tools-only fn-8 Explore OpenProse for Ralph orchestration
Overview
Evaluate OpenProse (prose.md) as a potential replacement or enhancement for Ralph's bash loop orchestration. OpenProse is a DSL where the LLM interprets "prose programs" as a virtual machine, enabling smarter agent coordination without external frameworks.
Context
From Twitter discussion with @irl_danB and @tiagoefreitas:
- OpenProse could be "the missing piece" for bitter-lesson aligned architecture
- Allows complex loops where edge cases break dumb bash
- Coordinator agent pattern: one agent manages VM context, sub-agents execute
- Heavy use of sub-agents for clean context separation
Scope
Research and prototype:
- Understand OpenProse syntax and capabilities
- Evaluate fit for Ralph use cases
- Prototype a simple flow (e.g., single task with review)
- Compare with current bash approach
Approach
# Example: Ralph-style task loop in OpenProse
agent implementer:
model: sonnet
skills: ["bash", "edit", "read"]
agent reviewer:
model: opus
skills: ["read"]
loop until **all tasks done or blocked** (max: 10):
task = session: coordinator
prompt: "Pick next ready task via flowctl"
session: implementer
prompt: "Implement {task}"
context: { task }
review = session: reviewer
prompt: "Review the implementation"
context: { task }
if **review passed**:
session: coordinator
prompt: "Mark task done"
Considerations
Pros:
- Smarter loop conditions (natural language)
- Built-in sub-agent spawning
- Context management via coordinator pattern
- No bash edge cases
Cons:
- Beta software with telemetry
- Requires Opus (expensive for long runs)
- Another abstraction layer
- May be overkill for simple loops
Quick commands
- Visit https://prose.md for cloud playground
- Clone https://github.com/openprose/prose for local exploration
Acceptance
- Understand OpenProse syntax and VM model
- Document pros/cons vs current Ralph approach
- Prototype single-task flow in OpenProse
- Decision: adopt, defer, or reject
References
- OpenProse GitHub
- prose.md Cloud
- Dan's Twitter thread
- Twitter discussion with @tiagoefreitas about coordinator agent pattern