flow-parallel

Host: Codex CLI — This skill was designed for Claude Code and adapted for Codex. Cross-reference commands use installed skill names in Codex rather than /octo:* slash commands. Use the active Codex shell and subagent tools. Do not claim a provider, model, or host subagent is available until the current session exposes it. For host tool equivalents, see skills/blocks/codex-host-adapter.md.

STOP - SKILL ALREADY LOADED

DO NOT call Skill() again. DO NOT load any more skills. Execute directly.

EXECUTION CONTRACT (MANDATORY - CANNOT SKIP)

This skill uses ENFORCED execution mode. You MUST follow this exact 7-step sequence.

Architectural Principle: host subagent tool subagents do NOT load plugins. Independent claude -p processes DO. This skill spawns independent claude -p processes so each work package gets the full Octopus plugin, its own Double Diamond, agents, and quality gates.

STEP 1: Clarifying Questions (MANDATORY)

Ask via AskUserQuestion BEFORE any other action.

You MUST gather these inputs from the user — without scope, count, and dependency answers, the decomposition will be generic and produce overlapping work packages that cause merge conflicts:

AskUserQuestion with these questions:

1. **Compound task**: What compound task should be decomposed?
   - Use inline args if provided (e.g., /octo:parallel "build auth system")
   - If no args: ask "What compound task should I decompose into parallel work packages?"

2. **Work package count**: How many work packages?
   - Options: "3 (Recommended)", "4", "5", "Custom (up to 10)"
   - Default: 3-5 is optimal

3. **Dependencies**: Are the work packages independent?
   - "Fully independent - no dependencies between packages (Recommended)"
   - "Some dependencies - packages may need to share interfaces"
   - "Sequential dependencies - packages must complete in order"

If user provided a description inline with the command (e.g., /octo:parallel build a full auth system with OAuth, RBAC, and audit logging), use that as the task description but STILL ask remaining questions (count, dependencies).

If user says "skip" for any question, use defaults: 3 work packages, fully independent.

DO NOT PROCEED TO STEP 2 until questions answered.

STEP 2: Display Visual Indicators (MANDATORY - BLOCKING)

MANDATORY: You MUST use the native shell command tool to run this provider check BEFORE displaying the banner. Do NOT skip it. Do NOT assume availability.

bash "${HOME}/.claude-octopus/plugin/scripts/helpers/check-providers.sh"

Use the ACTUAL results below. PROHIBITED: Showing only "🔵 Claude: Available ✓" without listing all providers.

Display this banner with real provider status BEFORE any decomposition:

🐙 CLAUDE OCTOPUS ACTIVATED - Team of Teams Mode
Parallel Phase: Decomposing compound task into N independent work packages

Architecture:
  Main (this session) - Orchestrator: decompose, launch, monitor, aggregate
  WP-1..WP-N (claude -p) - Independent workers with full plugin capabilities

Each worker:
  - Runs as independent claude -p process in its own git worktree
  - Loads full Octopus plugin
  - Has own context, tools, and quality gates
  - Produces output.md + exit-code
  - Tracked in agent registry (~/.claude-octopus/agents/registry.json)

Estimated Time: 5-15 minutes (depending on task complexity)

DO NOT PROCEED TO STEP 3 until banner displayed.

STEP 3: Read Prior State (MANDATORY - State Management)

Before decomposing, read any prior context:

# Initialize state if needed
if [[ -d ".octo" ]]; then
  echo "Found existing .octo/ state directory"
else
  echo "No prior .octo/ state found - starting fresh"
fi

# Check for prior discover/spec context
if [[ -f ".octo/STATE.md" ]]; then
  echo "Prior state found:"
  cat .octo/STATE.md
fi

if [[ -f ".octo/PROJECT.md" ]]; then
  echo "Prior project context found:"
  cat .octo/PROJECT.md
fi

Use any prior context (discover findings, spec definitions, project state) to inform the WBS decomposition.

DO NOT PROCEED TO STEP 4 until state read.

STEP 4: Decompose into WBS (MANDATORY)

Claude analyzes the compound task and produces a Work Breakdown Structure.

Decomposition rules:

• Break into 3-5 independent work packages (WP-1 through WP-N, max 10)
• Each WP gets: name, scope description, expected output files, dependencies
• Validate: non-overlapping scopes, collectively exhaustive
• Each WP must be self-contained enough for an independent claude -p process

Create the coordination directory and WBS:

# Create parallel coordination directory
mkdir -p .octo/parallel

# Write wbs.json
cat > .octo/parallel/wbs.json << 'WBSEOF'
{
  "task": "<compound task description>",
  "created": "<ISO timestamp>",
  "work_packages": [
    {
      "id": "WP-1",
      "name": "<work package name>",
      "scope": "<what this WP covers>",
      "expected_outputs": ["<list of files this WP should produce>"],
      "dependencies": [],
      "wave": 1,
      "status": "pending"
    }
  ]
}
WBSEOF

You MUST write actual WBS content based on your analysis of the compound task. The JSON above is a template — populate it with real decomposition. Template or placeholder WBS produces vague instructions that agents interpret differently, causing duplicate work or missed scope.

Validation gate: wbs_generated — Verify .octo/parallel/wbs.json exists and contains valid JSON:

# Validate WBS was created
if [[ -f ".octo/parallel/wbs.json" ]]; then
  python3 -c "import json; json.load(open('.octo/parallel/wbs.json')); print('WBS validation: PASSED')" 2>/dev/null || echo "WBS validation: FAILED - invalid JSON"
else
  echo "WBS validation: FAILED - file not found"
fi

DO NOT PROCEED TO STEP 5 until WBS validated.

STEP 4.5: Adversarial WBS Cross-Check (RECOMMENDED)

After generating the WBS but BEFORE dependency validation, cross-check the decomposition with a second model. Single-model decomposition often produces work packages with hidden dependencies, ambiguous interface contracts, or scope gaps that cause merge conflicts and duplicated work.

If an external provider is available, dispatch the WBS for adversarial review through Octopus routing:

WBS_CONTENT=$(<".octo/parallel/wbs.json")
review_provider=""
command -v codex >/dev/null 2>&1 && review_provider="codex"
[[ -z "$review_provider" ]] && command -v agy >/dev/null 2>&1 && review_provider="agy"
[[ -z "$review_provider" ]] && command -v gemini >/dev/null 2>&1 && review_provider="gemini"

if [[ -n "$review_provider" ]]; then
  "${HOME}/.claude-octopus/plugin/scripts/orchestrate.sh" spawn "$review_provider" \
    "Review this Work Breakdown Structure for a parallel execution pipeline. Your job is to find problems BEFORE agents start working.

1. What DEPENDENCIES between work packages were missed? (e.g., WP-2 needs a type definition from WP-1 but doesn't declare it)
2. What INTERFACE CONTRACTS are ambiguous? (e.g., two WPs will create conflicting exports, or expect different API signatures)
3. Do any work packages OVERLAP in scope? (e.g., both WP-1 and WP-3 might modify the same file)
4. Are there GAPS — things no work package covers?

WBS:
${WBS_CONTENT}" 2>/dev/null || true
fi

After receiving the challenge:

• If overlapping scopes found: adjust WP boundaries and file paths in the WBS
• If missing dependencies found: add them to the dependencies array
• If interface ambiguities found: add explicit Integration Contract sections to the affected WP instructions
• If gaps found: either add a new WP or expand an existing one's scope

Skip with --fast or when user explicitly requests speed over thoroughness.

STEP 4.6: Dependency Validation & Wave Assignment (MANDATORY)

If any work package has non-empty dependencies, validate the dependency graph and assign wave numbers.

Skip this step if all work packages have "dependencies": [] — they all get wave 1 (backward compatible).

Run dependency validation and wave assignment:

python3 << 'DEPEOF'
import json, sys

with open('.octo/parallel/wbs.json') as f:
    wbs = json.load(f)

packages = wbs['work_packages']
ids = {wp['id'] for wp in packages}
deps = {wp['id']: wp.get('dependencies', []) for wp in packages}

# Check for missing references
errors = []
for wp_id, wp_deps in deps.items():
    for dep in wp_deps:
        if dep not in ids:
            errors.append(f"WP {wp_id} depends on unknown {dep}")

if errors:
    print("DEPENDENCY VALIDATION: FAILED")
    for e in errors:
        print(f"  ERROR: {e}")
    sys.exit(1)

# Cycle detection (DFS)
WHITE, GRAY, BLACK = 0, 1, 2
color = {wp_id: WHITE for wp_id in ids}

def has_cycle(node, path):
    color[node] = GRAY
    for dep in deps[node]:
        if color[dep] == GRAY:
            cycle = path[path.index(dep):] + [dep]
            return cycle
        if color[dep] == WHITE:
            result = has_cycle(dep, path + [dep])
            if result:
                return result
    color[node] = BLACK
    return None

for wp_id in ids:
    if color[wp_id] == WHITE:
        cycle = has_cycle(wp_id, [wp_id])
        if cycle:
            print(f"DEPENDENCY VALIDATION: FAILED - Cycle detected: {' -> '.join(cycle)}")
            sys.exit(1)

# Topological sort and wave assignment
waves = {}
assigned = set()

def get_wave(wp_id):
    if wp_id in waves:
        return waves[wp_id]
    if not deps[wp_id]:
        waves[wp_id] = 1
        return 1
    max_dep_wave = max(get_wave(d) for d in deps[wp_id])
    waves[wp_id] = max_dep_wave + 1
    return waves[wp_id]

for wp_id in ids:
    get_wave(wp_id)

# Update WBS with wave assignments
for wp in packages:
    wp['wave'] = waves[wp['id']]

with open('.octo/parallel/wbs.json', 'w') as f:
    json.dump(wbs, f, indent=2)

max_wave = max(waves.values())
print(f"DEPENDENCY VALIDATION: PASSED")
print(f"Waves assigned: {max_wave}")
for w in range(1, max_wave + 1):
    wave_wps = [wp_id for wp_id, wave in waves.items() if wave == w]
    print(f"  Wave {w}: {', '.join(wave_wps)}")
DEPEOF

If validation fails: Report the error to the user and STOP. Do not proceed with invalid dependencies.

DO NOT PROCEED TO STEP 5 until dependencies validated (or step skipped for independent WPs).

STEP 5: Generate Instruction Files (MANDATORY)

For each work package in the WBS, create an instructions file and a launch script.

For each WP-N, create:

instructions.md

mkdir -p ".octo/parallel/WP-N"

cat > ".octo/parallel/WP-N/instructions.md" << 'INSTREOF'
# Work Package WP-N: <name>

## Task
<Clear description of what this work package must accomplish>

## Scope Boundaries
- IN SCOPE: <what this WP covers>
- OUT OF SCOPE: <what other WPs handle — explicit boundaries>

## Expected Output
- Files to create/modify: <explicit file paths — MANDATORY>
- Location: <where outputs go in the project>

## Integration Contract
- This WP produces: <what downstream consumers can expect>
- This WP consumes: <what it needs from the project, NOT from other WPs>

## Quality Requirements (MANDATORY)
- Code must compile/parse without errors
- Follow existing project conventions (naming, structure, patterns)
- Run any existing tests related to your changes — do NOT skip tests
- Run the project linter if one exists (eslint, ruff, golangci-lint, etc.)
- No `type: ignore`, `@ts-ignore`, `any` casts, or suppression comments unless the existing code already uses them
- No placeholder code — no `TODO`, `FIXME`, or stub implementations
- Verify your changes work by running or testing them before completing
- If you break existing tests, fix them — do not delete or skip them

## Dependency Context
- This WP depends on: <list of dependency WP IDs, or "none">
- Outputs from completed dependencies will be provided below when available
INSTREOF

CRITICAL: Every instructions.md MUST contain explicit file paths — parallel agents interpret vague scope independently, so without explicit paths two WPs may modify the same file or leave gaps between them. Vague descriptions like "create the auth module" are PROHIBITED — specify exact paths like src/auth/oauth.ts.

launch.sh

v8.44.0: Each work package runs in its own git worktree for full file isolation. This prevents write contention when multiple agents modify files simultaneously.

cat > ".octo/parallel/WP-N/launch.sh" << 'LAUNCHEOF'
#!/bin/bash
set -e
SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")" && pwd)"
PROJECT_ROOT="<absolute-project-root-path>"
WP_ID="WP-N"
WORKTREE_DIR="${PROJECT_ROOT}/../.octo-worktree-${WP_ID}"
REGISTRY="${HOME}/.claude-octopus/plugin/scripts/agent-registry.sh"

# v8.44.0: Create isolated worktree for this work package
cd "$PROJECT_ROOT"
CURRENT_BRANCH=$(git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD)
git worktree add "$WORKTREE_DIR" "$CURRENT_BRANCH" 2>/dev/null || {
    # Worktree may already exist from a retry — reuse it
    if [[ -d "$WORKTREE_DIR" ]]; then
        cd "$WORKTREE_DIR" && git checkout "$CURRENT_BRANCH" && git pull --ff-only 2>/dev/null || true
    else
        echo "ERROR: Failed to create worktree at $WORKTREE_DIR" >&2
        echo 1 > "$SCRIPT_DIR/exit-code"
        touch "$SCRIPT_DIR/.done"
        exit 1
    fi
}

# Register agent in registry
if [[ -x "$REGISTRY" ]]; then
    "$REGISTRY" register "$WP_ID" "$CURRENT_BRANCH" "$WORKTREE_DIR" 2>/dev/null || true
fi

cd "$WORKTREE_DIR"
unset CLAUDECODE
# v8.32.0: Credential isolation — work packages don't need provider keys
unset OPENAI_API_KEY GEMINI_API_KEY GOOGLE_API_KEY OPENROUTER_API_KEY PERPLEXITY_API_KEY
cat "$SCRIPT_DIR/instructions.md" | claude -p > "$SCRIPT_DIR/output.md" 2>"$SCRIPT_DIR/agent.log"
EXIT_CODE=$?
echo $EXIT_CODE > "$SCRIPT_DIR/exit-code"
touch "$SCRIPT_DIR/.done"

# Update agent registry with completion status
if [[ -x "$REGISTRY" ]]; then
    if [[ "$EXIT_CODE" -eq 0 ]]; then
        "$REGISTRY" update "$WP_ID" --status done 2>/dev/null || true
    else
        "$REGISTRY" update "$WP_ID" --status failed --error "Exit code $EXIT_CODE" 2>/dev/null || true
    fi
fi

# Clean up worktree (agent finished, changes are in output.md not the worktree)
cd "$PROJECT_ROOT"
git worktree remove "$WORKTREE_DIR" --force 2>/dev/null || true
LAUNCHEOF

chmod +x ".octo/parallel/WP-N/launch.sh"

You MUST replace <absolute-project-root-path> with the actual project root (use pwd to determine it).

Worktree fallback: If git worktree is unavailable (shallow clone, detached HEAD), the agent falls back to running in the project root. The error is logged but execution continues.

Validation gate: instructions_written — Verify all instruction files exist:

# Count WPs from wbs.json
wp_count=$(python3 -c "import json; print(len(json.load(open('.octo/parallel/wbs.json'))['work_packages']))")

# Verify each WP has instructions.md and launch.sh
missing=0
for i in $(seq 1 "$wp_count"); do
  if [[ ! -f ".octo/parallel/WP-$i/instructions.md" ]]; then
    echo "MISSING: .octo/parallel/WP-$i/instructions.md"
    missing=$((missing + 1))
  fi
  if [[ ! -f ".octo/parallel/WP-$i/launch.sh" ]]; then
    echo "MISSING: .octo/parallel/WP-$i/launch.sh"
    missing=$((missing + 1))
  fi
done

if [[ "$missing" -eq 0 ]]; then
  echo "Instruction files validation: PASSED ($wp_count work packages)"
else
  echo "Instruction files validation: FAILED ($missing files missing)"
fi

DO NOT PROCEED TO STEP 6 until all instruction files validated.

STEP 6: Launch & Monitor — Wave-Based Execution (MANDATORY)

Launch work packages in dependency waves. Wave 1 runs first; Wave 2 starts only after Wave 1 completes (with outputs injected); and so on.

If all WPs are in Wave 1 (no dependencies), this behaves identically to the original launch — backward compatible.

Wave-based launch sequence:

PROJECT_ROOT="$(pwd)"
WBS_FILE=".octo/parallel/wbs.json"
MAX_WAVE=$(python3 -c "import json; wbs=json.load(open('$WBS_FILE')); print(max(wp.get('wave',1) for wp in wbs['work_packages']))")
TIMEOUT=600  # 10 minutes per wave

echo "Executing $MAX_WAVE wave(s)..."

for WAVE in $(seq 1 "$MAX_WAVE"); do
  echo ""
  echo "=== WAVE $WAVE ==="
  echo ""

  # Get WPs for this wave
  WAVE_WPS=$(python3 -c "
import json
wbs=json.load(open('$WBS_FILE'))
wps=[wp['id'] for wp in wbs['work_packages'] if wp.get('wave',1)==$WAVE]
print(' '.join(wps))
  ")

  # Inject outputs from completed dependency WPs into instructions
  for WP_ID in $WAVE_WPS; do
    WP_NUM="${WP_ID#WP-}"
    WP_DIR=".octo/parallel/$WP_ID"

    # Get dependencies for this WP
    DEPS=$(python3 -c "
import json
wbs=json.load(open('$WBS_FILE'))
wp=[w for w in wbs['work_packages'] if w['id']=='$WP_ID'][0]
print(' '.join(wp.get('dependencies',[])))
    ")

    if [[ -n "$DEPS" ]]; then
      echo "Injecting dependency outputs into $WP_ID..."
      echo "" >> "$WP_DIR/instructions.md"
      echo "## Outputs from Dependencies" >> "$WP_DIR/instructions.md"
      for DEP in $DEPS; do
        DEP_DIR=".octo/parallel/$DEP"
        if [[ -f "$DEP_DIR/output.md" ]]; then
          echo "" >> "$WP_DIR/instructions.md"
          echo "### From $DEP:" >> "$WP_DIR/instructions.md"
          head -c 4000 "$DEP_DIR/output.md" >> "$WP_DIR/instructions.md"
        fi
      done
    fi
  done

  # Launch WPs in this wave with 12s stagger
  WAVE_COUNT=0
  for WP_ID in $WAVE_WPS; do
    WP_NUM="${WP_ID#WP-}"
    echo "Launching $WP_ID at $(date '+%H:%M:%S')..."
    bash ".octo/parallel/$WP_ID/launch.sh" &
    WP_PID=$!
    echo "$WP_PID" > ".octo/parallel/$WP_ID/pid"
    echo "  $WP_ID launched (PID: $WP_PID)"
    WAVE_COUNT=$((WAVE_COUNT + 1))

    # 12-second stagger within wave (skip after last)
    REMAINING=$(echo "$WAVE_WPS" | wc -w | tr -d ' ')
    if [[ "$WAVE_COUNT" -lt "$REMAINING" ]]; then
      echo "  Waiting 12 seconds before next launch..."
      sleep 12
    fi
  done

  # Monitor this wave
  START_TIME=$(date +%s)
  COMPLETED=0
  WAVE_TOTAL=$(echo "$WAVE_WPS" | wc -w | tr -d ' ')

  echo "Monitoring Wave $WAVE ($WAVE_TOTAL WPs, timeout: ${TIMEOUT}s)..."

  while [[ "$COMPLETED" -lt "$WAVE_TOTAL" ]]; do
    COMPLETED=0
    for WP_ID in $WAVE_WPS; do
      if [[ -f ".octo/parallel/$WP_ID/.done" ]]; then
        COMPLETED=$((COMPLETED + 1))
      fi
    done

    ELAPSED=$(( $(date +%s) - START_TIME ))
    echo "Wave $WAVE progress: $COMPLETED/$WAVE_TOTAL complete (${ELAPSED}s elapsed)"

    if [[ "$ELAPSED" -gt "$TIMEOUT" ]]; then
      echo "TIMEOUT: Wave $WAVE did not complete within ${TIMEOUT}s"
      break
    fi

    if [[ "$COMPLETED" -lt "$WAVE_TOTAL" ]]; then
      # v8.45.0: Fire reaction engine between poll cycles
      REACTIONS="${HOME}/.claude-octopus/plugin/scripts/reactions.sh"
      if [[ -x "$REACTIONS" ]]; then
        "$REACTIONS" check-all 2>/dev/null || true
      fi
      sleep 15
    fi
  done

  echo "Wave $WAVE complete: $COMPLETED/$WAVE_TOTAL finished."
done

echo ""
echo "All waves executed."

Validation gate: processes_launched — Verify PID files exist for all WPs.

IMPORTANT: The launch and monitor commands above should be run via the native shell command tool. You may need to combine them or run the monitor as a separate polling step. The monitor loop will block until each wave completes or times out.

DO NOT PROCEED TO STEP 7 until all waves complete.

STEP 7: Aggregate & Present (MANDATORY)

After all work packages complete (or timeout), aggregate results.

Read all outputs and exit codes:

echo "=== WORK PACKAGE RESULTS ==="
echo ""

FAILED=0
SUCCEEDED=0

for i in $(seq 1 "$WP_COUNT"); do
  WP_DIR=".octo/parallel/WP-$i"

  if [[ -f "$WP_DIR/exit-code" ]]; then
    EXIT_CODE=$(cat "$WP_DIR/exit-code")
  else
    EXIT_CODE="N/A (not completed)"
  fi

  if [[ "$EXIT_CODE" == "0" ]]; then
    STATUS="SUCCESS"
    SUCCEEDED=$((SUCCEEDED + 1))
  else
    STATUS="FAILED (exit code: $EXIT_CODE)"
    FAILED=$((FAILED + 1))
  fi

  echo "WP-$i: $STATUS"

  if [[ -f "$WP_DIR/output.md" ]]; then
    OUTPUT_SIZE=$(wc -c < "$WP_DIR/output.md" | tr -d ' ')
    echo "  Output: $OUTPUT_SIZE bytes"
  else
    echo "  Output: MISSING"
  fi

  echo ""
done

echo "=== SUMMARY ==="
echo "Total: $WP_COUNT | Succeeded: $SUCCEEDED | Failed: $FAILED"

Then read each output.md using the Read tool and review quality before declaring success:

1. Read all output.md files from completed WPs
2. Flag any failed WPs (non-zero exit code) with their agent.log content
3. Quality spot-check each succeeded WP — scan output for:
   • Suppression markers (@ts-ignore, type: ignore, noqa, eslint-disable)
   • Placeholder code (TODO, FIXME, not implemented, stub functions)
   • Test skip markers (skip, xit, xdescribe, pytest.mark.skip)
   • If any found: flag as QUALITY WARNING (do not auto-fail, but surface to user)
4. List any files created or modified across all WPs
5. Note any integration points that need manual attention (shared interfaces, overlapping files)

Present results in this format:

=== TEAM OF TEAMS - RESULTS ===

Compound Task: <original task>
Work Packages: N total | N succeeded | N failed

WP-1: <name> - [SUCCESS/FAILED]
  <summary of what was accomplished>

WP-2: <name> - [SUCCESS/FAILED]
  <summary of what was accomplished>

...

Integration Notes:
- <any cross-WP concerns>
- <files that may need reconciliation>

Failed Work Packages (if any):
- WP-X: <error summary from agent.log>

Coordination Files: .octo/parallel/

Validation gate: all_work_packages_complete — All WPs have .done files and exit codes checked.

Agent registry summary (v8.44.0):

# Show agent registry status for this parallel run
REGISTRY="${HOME}/.claude-octopus/plugin/scripts/agent-registry.sh"
if [[ -x "$REGISTRY" ]]; then
  echo ""
  echo "=== AGENT REGISTRY ==="
  "$REGISTRY" list
fi

Coordination Protocol Directory Structure

Created and managed by this skill:

.octo/parallel/
  wbs.json              # Work Breakdown Structure
  WP-1/
    instructions.md     # Task instructions for this WP
    launch.sh           # Launch script (runs claude -p)
    output.md           # Agent output (created by claude -p)
    agent.log           # Agent stderr log (created by launch.sh)
    exit-code           # Process exit code (created by launch.sh)
    pid                 # Process ID (created by orchestrator)
    .done               # Completion marker (created by launch.sh)
  WP-2/
    ...
  WP-N/
    ...

Prohibitions (MANDATORY - CANNOT VIOLATE)

• CANNOT use host subagent tool subagents as substitute — Task subagents run in isolated sandboxes without plugin access, so they get no Octopus quality gates, personas, or provider orchestration
• CANNOT skip WBS decomposition (Step 4) — without decomposition, agents receive the full compound task and produce overlapping, uncoordinated output
• CANNOT launch without instruction files (Step 5 must precede Step 6)
• CANNOT skip 12-second stagger between launches — simultaneous process spawning causes CPU/memory contention that degrades all agents' performance
• CANNOT declare success without checking exit codes
• CANNOT proceed to next step without completing current step
• CANNOT write vague instructions — explicit file paths are MANDATORY
• CANNOT launch more than 10 work packages — beyond 10, resource contention and merge complexity outweigh parallelism gains
• CANNOT skip the monitoring loop — without monitoring, failed or hung agents go undetected and the orchestrator reports false success
• CANNOT launch a wave before its dependency wave completes — later waves consume outputs from earlier waves, so premature launch produces agents working with missing context
• CANNOT skip dependency validation when dependencies exist

Error Handling

If a work package fails (non-zero exit code):

1. Read its agent.log for error details
2. Present the error to the user
3. Offer to retry the failed WP individually
4. Do NOT re-run succeeded WPs

If monitoring times out:

1. Report which WPs completed and which did not
2. Check if timed-out WPs are still running (check PID)
3. Offer to wait longer or kill remaining processes

If claude command is not available:

1. Check with command -v claude
2. Report to user and STOP — cannot proceed without claude CLI

Example Usage

Example: Authentication System

User: /octo:parallel build a full authentication system with OAuth, RBAC, and audit logging

Decomposition:
  WP-1: OAuth Integration
    - OAuth provider setup (Google, GitHub)
    - Token management and refresh
    - Callback handlers
    Files: src/auth/oauth.ts, src/auth/providers/

  WP-2: RBAC Implementation
    - Role and permission models
    - Authorization middleware
    - Role assignment API
    Files: src/auth/rbac.ts, src/middleware/authorize.ts

  WP-3: Audit Logging
    - Audit event model
    - Logging middleware
    - Audit query API
    Files: src/audit/logger.ts, src/audit/events.ts

Each WP runs as independent claude -p with full Octopus plugin.
Results aggregated after all complete.

Example: Migration (batch-style)

User: /octo:batch migrate all components in src/components/ from class components to functional React with hooks

Decomposition:
  WP-1: Form components (src/components/forms/)
  WP-2: Layout components (src/components/layout/)
  WP-3: Data display components (src/components/tables/, src/components/charts/)
  WP-4: Navigation components (src/components/nav/)

Each WP migrates its directory, runs existing tests, fixes any failures.
No overlapping files — safe to merge all results.

Example: Fix multiple issues in parallel

User: /octo:parallel fix issue #12, issue #15, and issue #22

Decomposition (after reading each issue):
  WP-1: Fix #12 — login redirect loop (src/auth/login.ts)
  WP-2: Fix #15 — pagination off-by-one (src/api/pagination.ts)
  WP-3: Fix #22 — dark mode toggle not persisting (src/hooks/useTheme.ts)

No file overlaps detected — all three run in Wave 1.
Each WP runs related tests before marking complete.

Example: Build independent tools in parallel

User: /octo:parallel build a confluence scraper in go, a markdown-to-obsidian converter, a qdrant vectorizer, and a CLI search tool

Decomposition:
  WP-1: Confluence scraper (cmd/scraper/) — Wave 1
  WP-2: Markdown-to-Obsidian converter (cmd/converter/) — Wave 2 (depends on WP-1 output format)
  WP-3: Qdrant vectorizer (cmd/vectorizer/) — Wave 2 (depends on WP-2 output format)
  WP-4: CLI search tool (cmd/search/) — Wave 2 (depends on WP-3 schema)

Wave 1 completes first, output format injected into Wave 2 instructions.
Each WP builds, runs go test, and verifies the binary works.