Take Task

Take Task

Claim work only from a free kotgent session. Use the kotgent CLI for tracker operations and git for repository state. Do not use an MCP server, SDK, direct daemon request, or helper script.

Resolve the caller identity

Use the live kotgent pane as identity by default. Never read KOTGENT_SESSION_ID as identity or copy it into --session. Outside a kotgent pane, require an exact session ID explicitly supplied by the invocation context or user and append --session <session-id> to the session-scoped commands below. Never infer an ID from provider conversation IDs, environment variables, names, cwd, recency, or kotgent list. Choose one mode for the whole run.

Require git and kotgent on PATH and a Git worktree, but make the pane form the first kotgent task command:

kotgent task show

Use kotgent task show --session <session-id> only in explicit outside-pane mode.

Interpret it strictly:

• Exit 0 means the session already holds a task. Report that task and stop; do not claim or call next.
• Continue only on exit 1, empty stdout, no status field, and error exactly equal to the matching message: this session is not linked to a task — name one, or link one with `kotgent task claim <ref>` in pane mode, or session '<session-id>' is not linked to a task — name one: kotgent task <command> <ref> --session <session-id> in explicit mode.
• Treat every other response as a real failure and stop. Exit 2 is a command-construction bug whose stderr may be plain usage text.

Never use task unlink to make a session appear free.

Resolve a candidate

When no ref was supplied:

1. Resolve the Git root, read its .kotgent.json, and require the exact project UUID in kotgent project list. If it is absent or archived, stop; never initialize, restore, switch, or retry.

2. Run:

   kotgent task next --project <project-uuid>
   

3. Treat exit 3 with {"task":null} as normal absence of work and stop successfully. Treat any other nonzero exit as failure. Record the returned ref; do not call next again.

When a ref was supplied:

1. Run kotgent task show <ref> before claiming.
2. Require task.state == "todo" and task.blocked == false. Stop for blocked work and for in_progress, review, or done; never auto-claim those states.
3. Require the task's project UUID in kotgent project list. Stop if it is unknown or archived.
4. Run kotgent task claim <ref> exactly once.

Append --session <session-id> to task next and task claim only in explicit outside-pane mode.

Task links are non-exclusive. A successful claim is not proof of ownership.

Detect parallel work after claiming

Immediately run ref-less kotgent task show again (with --session only in explicit outside-pane mode), require its returned ref to match the claimed candidate, and inspect the refreshed task, complete activity feed, and every linked session. Also inspect git status --short, the current branch or detached state, full HEAD, and diffs relevant to the task.

Treat these as parallel-work signals unless the user already established a division of work:

• another non-archived, live linked session;
• comments or links from another session indicating active implementation;
• uncommitted changes overlapping the task that this session did not create;
• recent commits or task transitions showing someone else is already executing the same scope.

On any signal, leave one concrete coordination comment naming the sessions, paths, activity, or commits:

kotgent task comment -m <coordination-evidence-and-request>

Append --session <session-id> only in explicit outside-pane mode.

Then stop with the task left in_progress and linked. Do not unlink it, claim another task, or race the other worker.

If no conflict exists, immediately continue with the work-task workflow from this plugin, carrying the ref, identity mode, refreshed detail, and Git snapshot forward. Do not stop after claiming and do not claim the task again. Never run task done, and never run task next after review.