn-controller tests use
# MockSession (not real screens).
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# TypeScript checking
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npm run typecheck # Type check without building (or: npx tsc --noEmit)
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# Note: No ESLint/Prettier configured - rely on TypeScript strict mode
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# Debugging
screen -ls # List GNU screen sessions
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screen -r <name> # Attach to screen session (Ctrl+A D to detach)
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curl localhost:3000/api/sessions # Check active sessions
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curl localhost:3000/api/status | jq . # Full app state including respawn
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cat ~/.claudeman/state.json | jq . # View main state
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cat ~/.claudeman/state-inner.json | jq . # View Ralph loop state
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# Kill stuck screen sessions
screen -X -S <name> quit # Graceful quit
pkill -f "SCREEN.*claudeman" # Force kill all claudeman screens
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```
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## CLI Commands
```bash
claudeman session [ s] # Manage Claude sessions
start # Start new session
stop <id> # Stop session
list [ ls] # List all
logs <id> # View output
claudeman task [ t] # Manage tasks
add <prompt> # Add task
list [ ls] # List tasks
status <id> # Task details
remove [ rm] <id> # Remove task
clear # Clear completed/failed
claudeman ralph [ r] # Control Ralph loop
start # Start loop
stop # Stop loop
status # Show status
claudeman web # Start web interface
claudeman tui # Start TUI
claudeman status # Overall status
claudeman reset # Reset all state
```
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## Architecture
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### Key Files
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| File | Purpose |
|------|---------|
| `src/session.ts` | Core PTY wrapper for Claude CLI. Modes: `runPrompt()` , `startInteractive()` , `startShell()` |
| `src/respawn-controller.ts` | State machine for autonomous session cycling |
| `src/screen-manager.ts` | GNU screen persistence, ghost discovery, 4-strategy kill |
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| `src/ralph-tracker.ts` | Detects `<promise>PHRASE</promise>` , todos, loop status in output |
| `src/ralph-config.ts` | Parses `.claude/ralph-loop.local.md` and CLAUDE.md for Ralph config |
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| `src/task-tracker.ts` | Parses background task output (agent IDs, status) from Claude CLI |
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| `src/session-manager.ts` | Manages session lifecycle, task assignment, and cleanup |
| `src/state-store.ts` | JSON persistence to `~/.claudeman/` with debounced writes |
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| `src/web/server.ts` | Fastify REST API + SSE at `/api/events` |
| `src/web/public/app.js` | Frontend: SSE handling, xterm.js, tab management |
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| `src/tui/App.tsx` | TUI main component: tabs, terminal viewport, status bar (Ink/React) |
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| `src/tui/components/*.tsx` | TUI components: StartScreen, TabBar, TerminalView, StatusBar, RalphPanel, HelpOverlay |
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| `src/tui/hooks/useSessionManager.ts` | TUI session state, screen polling, input handling |
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| `src/types.ts` | All TypeScript interfaces |
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| `src/templates/claude-md.ts` | CLAUDE.md template generation with placeholder support |
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| `src/templates/case-template.md` | Default CLAUDE.md template for new cases (with placeholders) |
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### Data Flow
1. **Session** spawns `claude -p --dangerously-skip-permissions` via `node-pty`
2. PTY output is buffered, ANSI stripped, and parsed for JSON messages
3. **WebServer** broadcasts events to SSE clients at `/api/events`
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4. Full session state (settings, tokens, respawn config, Ralph state) persists to `~/.claudeman/state.json` via **StateStore**
5. Screen metadata persists separately to `~/.claudeman/screens.json` for session recovery
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### Respawn State Machine
```
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WATCHING → CONFIRMING_IDLE → SENDING_UPDATE → WAITING_UPDATE → SENDING_CLEAR → WAITING_CLEAR
↑ │ (new output) │
│ ↓ ▼
│ (reset) SENDING_INIT → WAITING_INIT → MONITORING_INIT
│ │
│ (if no work triggered) ▼
└────────────────────────────────────── SENDING_KICKSTART ← WAITING_KICKSTART ◄┘
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```
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**States** : `watching` , `confirming_idle` , `sending_update` , `waiting_update` , `sending_clear` , `waiting_clear` , `sending_init` , `waiting_init` , `monitoring_init` , `sending_kickstart` , `waiting_kickstart` , `stopped`
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Steps can be skipped via config (`sendClear: false` , `sendInit: false` ). Optional `kickstartPrompt` triggers if `/init` doesn't start work. Multi-layer idle detection triggers state transitions.
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**Step confirmation** : After sending each step (update, clear, init, kickstart), the controller waits for `completionConfirmMs` (5s) of output silence before proceeding to the next step. This prevents sending commands while Claude is still processing.
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### Session Modes
Sessions have a `mode` property (`SessionMode` type):
- **`'claude'` **: Runs Claude CLI for AI interactions (default)
- **`'shell'` **: Runs a plain bash shell for debugging/testing
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### Screen-Aware Sessions
All Claude sessions spawned by Claudeman receive environment variables indicating they're running in a managed screen:
| Variable | Value | Purpose |
|----------|-------|---------|
| `CLAUDEMAN_SCREEN` | `1` | Indicates session is managed by Claudeman |
| `CLAUDEMAN_SESSION_ID` | `<uuid>` | Unique session identifier |
| `CLAUDEMAN_SCREEN_NAME` | `claudeman-<name>` | GNU screen session name |
This prevents Claude from accidentally killing its own screen session. The default CLAUDE.md template includes guidance about this.
**Implementation** : Set in `screen-manager.ts:createScreen()` for screen-based sessions and `session.ts:startInteractive()` /`startShell()` for PTY-only sessions.
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## Code Patterns
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### Pre-compiled Regex Patterns
For performance, regex patterns that are used frequently should be compiled once at module level:
```typescript
// Good - compile once
const ANSI_ESCAPE_PATTERN = /\x1b\[[0-9;]*m/g ;
const TOKEN_PATTERN = /(\d+(?:\.\d+)?)\s*([kKmM])?\s*tokens/ ;
// Bad - recompiles on each call
function parse ( line : string ) {
return line . replace ( /\x1b\[[0-9;]*m/g , '' );
}
```
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### Claude Message Parsing
Claude CLI outputs newline-delimited JSON. Strip ANSI codes before parsing:
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```typescript
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const cleanLine = line . replace ( ANSI_ESCAPE_PATTERN , '' );
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const msg = JSON . parse ( cleanLine ) as ClaudeMessage ;
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// msg.type: 'system' | 'assistant' | 'user' | 'result'
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// msg.message?.content: Array<{ type: 'text', text: string }>
// msg.total_cost_usd: number (on result messages)
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```
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### PTY Spawn Modes
```typescript
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// One-shot mode (JSON output for token tracking)
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pty . spawn ( 'claude' , [ '-p' , '--dangerously-skip-permissions' , '--output-format' , 'stream-json' , prompt ], { ... })
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// Interactive mode (tokens parsed from status line)
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pty . spawn ( 'claude' , [ '--dangerously-skip-permissions' ], { ... })
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// Shell mode (debugging/testing - no Claude CLI)
pty . spawn ( 'bash' , [], { ... })
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```
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### Sending Input to Sessions
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There are two methods for sending input to Claude sessions:
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#### 1. `session.write(data)` - Direct PTY write
Used by the `/api/sessions/:id/input` API endpoint. Writes directly to PTY.
```typescript
session . write ( 'hello world' ); // Text only, no Enter
session . write ( '\r' ); // Enter key separately
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```
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#### 2. `session.writeViaScreen(data)` - Via GNU screen (RECOMMENDED for programmatic input)
Used by RespawnController, auto-compact, auto-clear. More reliable for Ink/Claude CLI.
```typescript
// Append \r to include Enter - the method handles splitting automatically
session . writeViaScreen ( 'your command here\r' );
session . writeViaScreen ( '/clear\r' );
session . writeViaScreen ( '/init\r' );
```
**How `writeViaScreen` works internally** (in `screen-manager.ts:sendInput` ):
1. Splits input into text and `\r` (carriage return)
2. Sends text first: `screen -S name -p 0 -X stuff "text"`
3. Sends Enter separately: `screen -S name -p 0 -X stuff "$(printf '\015')"`
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**Why separate commands?** Claude CLI uses [Ink ](https://github.com/vadimdemedes/ink ) (React for terminals) which requires text and Enter as separate `screen -X stuff` commands. Combining them doesn't work. This is a critical implementation detail when debugging input issues.
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#### API Usage
```bash
# Send text (won't submit until Enter is sent)
curl -X POST localhost:3000/api/sessions/:id/input \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"input": "your prompt here"}'
# Send Enter separately to submit
curl -X POST localhost:3000/api/sessions/:id/input \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"input": "\r"}'
```
**Note** : The API uses `session.write()` which goes to PTY directly. For reliability with Ink, consider using the respawn controller pattern or adding an API endpoint that uses `writeViaScreen()` .
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### Idle Detection
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**RespawnController (Claude Code 2024+)** : Multi-layer detection with confidence scoring:
1. **Completion message** : Primary signal - detects "for Xm Xs" time patterns (e.g., "Worked for 2m 46s")
2. **Output silence** : Confirms idle after `completionConfirmMs` (5s) of no new output
3. **Token stability** : Tokens haven't changed
4. **Working patterns absent** : No `Thinking` , `Writing` , spinner chars
Uses `confirming_idle` state to prevent false positives. Fallback: `noOutputTimeoutMs` (30s) if no output at all.
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**Step Confirmation** : After sending each respawn step (update, init, kickstart), the controller waits for the same `completionConfirmMs` silence before proceeding. This ensures Claude finishes processing each prompt before the next command is sent.
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**Session** : emits `idle` /`working` events on prompt detection + 2s activity timeout.
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**Auto-Accept Prompts** (enabled by default): When Claude enters plan mode or asks a question (AskUserQuestion), output stops without a completion message. After `autoAcceptDelayMs` (8s) of silence with no completion message detected, sends Enter to accept the plan/default option. Safety: only fires once per silence period, requires prior output, won't fire during active respawn cycles.
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### Token Tracking
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- **One-shot mode**: Uses `--output-format stream-json` for detailed token usage from JSON
- **Interactive mode**: Parses tokens from Claude's status line (e.g., "123.4k tokens"), estimates 60/40 input/output split
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### Auto-Compact & Auto-Clear
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| Feature | Default Threshold | Action |
|---------|------------------|--------|
| Auto-Compact | 110k tokens | `/compact` with optional prompt |
| Auto-Clear | 140k tokens | `/clear` to reset context |
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Both wait for idle. Configure via `session.setAutoCompact()` / `session.setAutoClear()` .
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### Ralph / Todo Tracking
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Detects Ralph loops and todos inside Claude sessions. **Disabled by default** but auto-enables when any of these patterns are detected in terminal output:
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- `/ralph-loop:ralph-loop` command
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- `<promise>PHRASE</promise>` completion phrases (supports hyphens: `TESTS-PASS` , underscores: `ALL_DONE` , numbers: `TASK_123` )
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- `TodoWrite` tool usage (including checkmark format: `✔ Task #N created:` , `✔ Task #N updated: status →` )
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- Iteration patterns (`Iteration 5/50` , `[5/50]` )
- Todo checkboxes (`- [ ]` /`- [x]` ) or indicator icons (`☐` /`◐` /`✓` )
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- "All tasks complete" messages
- Individual task completion signals (`Task 8 is done` )
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See `ralph-tracker.ts:shouldAutoEnable()` for detection logic.
**Auto-Configuration from Ralph Plugin State** : When a session starts, Claudeman reads `.claude/ralph-loop.local.md` (the official Ralph Wiggum plugin state file) to auto-configure the tracker:
```yaml
---
enabled : true
iteration : 5
max-iterations : 50
completion-promise : "COMPLETE"
---
```
Priority order for configuration:
1. `.claude/ralph-loop.local.md` (official Ralph plugin state)
2. `CLAUDE.md` `<promise>` tags (fallback)
See `src/ralph-config.ts` for parsing logic.
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**Completion Detection** : Uses multi-strategy detection:
- 1st occurrence of `<promise>PHRASE</promise>` : Stores as expected phrase (likely in prompt)
- 2nd occurrence: Emits `completionDetected` event (actual completion)
- **Bare phrase detection**: Also detects phrase without tags once expected phrase is known
- **All complete detection**: When "All X files/tasks created/completed" detected, marks all todos complete and emits completion
- If loop is already active (via `/ralph-loop:ralph-loop` ): Emits immediately on first occurrence
**Session Lifecycle** : Each session has its own independent tracker:
- New session → Fresh tracker (no carryover)
- Close tab → Tracker state cleared, UI panel hides
- Switch tabs → Panel shows tracker for active session
- `tracker.reset()` → Clears todos/state, keeps enabled status
- `tracker.fullReset()` → Complete reset to initial state
**API** :
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- `GET /api/sessions/:id/ralph-state` - Get loop state and todos
- `POST /api/sessions/:id/ralph-config` - Configure tracker:
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- `{ enabled: boolean }` - Enable/disable
- `{ reset: true }` - Soft reset (keep enabled)
- `{ reset: "full" }` - Full reset
UI: Collapsible panel below tabs, shows progress ring and todo list.
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### Terminal Display Fix
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Tab switch/new session fix: clear xterm → write buffer → resize PTY → Ctrl+L redraw. Uses `pendingCtrlL` Set, triggered on `session:idle` /`session:working` events.
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### SSE Events
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All events broadcast to `/api/events` with format: `{ type: string, sessionId?: string, data: any }` .
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Event prefixes: `session:` , `task:` , `respawn:` , `scheduled:` , `case:` , `screen:` , `init` .
Key events for frontend handling (see `app.js:handleSSEEvent()` ):
- `session:idle` , `session:working` - Status indicator updates
- `session:terminal` , `session:clearTerminal` - Terminal content
- `session:completion` , `session:autoClear` , `session:autoCompact` - Lifecycle events
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- `session:ralphLoopUpdate` , `session:ralphTodoUpdate` , `session:ralphCompletionDetected` - Ralph tracking
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- `respawn:detectionUpdate` - Multi-layer idle detection status (confidence level, waiting state)
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### Frontend (app.js)
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Vanilla JS + xterm.js. Key functions:
- `handleSSEEvent()` - Dispatches events to appropriate handlers
- `switchToSession()` - Tab management and terminal focus
- `createSessionTab()` - Tab creation and xterm setup
**60fps Rendering Pipeline** :
- Server batches terminal data every 16ms before broadcasting via SSE
- Client uses `requestAnimationFrame` to batch xterm.js writes
- Prevents UI jank during high-throughput Claude output
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### State Store
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Writes debounced (500ms) to `~/.claudeman/state.json` . The web server persists full session state via `persistSessionState()` on every meaningful change:
**Persistence triggers** : session create, delete, rename, settings change (auto-compact, auto-clear, Ralph config), respawn start/stop/update/expire, completion, exit.
**Per-session fields stored** (`SessionState` in `types.ts` ):
| Field | Description |
|-------|-------------|
| `id` , `pid` , `status` | Core session identity |
| `name` , `mode` | Display name, 'claude' or 'shell' |
| `workingDir` , `createdAt` , `lastActivityAt` | Location and timestamps |
| `autoClearEnabled` , `autoClearThreshold` | Auto-clear settings |
| `autoCompactEnabled` , `autoCompactThreshold` , `autoCompactPrompt` | Auto-compact settings |
| `ralphEnabled` , `ralphCompletionPhrase` | Ralph / Todo tracker state |
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| `respawnEnabled` | Whether respawn controller is currently running |
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| `respawnConfig` | Full respawn config including `durationMinutes` |
| `totalCost` , `inputTokens` , `outputTokens` | Token and cost tracking |
**CLI visibility** : The `claudeman status` and `claudeman session list` commands read from `state.json` to display web server-managed sessions, even though they run in a separate process.
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### Timing Constants
| Constant | Value | Location |
|----------|-------|----------|
| State save debounce | 500ms | `state-store.ts` |
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| State update debounce | 500ms | `server.ts` |
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| Line buffer flush | 100ms | `session.ts` |
| Terminal batch interval | 16ms | `server.ts` (60fps) |
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| Output batch interval | 50ms | `server.ts` |
| Task update batch interval | 100ms | `server.ts` |
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| Ralph loop event debounce | 50ms | `ralph-tracker.ts` |
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| Session tabs render debounce | 100ms | `app.js` |
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| Ralph panel render debounce | 50ms | `app.js` |
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| Task panel render debounce | 100ms | `app.js` |
| Input batch interval | 16ms | `app.js` (60fps) |
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| Idle activity timeout | 2s | `session.ts` |
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| Respawn idle timeout | 10s default | `RespawnConfig.idleTimeoutMs` |
| Respawn completion confirm | 5s | `RespawnConfig.completionConfirmMs` |
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| Respawn auto-accept delay | 8s | `RespawnConfig.autoAcceptDelayMs` |
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| Respawn no-output fallback | 30s | `RespawnConfig.noOutputTimeoutMs` |
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### TypeScript Config
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Module resolution: NodeNext. Target: ES2022. Strict mode with additional checks:
| Setting | Effect |
|---------|--------|
| `noUnusedLocals` | Error on unused local variables |
| `noUnusedParameters` | Error on unused function parameters |
| `noImplicitReturns` | All code paths must return a value |
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| `noImplicitOverride` | Require `override` keyword for overridden methods |
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| `noFallthroughCasesInSwitch` | Require break/return in switch cases |
| `allowUnreachableCode: false` | Error on unreachable code |
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| `allowUnusedLabels: false` | Error on unused labels |
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TUI uses React JSX (`jsxImportSource: react` ) for Ink components.
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## Adding New Features
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- **API endpoint**: Add types in `types.ts` , route in `server.ts:buildServer()` , use `createErrorResponse()` for errors
- **SSE event**: Emit via `broadcast()` in server.ts, handle in `app.js:handleSSEEvent()` switch
- **Session event**: Add to `SessionEvents` interface in `session.ts` , emit via `this.emit()` , subscribe in server.ts, handle in frontend
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- **Session setting**: Add field to `SessionState` in `types.ts` , include in `session.toState()` , call `this.persistSessionState(session)` in server.ts after the change
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- **New test file**: Create `test/<name>.test.ts` , pick unique port (next available: 3127+), add to port allocation comment above
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### API Error Codes
Use `createErrorResponse(code, details?)` from `types.ts` :
| Code | Use Case |
|------|----------|
| `NOT_FOUND` | Session/resource doesn't exist |
| `INVALID_INPUT` | Bad request parameters |
| `SESSION_BUSY` | Session is currently processing |
| `OPERATION_FAILED` | Action couldn't complete |
| `ALREADY_EXISTS` | Duplicate resource |
| `INTERNAL_ERROR` | Unexpected server error |
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## Session Lifecycle & Cleanup
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- **Limit**: Web server: `MAX_CONCURRENT_SESSIONS = 50` (`server.ts:56` ), UI tab limit: 20, CLI default: 5 (`types.ts:DEFAULT_CONFIG` )
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- **Kill** (`killScreen()` ): child PIDs → process group → screen quit → SIGKILL
- **Ghost discovery**: `reconcileScreens()` finds orphaned screens on startup
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- **Cleanup** (`cleanupSession()` ): stops respawn, clears buffers/timers, kills screen, removes from `state.json`
- **State sync**: Every session create/delete/update calls `persistSessionState()` which writes full state (including respawn config from controller) to `state.json`
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- **Recovery on restart**: Server reads `state.json` first (has all settings), falls back to `screens.json` for any sessions not found. Settings (auto-compact, auto-clear, respawn config, Ralph state) restored to live session objects after screen reattachment.
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## TUI Architecture (Ink/React)
The TUI (`claudeman tui` ) is built with [Ink ](https://github.com/vadimdemedes/ink ) (React for terminals).
**Component Hierarchy:**
```
App.tsx
├── StartScreen.tsx # Session/case list, navigation
│ ├── List navigation (↑/↓, Enter, a/d/D)
│ ├── Case creation flow
│ └── Tab switcher menu
├── TabBar.tsx # Session tabs (when attached)
├── TerminalView.tsx # Viewport into screen session
├── StatusBar.tsx # Bottom bar with status/tokens
├── RalphPanel.tsx # Ralph loop progress display
└── HelpOverlay.tsx # Keyboard shortcuts modal
```
**Key Hook:** `useSessionManager.ts` handles:
- API polling for sessions/screens
- Screen attach/detach flow
- Keyboard input routing
- State synchronization with web server
**TUI ↔ Web Server:** The TUI is a client to the web server. It doesn't manage sessions directly - it uses `/api/*` endpoints and attaches to screens via GNU screen commands.
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## Buffer Limits
Long-running sessions are supported with automatic trimming:
| Buffer | Max Size | Trim To |
|--------|----------|---------|
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| Terminal | 2MB | 1.5MB |
| Text output | 1MB | 768KB |
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| Messages | 1000 | 800 |
| Line buffer | 64KB | (flushed every 100ms) |
| Respawn buffer | 1MB | 512KB |
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**Performance optimizations:**
- Tab switch uses `tail=256KB` for fast initial load, then chunked writes
- Large buffers written in 64KB chunks via `requestAnimationFrame` to avoid UI jank
- Truncation indicator shown when earlier output is cut
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## API Routes Quick Reference
| Method | Endpoint | Description |
|--------|----------|-------------|
| GET | `/api/events` | SSE stream for real-time updates |
| GET | `/api/status` | Full application state |
| GET/POST/DELETE | `/api/sessions` | List/create/kill-all sessions |
| GET/DELETE | `/api/sessions/:id` | Get/delete specific session |
| POST | `/api/sessions/:id/input` | Send input to session PTY |
| POST | `/api/sessions/:id/resize` | Resize terminal (cols, rows) |
| POST | `/api/sessions/:id/interactive` | Start interactive mode |
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| POST | `/api/sessions/:id/respawn/start` | Start respawn controller (merges pre-saved config) |
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| POST | `/api/sessions/:id/respawn/stop` | Stop respawn controller |
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| POST | `/api/sessions/:id/respawn/enable` | Enable respawn with config + optional timer |
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| GET | `/api/sessions/:id/respawn/config` | Get current or pre-saved respawn config |
| PUT | `/api/sessions/:id/respawn/config` | Update config (works with or without running controller) |
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| POST | `/api/sessions/:id/ralph-config` | Configure Ralph / Todo Tracker settings |
| GET | `/api/sessions/:id/ralph-state` | Get Ralph loop state + todos |
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| POST | `/api/sessions/:id/auto-compact` | Configure auto-compact threshold |
| POST | `/api/sessions/:id/auto-clear` | Configure auto-clear threshold |
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| POST | `/api/quick-start` | Create case + start session. Body: `{mode?: 'claude'\|'shell'}` |
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| GET | `/api/cases` | List available cases |
| POST | `/api/cases` | Create new case |
| GET | `/api/screens` | List screen sessions with stats |
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## Keyboard Shortcuts (Web UI)
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| Shortcut | Action |
|----------|--------|
| `Ctrl+Enter` | Run Claude (create case + interactive session) |
| `Ctrl+W` | Close current session |
| `Ctrl+Tab` | Switch to next session |
| `Ctrl+K` | Kill all sessions |
| `Ctrl+L` | Clear terminal |
| `Ctrl++/-` | Increase/decrease font size |
| `Ctrl+?` | Show keyboard shortcuts help |
| `Escape` | Close panels and modals |
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## TUI Keyboard Shortcuts
**Start Screen - Sessions:**
| Key | Action |
|-----|--------|
| `↑` /`↓` | Navigate list |
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| `Enter` | Open tab switcher menu, then full-screen attach |
| `a` | Direct attach (skip tab menu, Ctrl+A D returns to TUI) |
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| `d` | Delete/kill selected session |
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| `D` (Shift+d) | Delete ALL screens & Claude processes |
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| `c` | Switch to cases view |
| `n` | Quick-start new session |
| `r` | Refresh list |
| `q` | Quit TUI |
**Start Screen - Cases:**
| Key | Action |
|-----|--------|
| `↑` /`↓` | Navigate list |
| `Enter` | Start Claude session with selected case |
| `h` | Start Shell session with selected case |
| `m` | Multi-start (1-20 sessions at once) |
| `n` | Create new case |
| `s` | Switch to sessions view |
| `r` | Refresh list |
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**Tab Switcher Menu (between attaches):**
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| Key | Action |
|-----|--------|
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| `1-9` | Select and attach to session N |
| `Enter` | Attach to current session |
| `q` / `Esc` | Return to TUI start screen |
**While attached to screen:**
| Key | Action |
|-----|--------|
| `Ctrl+A D` | Detach and return to tab switcher |
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## State Files
| File | Purpose |
|------|---------|
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| `~/.claudeman/state.json` | Full session state (all settings, tokens, respawn config, Ralph state), tasks, app config |
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| `~/.claudeman/state-inner.json` | Ralph loop/todo state per session (separate to reduce writes) |
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| `~/.claudeman/screens.json` | Screen session metadata (for recovery after restart) |
| `~/.claudeman/settings.json` | User preferences (lastUsedCase, custom template path) |
**State lifecycle** :
- Web server creates → session added to `state.json` + `screens.json`
- Settings change → `state.json` updated (debounced 500ms)
- Session deleted → removed from `state.json` (screen may survive if `killScreen: false` )
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- Server shutdown → sessions preserved in `state.json` (not wiped), screens preserved in `screens.json`
- Server restart → sessions restored from `state.json` (primary) with `screens.json` as fallback
**Recovery strategy** (double redundancy):
1. **Primary** : `state.json` retains full session state across restarts (settings, tokens, respawn config)
2. **Fallback** : `screens.json` provides screen metadata if `state.json` is missing a session
3. After restoration, all settings (auto-compact, auto-clear, respawn, Ralph) are re-applied to live sessions
4. `persistSessionState()` called after all restorations complete to sync final state
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Cases created in `~/claudeman-cases/` by default.
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### CLAUDE.md Templates
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New cases get a CLAUDE.md generated from `src/templates/case-template.md` (bundled with the project). Template resolution order:
1. Custom path from `~/.claudeman/settings.json` (`defaultClaudeMdPath` field)
2. Bundled `case-template.md` (copied to `dist/templates/` during build)
3. Minimal fallback (if bundled template is missing)
Placeholders replaced:
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- `[PROJECT_NAME]` → Case name
- `[PROJECT_DESCRIPTION]` → Description
- `[DATE]` → Current date (YYYY-MM-DD)
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## Screen Session Manager (CLI Tool)
Interactive bash tool for managing claudeman screen sessions directly from the terminal.
```bash
./scripts/screen-manager.sh # Interactive mode
./scripts/screen-manager.sh list # List all sessions
./scripts/screen-manager.sh attach 1 # Attach to session #1
./scripts/screen-manager.sh kill 2,3 # Kill sessions 2 and 3
./scripts/screen-manager.sh kill-all # Kill all sessions
./scripts/screen-manager.sh info 1 # Show session #1 details
```
**Interactive Controls:**
| Key | Action |
|-----|--------|
| `↑` /`↓` or `j` /`k` | Navigate sessions |
| `Enter` | Attach to selected session |
| `d` | Delete selected session |
| `D` | Delete ALL sessions |
| `i` | Show session info |
| `q` /`Esc` | Quit |
**Features:**
- Reads from `~/.claudeman/screens.json` (claudeman's authoritative source)
- Shows session name, running time, alive/dead status, mode
- Flicker-free navigation (only updates changed rows)
- Requires `jq` and `screen` to be installed
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## Documentation
Extended documentation is available in the `docs/` directory:
| Document | Description |
|----------|-------------|
| [`docs/ralph-wiggum-guide.md` ](docs/ralph-wiggum-guide.md ) | Complete Ralph Wiggum loop guide: official plugin reference, best practices, prompt templates, troubleshooting |
| [`docs/claude-code-hooks-reference.md` ](docs/claude-code-hooks-reference.md ) | Official Claude Code hooks documentation: all events, configuration, examples |
### Quick Reference: Ralph Wiggum Loops
**Core Pattern** : `<promise>PHRASE</promise>` - The completion signal that tells the loop to stop.
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**Skill Commands** :
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```bash
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/ralph-loop:ralph-loop # Start Ralph Loop in current session
/ralph-loop:cancel-ralph # Cancel active Ralph Loop
/ralph-loop:help # Show help and usage
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```
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**Claudeman Implementation** : The `RalphTracker` class (`src/ralph-tracker.ts` ) detects Ralph patterns in Claude output and tracks loop state, todos, and completion phrases. It auto-enables when Ralph-related patterns are detected.
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See [`docs/ralph-wiggum-guide.md` ](docs/ralph-wiggum-guide.md ) for full documentation on best practices, prompt templates, and troubleshooting.