S3YED Ralph Wiggum Skill
Purpose: Autonomous coding loop technique for complex build tasks.
What it does: Runs an AI coding agent (Claude Code, Codex, etc.) in iterative loops — each iteration picks ONE spec/task, implements it, verifies, commits, and loops until done.
Based on: Geoffrey Huntley's Ralph Wiggum technique — fresh context each loop, persistent state via git/files.
Setup
Already installed at: ~/.openclaw/skills/ralph-wiggum/
Structure:
ralph-wiggum/
├── SKILL.md
├── scripts/
│ ├── ralph-loop.sh # Claude Code loop
│ └── ralph-loop-codex.sh # OpenAI Codex loop
└── specs/ # Spec files (you create these)
Ralph Wiggum commit: d205125cc33745116cce22d883417461174dcde5
How to Use
1. Create a Spec
Write a spec file in specs/ with:
- What to build
- Clear acceptance criteria
- Completion signal
2. Start the Loop
# Claude Code (recommended)
~/.openclaw/skills/ralph-wiggum/scripts/ralph-loop.sh
# Or OpenAI Codex
~/.openclaw/skills/ralph-wiggum/scripts/ralph-loop-codex.sh
# Limit iterations
~/.openclaw/skills/ralph-wiggum/scripts/ralph-loop.sh 20
3. How the Loop Works
Each iteration:
1. Ralph reads specs/ and picks highest priority incomplete spec
2. AI implements it completely
3. AI verifies acceptance criteria + runs tests
4. AI outputs "DONE" only if criteria pass
5. Bash loop checks for DONE → next iteration
6. Context cleared, fresh start
4. Exit Signals
<promise>DONE</promise>→ spec complete, next iteration<promise>ALL_DONE</promise>→ all specs complete, loop exits- Bash checks for DONE phrase in output
Key Concepts
Specs: Markdown files in specs/ with acceptance criteria. Lower number = higher priority.
Context Reset: Each iteration starts fresh — no accumulated confusion.
State Persistence: Progress stored in git commits + files.
Completion Verification: AI only outputs DONE when ALL criteria verified + tests pass.
For Wolfie (OpenClaw) Integration
Ralph Wiggum is useful for:
- Complex multi-step builds (creative pipeline, store cloning)
- Tasks too large for single AI call
- Autonomous iteration on specifications
To use with OpenClaw: spawn a subagent with sessions_spawn and run ralph-loop.sh inside it.
Links
- Main repo: https://github.com/fstandhartinger/ralph-wiggum
- Official CLI: https://github.com/wiggumdev/ralph
- Website: https://wiggum.dev