Auxiliary Script Management

"Auxiliary scripts in .claude/session/ help with automation and cleanup."

Script Classification

Scripts created in .claude/session/ are automatically classified:

| Classification | Pattern | Retention | |---------------|--------|-----------| | Temporary | *-runner.ps1, pending-messages-*.json, *.exit, restart-flag-*.json, *.tmp | Auto-deleted after 1 hour | | Reusable | Documented below | Persist across sessions | | Unknown | Everything else | Manual cleanup required |

Temporary Scripts

Auto-cleaned after 1 hour:

• *-runner.ps1 - Agent runner scripts
• pending-messages-*.json - Message delivery files
• *.exit - Agent exit status files
• restart-flag-*.json - Restart signal files
• *.tmp - Temporary files

Do NOT rely on these persisting. They will be automatically deleted.

Creating Reusable Scripts

If you create a helper script that provides value across multiple sessions:

1. Document it in the "Reusable Scripts" section of your AGENT.md
2. Use descriptive naming: {agent}-{purpose}.ps1
3. Add to AuxiliaryScripts.Reusable in ralph-config.ps1
4. Explain its purpose so future sessions understand its value

Reusable Scripts Template

# Script: {AGENT}-{PURPOSE}.ps1
# Purpose: {Brief description}
# Created: {DATE}
# Used by: {Which agents use this}

param(
    [Parameter(Mandatory=$false)]
    [string]$SomeParameter
)

# Script logic here

Adding to ralph-config.ps1

$Script:AuxiliaryScripts.Reusable = @{
    "{AGENT}-{PURPOSE}.ps1" = @{
        Purpose = "Brief description"
        Created = "2026-01-19"
        UsedBy = @("pm", "developer")
    }
}

Documentation in AGENT.md

Maintain a "Reusable Scripts" section in your AGENT.md:

| Script | Purpose | Usage | |--------|---------|-------| | (none yet) | | |

Update this table when creating new reusable scripts.

Cleanup Guidelines

When Deleting Scripts

1. Check if active - ensure no agent is currently using it
2. Check dependencies - ensure no other scripts depend on it
3. Document removal - add note to progress file if significant

When Keeping Scripts

1. Document purpose - add comment header explaining what it does
2. Date stamp - include creation date
3. Version - if modified, track version changes

Common Script Patterns

Message Delivery Script

# Used by watchdog to deliver messages to agents
param([string]$TargetAgent, [string]$MessagePath)

$message = Get-Content $MessagePath | ConvertFrom-Json
$inbox = ".claude/session/messages/$TargetAgent/"
Copy-Item $MessagePath "$inbox/$([Guid]::NewGuid()).json"

Health Check Script

# Used to check if agent is responsive
param([string]$AgentName)

$heartbeatFile = ".claude/session/coordinator-state.json"
$state = Get-Content $heartbeatFile | ConvertFrom-Json
$lastSeen = [DateTime]::Parse($state.agents.$AgentName.lastSeen)
$age = (Get-Date) - $lastSeen

if ($age.TotalSeconds -gt 60) {
    Write-Warning "Agent $AgentName unresponsive for $($age.TotalSeconds)s"
    return $false
}
return $true

Script Permissions

• All scripts in .claude/session/ should be executable by agents
• Never create scripts that modify source code without explicit task assignment
• Scripts should only update session files or state files

Reference

• file-permissions.md — What agents can write to
• context-management.md — Context reset procedures