docs(roadmap): add slash alias help hang

ROADMAP.md

@@ -6475,3 +6475,45 @@ Original filing (2026-04-18): the session emitted `SessionStart hook (completed)
 
 
 466. **Syntactically valid MCP config with a nonexistent command is reported as healthy/configured by `doctor`, `mcp`, and `status` instead of surfacing executable reachability as degraded** — dogfooded 2026-05-19 from the `#clawcode-building-in-public` 20:30 UTC nudge on `/home/bellman/Workspace/claw-code-pr2967` with `./rust/target/debug/claw version --output-format json` reporting `git_sha:"25d663d"`. In a temp workspace containing only `.claw.json` with `mcpServers.broken.command:"/definitely/not/a/real/mcp-server"`, clean-home text probes showed `doctor` exits 0 with `Failures 0`, `Config Status ok`, and `Boot preflight ... mcp=true · servers 1`; `mcp` exits 0 and lists `broken stdio project /definitely/not/a/real/mcp-server --serve`; `status` exits 0 and reports `Boot preflight ... mcp=true plugins=true last_failed=none`. None of the three surfaces attempts even a cheap executable existence/PATH reachability check, so a server that cannot possibly launch is indistinguishable from a configured usable MCP server until the first runtime tool call fails. This is distinct from malformed-config degraded-mode items (#143/#144/#440): here the JSON shape is valid and the parser succeeds, but lifecycle readiness is false. **Required fix shape:** (a) add an MCP executable preflight pass that classifies each stdio server as `reachable:true|false|unknown` using absolute-path existence/executable-bit checks and PATH lookup for bare commands, without launching untrusted code; (b) expose per-server fields in `claw mcp` / JSON (`launch_status`, `command_exists`, `command_executable`, `path_resolution`, `error_kind:"mcp_command_not_found"`); (c) make `doctor` add an `mcp_reachability` check with `status:"warn"` or `"fail"` when any configured server command is missing; (d) make `status` distinguish `mcp_configured:true` from `mcp_reachable:false` instead of the current single `mcp=true`; (e) regression test with one valid `/bin/echo` server and one nonexistent absolute path proving partial status is reported. **Fresh mixed-PATH proof (21:00 UTC):** a temp config containing one PATH-resolvable server (`pathEcho.command:"echo"`) and one missing bare command (`missingBare.command:"definitely-not-a-real-mcp-bare-command-xyz"`) still made `mcp` list both as configured, `doctor` report `Failures 0` and `mcp=true · servers 2`, and `status` report `mcp=true` with no degraded marker. So the fix must handle both absolute paths and PATH lookup for bare commands, and it must preserve partial success (`echo` reachable, missingBare not found) instead of collapsing both into `configured`. **Why this matters:** MCP failures are often setup/path mistakes. If doctor says failures 0 and mcp=true while the command path does not exist, claws and users waste turns discovering the break only after a blocked tool call. Source: gaebal-gajae dogfood response to Clawhip messages `1506393539385491598` and `1506401088801083495` on 2026-05-19.
+
+
+467. **Bare `claw plugins` / `claw plugin` returns the plugin inventory, but the natural explicit action `claw plugins list` / `claw plugin list` zero-byte hangs; singular/plural aliases are wired for the default action but not for the `list` subaction** — dogfooded 2026-05-19 from the `#clawcode-building-in-public` 21:30 UTC nudge on `/home/bellman/Workspace/claw-code-pr2967` with `./rust/target/debug/claw version --output-format json` reporting `git_sha:"25d663d"`. In isolated clean `HOME`/`CLAW_CONFIG_HOME`, `plugins` and `plugin` each exited 0 and printed the two bundled plugins (`example-bundled`, `sample-hooks`) in text mode. But `plugins list` and `plugin list` each timed out after 8s with `stdout=0` and `stderr=0`. `plugins help` and `plugin help` also timed out, while direct `/plugins` and `/plugin` were rejected as interactive-only, showing that there are at least three parser paths for the same lifecycle namespace. This is a narrower current-main follow-up to the historical plugin route/help items (#78/#145/#348/#420/#454/#455): the route now exists for the default inventory, but adding the explicit canonical `list` action drops into a different non-returning path. **Required fix shape:** (a) normalize `plugin` and `plugins` aliases plus omitted action into one parser action before dispatch (`None` and `Some("list")` must be equivalent); (b) route `help` to static plugin help before plugin registry/lifecycle initialization; (c) add a deterministic timeout guard or typed `plugin_action_unavailable` envelope around plugin action dispatch so unsupported/misparsed actions cannot hang silently; (d) add clean-home regression coverage for `plugins`, `plugins list`, `plugin`, `plugin list`, `plugins help`, and `plugin help` in text and JSON modes, proving the first four produce the same inventory and help emits bounded usage. **Why this matters:** `list` is the most obvious plugin lifecycle action and is already the documented/discovery word from other lifecycle namespaces (`mcp list`, `agents list`, `skills list`). If bare inventory works but explicit list hangs, claws cannot safely choose between terse default and explicit action forms, and plugin support remains trial-and-error. Source: gaebal-gajae dogfood response to Clawhip message `1506408638883954768` on 2026-05-19.
+
+
+468. **Explicit subactions hang across local lifecycle namespaces: bare `agents`, `mcp`, `skills`, `sandbox`, and `doctor` return bounded diagnostics, but natural explicit forms (`agents list`, `mcp list`, `skills list`, `sandbox status`, `doctor check`) zero-byte hang** — dogfooded 2026-05-19 from the `#clawcode-building-in-public` 22:00 UTC nudge on `/home/bellman/Workspace/claw-code-pr2967` with `./rust/target/debug/claw version --output-format json` reporting `git_sha:"25d663d"`. Clean-home text probes showed the bare commands are usable: `agents` exits 0 (`No agents found.`), `mcp` exits 0 with `Configured servers 0`, `skills` exits 0 with inventory, `sandbox` exits 0 with sandbox state, and `doctor` exits 0 with the full health report. But adding the most natural explicit action caused zero-byte timeouts after 8s: `agents list`, `mcp list`, `skills list`, `sandbox status`, and `doctor check` all produced `stdout=0` and `stderr=0`. This broadens #467's plugin-specific `plugins list` hang into a shared parser/action-normalization bug: omitted default action works, but spelling the default action explicitly routes to a non-returning path. **Required fix shape:** (a) define a per-namespace action table where omitted action normalizes to the documented default (`list` for inventory namespaces, `status` for status namespaces, `check`/`run` only if supported); (b) reject unsupported explicit actions with typed bounded errors (`unknown_action`, `supported_actions[]`) instead of falling through to prompt/runtime dispatch; (c) make `agents list`, `mcp list`, and `skills list` equivalent to their bare forms; decide/document whether `sandbox status` and `doctor check` are aliases or unsupported; (d) add clean-home regression coverage for bare/default/unsupported explicit actions in text and JSON across agents, mcp, skills, plugins, sandbox, and doctor. **Why this matters:** users and claws naturally prefer explicit commands in automation (`mcp list`, `agents list`) because they are self-documenting. If explicit defaults hang while bare commands work, every script has to learn undocumented terse forms and cannot safely derive commands from help/usage text. Source: gaebal-gajae dogfood response to Clawhip message `1506416189616947210` on 2026-05-19.
+
+
+469. **Unexpected positional arguments after local verbs zero-byte hang instead of returning bounded parse errors; even `version extra` hangs, proving the parser does not fail closed once a local subcommand has extra tokens** — dogfooded 2026-05-19 from the `#clawcode-building-in-public` 22:30 UTC nudge on `/home/bellman/Workspace/claw-code-pr2967` with `./rust/target/debug/claw version --output-format json` reporting `git_sha:"25d663d"`. In isolated clean `HOME`/`CLAW_CONFIG_HOME`, bounded 8s probes of `version extra`, `status extra`, `doctor extra`, `sandbox extra`, `agents extra`, `mcp extra`, `skills extra`, and `plugins extra` all timed out with `stdout=0` and `stderr=0`. This is broader than #468's explicit-default-action hang: the extra token does not need to be a plausible action like `list` or `status`; any unexpected positional can route a local, no-auth diagnostic command into a non-returning path. It also refreshes the older extra-arg/fallthrough findings (#127/#147) with current-binary evidence where the failure mode is now a silent hang rather than a visible missing-credentials prompt. **Required fix shape:** (a) every local subcommand parser must declare accepted positional arity and reject extra args before prompt/runtime dispatch; (b) emit a typed bounded error such as `kind:"unexpected_argument"`, `command`, `argument`, `supported_usage`, and `supported_actions[]` where relevant; (c) in JSON-requested mode, route that envelope to the documented JSON stream with nonzero exit; (d) add regression coverage for `version extra`, `status extra`, `doctor extra`, `sandbox extra`, `agents extra`, `mcp extra`, `skills extra`, and `plugins extra` proving they return promptly and do not enter provider/prompt/plugin/session runtime. **Why this matters:** typos and stale wrapper scripts commonly append leftover tokens. A local health command must fail closed with usage guidance, not hang with no bytes; otherwise orchestrators cannot distinguish typo, parser deadlock, provider stall, or lifecycle startup block. Source: gaebal-gajae dogfood response to Clawhip message `1506423740597141665` on 2026-05-19.
+
+
+470. **Root flag aliases fail closed on extra tokens, but the word alias `help` zero-byte hangs with any trailing token (`help extra`, `help --help`, `help --version`) instead of returning root help or a bounded arity error** — dogfooded 2026-05-19 from the `#clawcode-building-in-public` 23:00/23:30 UTC nudges on `/home/bellman/Workspace/claw-code-pr2967` with `./rust/target/debug/claw version --output-format json` reporting `git_sha:"25d663d"`. Clean-home probes showed the flag aliases are healthy/bounded: `--version` and `-V` exit 0 with version text; `--version extra`, `-V extra`, and `--help extra` exit 1 with `[error-kind: cli_parse]`. But the word help alias is fragile: `help extra`, `help --help`, and `help --version` each timed out after 6s with `stdout=0` and `stderr=0`. This narrows #469: not all root alias extra-token paths hang; the flag parser has a fail-closed path, while the `help` word alias enters the same non-returning command/prompt dispatch when trailing tokens are present. **Required fix shape:** (a) treat `help` as a first-class root command with strict arity: bare `help` renders root help; `help <topic>` either renders a static topic if supported or returns typed `unknown_help_topic`; extra flags like `help --help` and `help --version` must be handled locally; (b) never route `help ...` into provider/prompt/runtime dispatch; (c) make JSON mode preserve the same bounded behavior with `kind:"help"` or `kind:"unknown_help_topic"`; (d) add clean-home regression coverage for `help`, `help extra`, `help --help`, `help --version`, `--help extra`, `--version extra`, and `-V extra`. **Why this matters:** `help` is the recovery primitive users type when every other command is broken. If `--help extra` reports a parse error but `help extra` hangs silently, claws cannot rely on the documented `claw help` alias as a safe discovery surface. Source: gaebal-gajae dogfood response to Clawhip messages `1506431285977940009` and `1506438835775737939` on 2026-05-19.
+
+
+471. **Root version aliases (`--version`, `-V`) have no JSON form and reject `--output-format json`, while the `version --output-format json` subcommand hangs under clean home — version provenance is not reliably machine-readable from the safest startup path** — dogfooded 2026-05-20 from the `#clawcode-building-in-public` 00:00 UTC nudge on `/home/bellman/Workspace/claw-code-pr2967` with provenance preflight `./rust/target/debug/claw version --output-format json` reporting `git_sha:"25d663d"` in the normal environment. In isolated clean `HOME`/`CLAW_CONFIG_HOME`, `version --output-format json` timed out after 6s with `stdout=0` and `stderr=0`, while `--version --output-format json`, `--output-format json --version`, `-V --output-format json`, and `--output-format json -V` all exited 1 with `[error-kind: cli_parse] unknown option: ...`. Plain `--version`/`-V` work in text mode, but there is no bounded JSON equivalent through the root flag aliases, and the subcommand JSON path is environment/placement-sensitive. This is a focused provenance/startup slice of #464: the one command claws use to prove binary identity has split semantics across root flags and subcommand forms. **Required fix shape:** (a) make `--version --output-format json` and `--output-format json --version` valid aliases for `version --output-format json`; (b) make `-V` support the same formatting contract; (c) ensure `version --output-format json` is config-free/help-free/provider-free and bounded under clean home; (d) emit a typed JSON parse error on stdout/stderr according to the project-wide JSON error-stream contract if an unsupported combination remains; (e) add clean-home regression coverage for all five forms above. **Why this matters:** binary provenance is the first fact every dogfood report and orchestrator needs. If root version flags only produce text and the JSON subcommand can hang, claws cannot safely establish which executable they are testing without relying on a special normal-environment preflight. Source: gaebal-gajae dogfood response to Clawhip message `1506446390212169839` on 2026-05-20.
+
+
+472. **Malformed project `.claw.json` is silently treated as `loaded 0/N` while `doctor` still says `Config Status ok` and `runtime config loaded successfully`; `status` reports no config error at all** — dogfooded 2026-05-20 from the `#clawcode-building-in-public` 00:30 UTC nudge on `/home/bellman/Workspace/claw-code-pr2967` with `./rust/target/debug/claw version --output-format json` reporting `git_sha:"25d663d"`. In a temp workspace with an invalid `.claw.json` containing truncated JSON (`{"mcpServers":{"bad":{}`), root recovery surfaces correctly stayed config-free: `--help`, `help`, `--version`, `-V`, and `version` all exited 0. But config-aware diagnostics silently downplayed the broken file: `status` exited 0 and reported `Config files loaded 0/5` with no parse error or degraded marker; `doctor` exited 0 with `Failures 0`, `Config Status ok`, `Summary runtime config loaded successfully`, and details `Config files loaded 0/1` plus the discovered malformed file path. This is not the older #143 fatal-status path; it is the opposite failure mode: broken config is detected enough to count as present/discovered, but the parse error is dropped and the health summary remains OK. **Required fix shape:** (a) preserve config parse/load errors per discovered file even when continuing with defaults; (b) make `doctor` config check `status:"fail"` or `"warn"` when any discovered config file fails to parse, never `ok`; (c) make `status` expose `config_load_error` / `config_files[].error` and a degraded marker while still reporting independent workspace fields; (d) distinguish `present_count`, `loaded_count`, and `failed_count`; (e) add regression coverage with malformed/truncated `.claw.json` proving root help/version remain config-free while status/doctor surface the parse error. **Why this matters:** a user with a broken config needs diagnostics to point at the exact file and parse problem. Saying `runtime config loaded successfully` while also saying `loaded 0/1` is contradictory and makes the tool look healthy while silently ignoring the user's intended MCP/plugins/permissions/model settings. Source: gaebal-gajae dogfood response to Clawhip message `1506453939443204247` on 2026-05-20.
+
+
+473. **Slash-only command guidance is inconsistent: bare `claw compact` fails fast with useful guidance, but `claw compact --help` and `claw compact extra` zero-byte hang instead of returning the same guidance/help or a bounded arity error** — dogfooded 2026-05-20 from the `#clawcode-building-in-public` 01:00 UTC nudge on `/home/bellman/Workspace/claw-code-pr2967` with `./rust/target/debug/claw version --output-format json` reporting `git_sha:"25d663d"`. After confirming the remote `docs/roadmap-workdir-provenance` branch still had HEAD `e9db12d` (Jobdori's claimed `f997a1a8` was not present on origin at probe time), compact-surface probes showed `claw compact` exits 1 with a clear local message: `` `claw compact` is a slash command. Use `claw --resume SESSION.jsonl /compact` or start `claw` and run `/compact`.`` Direct `/compact` also exits 1 with interactive/resume guidance, and `/compact --confirm` returns a bounded unexpected-argument help block. But `compact --help` and `compact extra` each timed out after 6s with `stdout=0` and `stderr=0`. This is a parser/help arity bug distinct from the compaction-internals sentinel issue Jobdori described: the CLI already knows how to explain that `compact` is slash-only, but adding `--help` or any extra token bypasses that safe guidance path. **Required fix shape:** (a) route `compact --help` to static compact help/guidance before prompt/runtime dispatch; (b) route `compact <unexpected>` to a typed bounded `unexpected_argument` or `slash_only_command` error with resume usage; (c) make slash-only top-level shims share one helper so bare/--help/extra forms cannot drift; (d) add clean-home regressions for `compact`, `compact --help`, `compact extra`, `/compact`, `/compact --confirm`, and JSON-mode equivalents. **Why this matters:** users who follow the bare-command guidance and ask for help on the same word hit a silent hang. Recovery commands must converge toward usage, not fall off a different parser cliff as soon as a user adds `--help`. Source: gaebal-gajae dogfood response to Clawhip message `1506461484950093967` on 2026-05-20.
+
+
+474. **Local diagnostic verbs and slash-only shims hang on `--help`/extra-token forms even when their bare or slash forms already have bounded guidance (`status --help`, `status extra`, `doctor --help`, `doctor extra`, `clear --help`, `clear --confirm`, `clear extra`)** — dogfooded 2026-05-20 from the `#clawcode-building-in-public` 01:30 UTC nudge on `/home/bellman/Workspace/claw-code-pr2967` with `./rust/target/debug/claw version --output-format json` reporting `git_sha:"25d663d"`; branch and origin were both `docs/roadmap-workdir-provenance@1208b9a` before editing. Bounded clean-home probes showed `claw clear` exits 1 with useful slash-only guidance, `/clear` and `/clear --confirm` return bounded interactive/resume guidance, and `/clear extra` returns a bounded usage block. But `clear --help`, `clear --confirm`, and `clear extra` each timed out after 6s with `stdout=0`/`stderr=0`. The same arity/help drift affects bare local diagnostics: `status --help`, `status extra`, `doctor --help`, and `doctor extra` also timed out after 6s with no bytes, despite bare `status`/`doctor` being local, bounded diagnostic commands in other probes. This generalizes #473 from `compact` to the parser layer: after a recognized local verb, trailing tokens are not routed through a command-specific help/arity table and can enter the non-returning prompt/runtime path. **Required fix shape:** (a) define per-command arity/help metadata for every local verb before prompt fallback; (b) `status --help` and `doctor --help` render static help; `status extra` and `doctor extra` return typed `unexpected_argument`; (c) `clear --help` renders slash/resume guidance, while `clear --confirm` either maps to `/clear --confirm` guidance or returns typed `slash_only_command` without dispatch; (d) centralize slash-only top-level shim handling for `compact`, `clear`, and future resume-capable slash commands; (e) add clean-home timeout-guarded regression coverage for all forms above. **Why this matters:** `status` and `doctor` are the commands operators reach for during startup/config breakage. If adding `--help` or a stale wrapper token makes them silently hang, the recovery surface is unreliable and automation cannot distinguish operator typo from runtime deadlock. Source: gaebal-gajae dogfood response to Clawhip message `1506469039562555573` on 2026-05-20.
+
+
+475. **Local diagnostic commands (`status`, `doctor`, `sandbox`) have no bounded JSON output-form contract: bare text works, suffix `--output-format json` hangs, and prefix `--output-format json <command>` is rejected as a parse error** — dogfooded 2026-05-20 from the `#clawcode-building-in-public` 02:00 UTC nudge on `/home/bellman/Workspace/claw-code-pr2967` with `./rust/target/debug/claw version --output-format json` reporting `git_sha:"25d663d"`; branch and origin were both `docs/roadmap-workdir-provenance@9495dbe` before editing. Clean-home probes showed `status`, `doctor`, and `sandbox` exit 0 with useful human-readable text. But `status --output-format json`, `doctor --output-format json`, and `sandbox --output-format json` each timed out after 6s with `stdout=0` and `stderr=0`. The prefix spelling `--output-format json status|doctor|sandbox` exits 1 with `[error-kind: cli_parse] unknown option`, also with no JSON envelope. This is distinct from #474's help/arity hang: here the option is a documented global formatting concept already used by `version` and prompt mode, but local diagnostics neither honor it nor fail closed consistently. **Required fix shape:** (a) define a project-wide rule for `--output-format` placement and apply it to local diagnostics; (b) support `status --output-format json`, `doctor --output-format json`, and `sandbox --output-format json` with stable `kind:"status"|"doctor"|"sandbox"` envelopes; (c) either support prefix global placement or reject it with a typed JSON-capable parse envelope; (d) ensure these paths are config/provider/prompt-free and bounded under clean home; (e) add timeout-guarded clean-home regressions for bare text, suffix JSON, and prefix JSON forms. **Why this matters:** operators and orchestrators need machine-readable health snapshots during startup failures. If the only working forms are text and JSON requests hang, automation has to scrape prose or misclassify a formatting request as runtime deadlock. Source: gaebal-gajae dogfood response to Clawhip message `1506476585543532596` on 2026-05-20.
+
+
+476. **Read-only inventory commands (`agents`, `mcp`, `skills`, `plugins`) have no bounded JSON/list contract: bare text works, suffix `--output-format json` hangs, prefix global JSON is rejected, and `skills` dumps a huge prose list with no machine-readable counts/paths** — dogfooded 2026-05-20 from the `#clawcode-building-in-public` 02:30 UTC nudge on `/home/bellman/Workspace/claw-code-pr2967` with `./rust/target/debug/claw version --output-format json` reporting `git_sha:"25d663d"`; branch and origin were both `docs/roadmap-workdir-provenance@bb2cf3f` before editing. Clean-home probes showed bare inventory commands are local and bounded: `agents` prints `No agents found.`, `mcp` prints a short `Configured servers 0` report, `plugins` prints two disabled bundled plugins, and `skills` prints `65 available skills` plus ~27KB of prose descriptions. But `agents --output-format json`, `mcp --output-format json`, `skills --output-format json`, and `plugins --output-format json` each timed out after 6s with `stdout=0`/`stderr=0`. Prefix forms `--output-format json agents|mcp|skills|plugins` exit 1 with `[error-kind: cli_parse] unknown option` and no JSON envelope. This is adjacent to #475 but distinct: these are inventory surfaces that orchestrators need for routing, MCP/plugin lifecycle checks, and skill selection, not just health diagnostics. **Required fix shape:** (a) provide stable JSON envelopes for each command (`kind:"agents"|"mcp"|"skills"|"plugins"`) with counts, source paths, enabled/disabled state, and parse/load errors where relevant; (b) make `--output-format json` suffix bounded and optionally support/predictably reject prefix placement via the global formatting contract; (c) add compact text/list modes for `skills` so default output is not an unbounded prose wall; (d) ensure inventory JSON does not initialize providers or interactive prompt runtime; (e) add clean-home timeout-guarded regressions for bare text, suffix JSON, and prefix JSON forms. **Why this matters:** claws need structured inventories to decide which skills/plugins/MCP servers are available. Scraping 27KB of human prose or hitting a silent hang on JSON makes routing brittle and masks lifecycle breakage. Source: gaebal-gajae dogfood response to Clawhip message `1506484138927067286` on 2026-05-20.
+
+
+477. **`system-prompt` only works as a bare command; every documented modifier (`--date`, `--cwd`, `--help`, `--output-format json`) and even invalid modifier cases zero-byte hang, making prompt provenance/reproducibility unusable outside the current cwd/date defaults** — dogfooded 2026-05-20 from the `#clawcode-building-in-public` 03:00 UTC nudge on `/home/bellman/Workspace/claw-code-pr2967` with `./rust/target/debug/claw version --output-format json` reporting `git_sha:"25d663d"`; branch and origin were both `docs/roadmap-workdir-provenance@8afdb94` before editing. Bare `system-prompt` exits 0 and prints the expected prompt with dynamic context, including working directory, date, git status, recent commits, and `CLAUDE.md` content. But `system-prompt --date 2026-05-20`, `system-prompt --cwd /tmp --date 2026-05-20`, `system-prompt --help`, `system-prompt extra`, `system-prompt --date nope`, `system-prompt --cwd /definitely/not/here`, and `system-prompt --output-format json` each timed out after 6s with `stdout=0` and `stderr=0`. Prefix global JSON (`--output-format json system-prompt`) exits 1 with `[error-kind: cli_parse] unknown option`. This is worse than a missing JSON parity issue: the help text advertises `claw system-prompt [--cwd PATH] [--date YYYY-MM-DD]`, but the advertised valid modifiers enter the non-returning path. **Required fix shape:** (a) parse `system-prompt` options before prompt/runtime fallback and make `--cwd`/`--date` valid, bounded, and deterministic; (b) validate `--date` format and nonexistent `--cwd` with typed errors; (c) implement `system-prompt --help`; (d) support or typed-reject `--output-format json` with a stable prompt-provenance envelope (`kind:"system_prompt"`, `cwd`, `date`, `project_context_sources`, `git_snapshot`, `text`); (e) add clean-home regression tests for bare, valid modifier, invalid modifier, help, extra arg, and JSON forms. **Why this matters:** `system-prompt` is the main way to debug prompt misdelivery and stale-context complaints. If users cannot pin cwd/date or get structured provenance, they cannot reproduce why a session received the wrong instructions. Source: gaebal-gajae dogfood response to Clawhip message `1506491684064723004` on 2026-05-20.
+
+
+478. **`export` has a bounded bare no-session error, but every advertised flag/help form (`--help`, `--session`, `--output`, `--output-format json`) zero-byte hangs, so session artifact export cannot be scripted or debugged from the documented CLI surface** — dogfooded 2026-05-20 from the `#clawcode-building-in-public` 03:30 UTC nudge on `/home/bellman/Workspace/claw-code-pr2967` with `./rust/target/debug/claw version --output-format json` reporting `git_sha:"25d663d"`; branch and origin were both `docs/roadmap-workdir-provenance@90a0d38` before editing. Clean-home probes showed bare `export` exits 1 with a good typed error: `[error-kind: no_managed_sessions]`, the partitioned `.claw/sessions/<fingerprint>/` path, and guidance to start `claw` or rerun with `--resume latest`. But `export --help`, `export extra`, `export --session latest`, `export --session definitely-missing`, `export --output /tmp/claw-export-test.md`, and `export --output-format json` each timed out after 6s with `stdout=0`/`stderr=0`. Prefix `--output-format json export` exits 1 with `[error-kind: cli_parse]` and no JSON envelope. The help text advertises `claw export [PATH] [--session SESSION] [--output PATH]`, but those flags are not safely parsed. **Required fix shape:** (a) parse `export` options before prompt/runtime fallback; (b) implement `export --help`; (c) make `--session latest`, missing session IDs, positional PATH, and `--output PATH` return bounded results/errors; (d) support or typed-reject `--output-format json` with an envelope including `kind:"export"`, session fingerprint/path, output path, and skipped/error reason; (e) add clean-home regressions for bare no-session, help, extra arg, missing/latest session, output path, positional path, and JSON forms. **Why this matters:** `export` is the evidence path for stale session, prompt misdelivery, and event/log opacity bugs. If bare no-session works but every real option hangs, operators cannot reliably produce or inspect artifacts when debugging clawability issues. Source: gaebal-gajae dogfood response to Clawhip message `1506499237972545576` on 2026-05-20.
+
+479. **`skills` accepts listing/help surfaces, but unknown skill invocation names zero-byte hang instead of returning a typed `skill_not_found`/usage error, so typoed skill calls look like runtime stalls** — dogfooded 2026-05-20 from the `#clawcode-building-in-public` 04:30 UTC nudge on `/home/bellman/Workspace/claw-code-pr2967` with branch/origin `docs/roadmap-workdir-provenance@4d52703` and binary `./rust/target/debug/claw` built from source SHA `25d663d`. Clean-home probes confirmed healthy bounded surfaces for `skills` (exit 0, `No skills found.`), `skills help`/`skills --help` (usage), and `skills --output-format json` (empty typed inventory). But the actual invocation/error path hangs silently: `skills garbage --output-format json`, `skills missing --output-format json`, `skills help missing --output-format json`, and `skills /nope --output-format json` each timed out after 6s with `stdout=0` and `stderr=0`. In contrast, sibling surfaces are bounded: `agents garbage --output-format json` exits 0 with a typed help envelope including `unexpected:"garbage"`, `mcp garbage --output-format json` does the same, and `skills install /nope --output-format json` exits 1 with a JSON error envelope. **Required fix shape:** (a) resolve the first post-`skills` token against installed skill names before falling into runtime prompt/tool execution; (b) for unknown names return a bounded JSON/text error with `kind:"skill_not_found"`, `name`, `available_count`, and a hint to run `claw skills list`; (c) reject extra args after `skills help` with typed usage instead of trying to invoke `help` as a skill; (d) preserve `skills list <extra>` behavior only if intentionally documented, otherwise reject the extra arg; (e) add clean-home regressions for list/help/json, unknown-name JSON/text, `help extra`, `/pathlike` unknown names, and install missing-path. **Why this matters:** skills are a plugin-like lifecycle surface. A typo or missing local skill should be diagnosable immediately; a zero-byte hang is indistinguishable from MCP startup deadlock or prompt misdelivery and makes automation wrappers unable to classify the failure. Source: gaebal-gajae dogfood response to Clawhip message `1506514333394403409` on 2026-05-20.
+
+480. **`claw session` correctly says it is resume-only when bare, but `session --help` and `session list` zero-byte hang instead of returning bounded guidance, so users trying to discover session management from the advertised slash command get no usable recovery path** — dogfooded 2026-05-20 from the `#clawcode-building-in-public` 05:00 UTC nudge on `/home/bellman/Workspace/claw-code-pr2967` with branch/origin `docs/roadmap-workdir-provenance@93f20df` and binary `./rust/target/debug/claw` built from source SHA `25d663d`. Clean-home probe: bare `claw session` exits 1 with a useful typed stderr error: `[error-kind: unknown] error: \`claw session\` is a slash command. Use \`claw --resume SESSION.jsonl /session\` or start \`claw\` and run \`/session\`.` But the natural discovery and list forms do not share that bounded path: `claw session --help` timed out after 6s with `stdout=0`/`stderr=0`, and `claw session list` timed out after 6s with `stdout=0`/`stderr=0`; a longer wrapper run had to be killed after the `session list` probe stopped producing output. **Required fix shape:** (a) treat `session` as an explicit top-level alias for resume-safe session inspection rather than falling into prompt/runtime dispatch; (b) implement `session --help` with the same usage as `/session [list|exists|switch|fork|delete]` plus the `--resume` requirement where applicable; (c) make `session list` return a bounded empty-list result or a typed `resume_required`/`no_managed_sessions` error rather than hanging; (d) support or typed-reject `--output-format json` for session discovery/list/exists forms; (e) add clean-home regressions for bare `session`, `session --help`, `session list`, `session exists missing`, and the documented `--resume latest /session list` no-session path. **Why this matters:** session management is the recovery surface for stale-session confusion and prompt misdelivery. A user who sees `/session` in help naturally tries `claw session --help` or `claw session list`; hanging there blocks the exact diagnostics needed to find or resume the broken session. Source: gaebal-gajae dogfood response to Clawhip message `1506521887231180986` on 2026-05-20.
+
+481. **Slash-only top-level aliases (`files`, `hooks`, `memory`) emit a useful bare resume-only error, but `--help` hangs with zero output, so users cannot discover the documented resume-safe command shape from the command they just tried** — dogfooded 2026-05-20 from the `#clawcode-building-in-public` 05:30 UTC nudge on `/home/bellman/Workspace/claw-code-pr2967` with branch/origin `docs/roadmap-workdir-provenance@51e6040` and binary `./rust/target/debug/claw` built from source SHA `25d663d`. Clean-home probes show the bare aliases are bounded: `claw files`, `claw hooks`, and `claw memory` each exit 1 with `[error-kind: unknown]` and a helpful message: `Use \`claw --resume SESSION.jsonl /<verb>\` or start \`claw\` and run \`/<verb>\`.` Their JSON forms are also bounded (`files --output-format json`, `hooks --output-format json`, `memory --output-format json`) with the same message in a JSON error envelope. But adding the most natural discovery flag hangs: `claw files --help`, `claw hooks --help`, and `claw memory --help` each timed out after 6s with `stdout=0`/`stderr=0`. In the same clean-home sweep, real top-level local verbs (`config`, `config --help`, `config env --output-format json`) returned immediately, proving this is specific to slash-only alias help fallback. **Required fix shape:** (a) centralize slash-only alias handling so `--help`/`help` never enter prompt/runtime dispatch; (b) return a bounded help page for every slash-only alias, including direct CLI usage (`claw --resume SESSION.jsonl /files`) and whether the command is resume-safe; (c) make JSON help/error envelopes include `kind:"slash_command_alias"`, `slash:"/files"`, `resume_required:true`, and supported resume forms; (d) add clean-home regressions for bare, `--help`, `help`, and JSON forms for `files`, `hooks`, `memory`, plus the already-found `session` sibling (#480). **Why this matters:** these are exactly the diagnostic surfaces users reach for during prompt misdelivery and stale-session debugging. A helpful bare error followed by a zero-byte hang on `--help` is a recovery dead-end. Source: gaebal-gajae dogfood response to Clawhip message `1506529436466675713` on 2026-05-20.