Resuming

HOTL Resume

Overview

Resume a previously interrupted workflow run. HOTL persists execution state in a sidecar file (.hotl/state/<run-id>.json). On resume, it uses a verify-first strategy to determine whether the interrupted step already succeeded before continuing.

For governed native runs, call hotl-rt reconcile <run-id> (or the selected driver's equivalent) before resuming. Treat its result as a read-only recommendation and retain this skill's verify-first rules; never infer completion from a host session status.

Announce: "Looking for interrupted HOTL runs..."

Sidecar State

Execution state is persisted at .hotl/state/<run-id>.json. This is the authoritative source of truth — workflow checkboxes are a human-visible mirror that may drift after a crash.

Schema

{
  "run_id": "<slug>-<YYYYMMDDTHHMMSSZ>-<12-hex-nonce>",
  "workflow_path": "/abs/path/to/execution-root/docs/plans/YYYY-MM-DD-<slug>-workflow.md",
  "source_workflow_path": "/abs/path/to/original/workflow.md",
  "workflow_slug": "<slug>",
  "intent": "<from workflow frontmatter>",
  "branch": "<branch name>",
  "repo_root": "/abs/path/to/repo",
  "execution_root": "/abs/path/to/repo-or-worktree",
  "worktree_path": null,
  "executor_mode": "loop | executing-plans | subagent",
  "started_at": "<ISO 8601>",
  "last_update": "<ISO 8601>",
  "status": "running | paused | blocked | ready_to_finish | completed | abandoned",
  "ownership_required": true,
  "controller": {"status": "active", "owner_id": "<stable-controller-id>", "lease_expires_epoch": 0},
  "current_step": 3,
  "total_steps": 8,
  "steps": [
    {"number": 1, "name": "<step name>", "status": "done | in_progress | pending | failed | blocked", "attempts": 1},
    {"number": 2, "name": "<step name>", "status": "done", "attempts": 2}
  ],
  "last_verify_output": "<captured stdout/stderr from last verify>"
}

Run ID Format

<slug>-<YYYYMMDDTHHMMSSZ>-<12-hex-nonce> (e.g., add-auth-20260320T212315Z-a1b2c3d4e5f6). The semantic workflow slug and UTC start time keep the identifier readable; operating-system entropy keeps simultaneous runs unique across independent execution roots. Legacy timestamp-only run IDs remain readable.

Status Values

• running — execution is in progress (or was interrupted)
• paused — stopped at a gate: human or a verify: human-review checkpoint awaiting approval
• blocked — stopped due to verify failure at max_iterations
• ready_to_finish — all required execution evidence passed; explicit finish disposition is still pending
• completed — execution evidence passed and finish disposition was recorded
• abandoned — user explicitly abandoned the run

Run Resolution

1. If the user provides a run_id → load that specific run
2. If the user provides a workflow filename → locate matching runs by workflow_path or source_workflow_path
3. If one match → use it
4. If multiple matches → list all matching runs with run_id, step progress, branch, execution_root, and age. Ask the user which to resume or whether to start fresh. Never silently choose among multiple runs.
5. If no match → report "No interrupted run found for this workflow."

Worktree-Aware Locator

Use scripts/hotl-locate-run.sh when available:

scripts/hotl-locate-run.sh --workflow <workflow-file>
scripts/hotl-locate-run.sh --run-id <run-id>

The locator prints a JSON array and scans:

1. Current checkout
2. git worktree list --porcelain roots for the repo
3. HOTL's default isolated worktree root: $(dirname <repo-root>)/.hotl-worktrees/$(basename <repo-root>)/*

This is required for default isolated-worktree execution. In that mode, .hotl/state/<run-id>.json is created inside the execution worktree, while the workflow file usually remains in the authoring checkout. A new session started from the authoring checkout must find the existing execution worktree and resume there instead of trying to create a new worktree.

If hotl-locate-run.sh is unavailable, manually scan the same locations. Do not run normal Branch/Worktree Preflight until after you have ruled out an interrupted run; preflight will reject an existing execution worktree and can incorrectly look like a start-from-scratch path.

Controller Ownership Resolution

status: running and last_update age are not ownership signals. Age alone never authorizes takeover.

1. Run hotl-rt owner status --run-id <run-id> before any mutation.
2. If ownership is legacy-unclaimed or released, run owner claim --owner <stable-controller-id> --lease-seconds <bounded-lease> --run-id <run-id>. Parse the returned one-time token without displaying it and export it as HOTL_OWNER_TOKEN.
3. If the lease is stale, run owner takeover --owner <stable-controller-id> --reason <auditable-recovery-reason> --lease-seconds <bounded-lease> --run-id <run-id> and retain the new token.
4. If another controller lease is active, do not mutate. Obtain an explicit owner handoff from that controller, or pause for human review before a forced owner takeover --force with a recorded reason.
5. Once owned, run owner heartbeat before and after long verification/action work and at safe transitions. Use explicit owner release when stopping or after a completed finish.

Never put HOTL_OWNER_TOKEN in chat, delegated prompts, reports, or committed files. Every resumed mutation must inherit it.

Resume Flow (Verify-First)

1. Load sidecar state for the resolved run
2. Change into `execution_root` from the sidecar before invoking runtime/helpers
3. Resolve and claim/take over controller ownership using the rules above, then export `HOTL_OWNER_TOKEN`
4. Check for existing report at report_path from the sidecar
   - If report exists: surface its path to the user and continue appending to it
   - If the report is missing or its summary has drifted from state: let the runtime deterministically reconstruct the summary from authoritative sidecar state
5. Run `hotl-rt reconcile <run-id>` and inspect sensitive effects before step recovery:
   - If any effect is `in_progress` or `uncertain`, inspect the external target and use `action reconcile` with evidence. Never replay `action begin` merely because the host session disappeared.
   - If an approved effect is `not_started`, continue through the normal `action begin` → operation → `action complete` lifecycle with its existing idempotency key.
6. If status is `ready_to_finish`, do not rerun steps or finalize. Go directly to `hotl:finishing-a-development-branch`, record the explicit finish disposition, release ownership, and require a sufficient receipt.
7. Repair workflow checkboxes from sidecar if drift is detected
   (crash may have interrupted between sidecar write and checkbox update)
8. Find the current unfinished step (first step without status: `done`; `in_progress`, `pending`, `failed`, and `blocked` are unfinished)
9. Run `owner heartbeat`, then check verify type for that step:

   a. Machine-runnable verify (type: shell or type: artifact):
      → Run verify first
      → If verify PASSES: mark step complete, advance to next step
      → If verify FAILS: re-run the step body from the beginning

   b. Browser verify (type: browser):
      → If browser tooling available: run verify
      → If unavailable: downgrade to human-review with check text

   c. Human-review verify or no verify:
      → Pause and ask: "Step N was in progress when the session ended.
        Re-run the step, or skip after manual inspection?"

10. Continue normal execution from the resumed point, using the original `run_id` and `HOTL_OWNER_TOKEN` for every owner/step/gate/action/budget/finalize/finish mutation
11. If the resumed run reaches `ready_to_finish`, keep using that same `run_id` when invoking `hotl:finishing-a-development-branch`; `completed` is valid only after finish disposition
12. Use the original executor mode (loop, executing-plans, or subagent)

Checkpoint Drift Repair

On resume, compare sidecar step statuses with workflow checkboxes:

• If sidecar says done but checkbox shows [ ] → update to [x]
• If sidecar says pending but checkbox shows [x] → update to [ ]
• Log any repairs: "Repaired checkbox drift: Step N marked done from sidecar state"

What This Skill Does NOT Do

• Does not silently choose among unrelated interrupted runs; scope by run_id or workflow, then ask when multiple matches remain
• Does not resume runs in a different executor mode than originally started
• Does not merge partial work from two interrupted runs of the same workflow