/ouroboros:ouroboros-help
Full reference guide for Ouroboros power users.
Usage
ooo help
/ouroboros:ouroboros-help
What Is Ouroboros?
Ouroboros is a requirement crystallization engine for AI workflows. It transforms vague ideas into validated specifications through:
- Socratic Interview - Exposes hidden assumptions
- Seed Generation - Creates immutable specifications
- PAL Routing - Auto-escalates/descends model complexity
- Lateral Thinking - 5 personas to break stagnation
- 3-Stage Evaluation - Mechanical > Semantic > Consensus
All Commands
Core Commands
| Command |
Purpose |
Mode |
ooo |
Welcome + quick start |
Plugin |
ooo interview |
Socratic requirement clarification |
Plugin |
ooo seed |
Generate validated seed spec |
Plugin |
ooo run |
Execute seed workflow |
MCP |
ooo evaluate |
3-stage verification |
MCP |
ooo unstuck |
5 lateral thinking personas |
Plugin |
ooo status |
Session status + drift check |
MCP |
ooo resume-session |
List in-flight sessions and re-attach commands |
CLI |
ooo setup |
Installation wizard |
Plugin |
ooo config |
Settings GUI — per-stage agents & models (browser here, TUI in a terminal) |
CLI |
ooo welcome |
First-touch welcome guide |
Plugin |
ooo tutorial |
Interactive hands-on learning |
Plugin |
ooo help |
This reference guide |
Plugin |
ooo pm |
PM-focused interview + PRD generation |
MCP |
ooo qa |
General-purpose QA verdict for any artifact |
Plugin |
ooo cancel |
Cancel stuck or orphaned executions |
CLI |
ooo update |
Check for updates + upgrade to latest |
Plugin |
ooo brownfield |
Scan and manage brownfield repo defaults |
MCP |
ooo publish |
Publish Seed as GitHub Issues for teams |
Plugin |
Evolutionary Loop
| Command |
Purpose |
Mode |
ooo evolve |
Start/monitor evolutionary development loop |
MCP |
ooo ralph |
Client-driven loop until verified (uses background evolve_step jobs) |
Plugin + MCP |
Plugin = Works immediately after ooo setup.
MCP = Requires ooo setup (Python >= 3.12 auto-detected). Run setup once to unlock all features.
Natural Language Triggers
| Phrase |
Triggers |
| "interview me", "clarify requirements", "socratic interview" |
ooo interview |
| "crystallize", "generate seed", "create seed", "freeze requirements" |
ooo seed |
| "ouroboros run", "execute seed", "run seed", "run workflow" |
ooo run |
| "evaluate this", "3-stage check", "verify execution" |
ooo evaluate |
| "think sideways", "i'm stuck", "break through", "lateral thinking" |
ooo unstuck |
| "am I drifting?", "drift check", "session status" |
ooo status |
Utility Triggers
| Phrase |
Triggers |
| "write prd", "pm interview", "product requirements", "create prd" |
ooo pm |
| "qa check", "quality check" |
ooo qa |
| "cancel execution", "stop job", "kill stuck", "abort execution" |
ooo cancel |
| "in-flight sessions", "mcp disconnected", "lost Ouroboros execution" |
ooo resume-session |
| "update ouroboros", "upgrade ouroboros" |
ooo update |
| "open settings", "change model", "change agent", "configure backend" |
ooo config |
| "brownfield defaults", "brownfield scan" |
ooo brownfield |
| "publish to github", "create issues from seed", "seed to issues" |
ooo publish |
Loop Triggers
| Phrase |
Triggers |
| "ralph", "don't stop", "must complete", "until it works", "keep going" |
ooo ralph |
| "evolve", "evolutionary loop", "iterate until converged" |
ooo evolve |
Available Skills
Core Skills
| Skill |
Purpose |
Mode |
/ouroboros:welcome |
First-touch welcome experience |
Plugin |
/ouroboros:interview |
Socratic requirement clarification |
Plugin |
/ouroboros:seed |
Generate validated seed spec |
Plugin |
/ouroboros:ouroboros-run |
Execute seed workflow |
MCP |
/ouroboros:evaluate |
3-stage verification |
MCP |
/ouroboros:unstuck |
5 lateral thinking personas |
Plugin |
/ouroboros:ouroboros-status |
Session status + drift check |
MCP |
/ouroboros:resume-session |
List in-flight sessions and re-attach commands |
CLI |
/ouroboros:setup |
Installation wizard |
Plugin |
/ouroboros:tutorial |
Interactive hands-on learning |
Plugin |
/ouroboros:ouroboros-config |
Settings GUI |
Plugin |
/ouroboros:ouroboros-help |
This guide |
Plugin |
/ouroboros:pm |
PM-focused interview + PRD generation |
MCP |
/ouroboros:qa |
General-purpose QA verdict for any artifact |
Plugin |
/ouroboros:cancel |
Cancel stuck or orphaned executions |
CLI |
/ouroboros:update |
Check for updates + upgrade to latest |
Plugin |
/ouroboros:brownfield |
Scan and manage brownfield repo defaults |
MCP |
/ouroboros:publish |
Publish Seed as GitHub Issues for teams |
Plugin |
Loop Skills
| Skill |
Purpose |
Best For |
/ouroboros:ralph |
Client-driven loop over background evolve_step jobs |
"Don't stop", must complete |
/ouroboros:evolve |
Evolutionary ontology refinement |
Spec iteration until convergence |
Available Agents
| Agent |
Purpose |
ouroboros:socratic-interviewer |
Exposes hidden assumptions through questioning |
ouroboros:ontologist |
Finds root problems vs symptoms |
ouroboros:seed-architect |
Crystallizes requirements into seed specs |
ouroboros:evaluator |
Three-stage verification |
ouroboros:contrarian |
"Are we solving the wrong problem?" |
ouroboros:hacker |
"Make it work first, elegance later" |
ouroboros:simplifier |
"Cut scope to absolute minimum" |
ouroboros:researcher |
"Stop coding, start investigating" |
ouroboros:architect |
"Question the foundation, redesign if needed" |
Setup
After installing Ouroboros, run ooo setup once to register the MCP server.
This connects your runtime backend to the Ouroboros Python core and unlocks all features.
ooo setup # One-time setup (~1 minute)
RFC #1392 State Breadcrumb Footer
Your final response MUST end with exactly one breadcrumb footer line:
◆ <current state> → next: <recommended action>
Derive <current state> from live session state via ouroboros_session_status when that MCP projection is available; otherwise derive it from this skill's actual outcome. Never use a linear Step N of M footer because Ouroboros is an evolutionary loop. When the next action is genuinely a choice, list 2-3 honest options in the next: clause. The breadcrumb line must be the last line of the response.
1---2name: ouroboros-help3description: Full reference guide for Ouroboros commands and agents4---5
6# /ouroboros:ouroboros-help
7
8Full reference guide for Ouroboros power users.
9
10## Usage
11
12```
13ooo help
14/ouroboros:ouroboros-help
15```
16
17## What Is Ouroboros?
18
19Ouroboros is a **requirement crystallization engine** for AI workflows. It transforms vague ideas into validated specifications through:
20
211. **Socratic Interview** - Exposes hidden assumptions
222. **Seed Generation** - Creates immutable specifications
233. **PAL Routing** - Auto-escalates/descends model complexity
244. **Lateral Thinking** - 5 personas to break stagnation
255. **3-Stage Evaluation** - Mechanical > Semantic > Consensus
26
27## All Commands
28
29### Core Commands
30
31| Command | Purpose | Mode |
32|---------|---------|------|
33| `ooo` | Welcome + quick start | Plugin |
34| `ooo interview` | Socratic requirement clarification | Plugin |
35| `ooo seed` | Generate validated seed spec | Plugin |
36| `ooo run` | Execute seed workflow | MCP |
37| `ooo evaluate` | 3-stage verification | MCP |
38| `ooo unstuck` | 5 lateral thinking personas | Plugin |
39| `ooo status` | Session status + drift check | MCP |
40| `ooo resume-session` | List in-flight sessions and re-attach commands | CLI |
41| `ooo setup` | Installation wizard | Plugin |
42| `ooo config` | Settings GUI — per-stage agents & models (browser here, TUI in a terminal) | CLI |
43| `ooo welcome` | First-touch welcome guide | Plugin |
44| `ooo tutorial` | Interactive hands-on learning | Plugin |
45| `ooo help` | This reference guide | Plugin |
46| `ooo pm` | PM-focused interview + PRD generation | MCP |
47| `ooo qa` | General-purpose QA verdict for any artifact | Plugin |
48| `ooo cancel` | Cancel stuck or orphaned executions | CLI |
49| `ooo update` | Check for updates + upgrade to latest | Plugin |
50| `ooo brownfield` | Scan and manage brownfield repo defaults | MCP |
51| `ooo publish` | Publish Seed as GitHub Issues for teams | Plugin |
52
53### Evolutionary Loop
54
55| Command | Purpose | Mode |
56|---------|---------|------|
57| `ooo evolve` | Start/monitor evolutionary development loop | MCP |
58| `ooo ralph` | Client-driven loop until verified (uses background evolve_step jobs) | Plugin + MCP |
59
60**Plugin** = Works immediately after `ooo setup`.
61**MCP** = Requires `ooo setup` (Python >= 3.12 auto-detected). Run setup once to unlock all features.
62
63## Natural Language Triggers
64
65| Phrase | Triggers |
66|--------|----------|
67| "interview me", "clarify requirements", "socratic interview" | `ooo interview` |
68| "crystallize", "generate seed", "create seed", "freeze requirements" | `ooo seed` |
69| "ouroboros run", "execute seed", "run seed", "run workflow" | `ooo run` |
70| "evaluate this", "3-stage check", "verify execution" | `ooo evaluate` |
71| "think sideways", "i'm stuck", "break through", "lateral thinking" | `ooo unstuck` |
72| "am I drifting?", "drift check", "session status" | `ooo status` |
73
74### Utility Triggers
75
76| Phrase | Triggers |
77|--------|----------|
78| "write prd", "pm interview", "product requirements", "create prd" | `ooo pm` |
79| "qa check", "quality check" | `ooo qa` |
80| "cancel execution", "stop job", "kill stuck", "abort execution" | `ooo cancel` |
81| "in-flight sessions", "mcp disconnected", "lost Ouroboros execution" | `ooo resume-session` |
82| "update ouroboros", "upgrade ouroboros" | `ooo update` |
83| "open settings", "change model", "change agent", "configure backend" | `ooo config` |
84| "brownfield defaults", "brownfield scan" | `ooo brownfield` |
85| "publish to github", "create issues from seed", "seed to issues" | `ooo publish` |
86
87### Loop Triggers
88
89| Phrase | Triggers |
90|--------|----------|
91| "ralph", "don't stop", "must complete", "until it works", "keep going" | `ooo ralph` |
92| "evolve", "evolutionary loop", "iterate until converged" | `ooo evolve` |
93
94## Available Skills
95
96### Core Skills
97
98| Skill | Purpose | Mode |
99|-------|---------|------|
100| `/ouroboros:welcome` | First-touch welcome experience | Plugin |
101| `/ouroboros:interview` | Socratic requirement clarification | Plugin |
102| `/ouroboros:seed` | Generate validated seed spec | Plugin |
103| `/ouroboros:ouroboros-run` | Execute seed workflow | MCP |
104| `/ouroboros:evaluate` | 3-stage verification | MCP |
105| `/ouroboros:unstuck` | 5 lateral thinking personas | Plugin |
106| `/ouroboros:ouroboros-status` | Session status + drift check | MCP |
107| `/ouroboros:resume-session` | List in-flight sessions and re-attach commands | CLI |
108| `/ouroboros:setup` | Installation wizard | Plugin |
109| `/ouroboros:tutorial` | Interactive hands-on learning | Plugin |
110| `/ouroboros:ouroboros-config` | Settings GUI | Plugin |
111| `/ouroboros:ouroboros-help` | This guide | Plugin |
112| `/ouroboros:pm` | PM-focused interview + PRD generation | MCP |
113| `/ouroboros:qa` | General-purpose QA verdict for any artifact | Plugin |
114| `/ouroboros:cancel` | Cancel stuck or orphaned executions | CLI |
115| `/ouroboros:update` | Check for updates + upgrade to latest | Plugin |
116| `/ouroboros:brownfield` | Scan and manage brownfield repo defaults | MCP |
117| `/ouroboros:publish` | Publish Seed as GitHub Issues for teams | Plugin |
118
119### Loop Skills
120
121| Skill | Purpose | Best For |
122|-------|---------|----------|
123| `/ouroboros:ralph` | Client-driven loop over background evolve_step jobs | "Don't stop", must complete |
124| `/ouroboros:evolve` | Evolutionary ontology refinement | Spec iteration until convergence |
125
126## Available Agents
127
128| Agent | Purpose |
129|-------|---------|
130| `ouroboros:socratic-interviewer` | Exposes hidden assumptions through questioning |
131| `ouroboros:ontologist` | Finds root problems vs symptoms |
132| `ouroboros:seed-architect` | Crystallizes requirements into seed specs |
133| `ouroboros:evaluator` | Three-stage verification |
134| `ouroboros:contrarian` | "Are we solving the wrong problem?" |
135| `ouroboros:hacker` | "Make it work first, elegance later" |
136| `ouroboros:simplifier` | "Cut scope to absolute minimum" |
137| `ouroboros:researcher` | "Stop coding, start investigating" |
138| `ouroboros:architect` | "Question the foundation, redesign if needed" |
139
140## Setup
141
142After installing Ouroboros, run `ooo setup` once to register the MCP server.
143This connects your runtime backend to the Ouroboros Python core and unlocks all features.
144
145```
146ooo setup # One-time setup (~1 minute)
147```
148
149## RFC #1392 State Breadcrumb Footer
150
151Your final response MUST end with exactly one breadcrumb footer line:
152
153```
154◆ <current state> → next: <recommended action>
155```
156
157Derive `<current state>` from live session state via `ouroboros_session_status` when that MCP projection is available; otherwise derive it from this skill's actual outcome. Never use a linear `Step N of M` footer because Ouroboros is an evolutionary loop. When the next action is genuinely a choice, list 2-3 honest options in the `next:` clause. The breadcrumb line must be the last line of the response.
Q00