my local tweaks

skills/coding-agent/SKILL.md

@@ -218,7 +218,9 @@ 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. NEVER offer to build it yourself!
+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
@@ -229,6 +231,22 @@ git worktree remove /tmp/issue-99
 
 ---
 
+## 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.
+
+---
+
 ## Learnings (Jan 2026)
 
 - **PTY is essential:** Coding agents are interactive terminal apps. Without `pty:true`, output breaks or agent hangs.