/ouroboros:setup

Guided Ouroboros setup inside a Claude Code session.

Other runtimes (Codex, Copilot, OpenCode, and others) configure through the CLI instead, for example ouroboros setup --runtime codex or ouroboros setup --runtime copilot. See Getting Started.

Usage

ooo setup
/ouroboros:setup
/ouroboros:setup --uninstall

Claude setup confirms the runtime profile (the Claude Agent SDK on MCP 1.x) and optionally adds an Ouroboros reference block to the project's CLAUDE.md. It deliberately leaves ~/.claude/mcp.json untouched because marketplace plugin wiring owns that file. [claude] and its explicit [claude-sdk] alias use MCP 1.x. The plugin launches [mcp] in a separate MCP 2 process with the dependency-free [claude-cli] worker.

Setup Wizard Flow

Ask questions with the active runtime's ask_user capability unless a step says otherwise.

Python Runtime (Required)

Define this resolver in the same shell before any snippet below. It accepts only Python 3.12 or newer (python3, then python, then uv) and preserves arguments and stdin. Quote every argument passed to ouroboros_python.

<!-- ouroboros-python-resolver:start -->

ouroboros_python() {
  if command -v python3 >/dev/null 2>&1 &&
    (unset PYTHONHOME PYTHONPATH PYTHONPLATLIBDIR PYTHONEXECUTABLE __PYVENV_LAUNCHER__; command python3 -c 'import sys; raise SystemExit(sys.version_info < (3, 12))') >/dev/null 2>&1
  then
    (unset PYTHONHOME PYTHONPATH PYTHONPLATLIBDIR PYTHONEXECUTABLE __PYVENV_LAUNCHER__; command python3 "$@")
    return
  fi
  if command -v python >/dev/null 2>&1 &&
    (unset PYTHONHOME PYTHONPATH PYTHONPLATLIBDIR PYTHONEXECUTABLE __PYVENV_LAUNCHER__; command python -c 'import sys; raise SystemExit(sys.version_info < (3, 12))') >/dev/null 2>&1
  then
    (unset PYTHONHOME PYTHONPATH PYTHONPLATLIBDIR PYTHONEXECUTABLE __PYVENV_LAUNCHER__; command python "$@")
    return
  fi
  if command -v uv >/dev/null 2>&1; then
    (unset PYTHONHOME PYTHONPATH PYTHONPLATLIBDIR PYTHONEXECUTABLE __PYVENV_LAUNCHER__; command uv run --no-project --quiet --python '>=3.12' python "$@")
    return
  fi
  printf '%s\n' 'Ouroboros skills require Python >= 3.12 or uv on PATH.' >&2
  return 127
}

<!-- ouroboros-python-resolver:end -->

Step 0.5: Community Support

If star_asked is not true in ~/.ouroboros/prefs.json, ask "Ouroboros is free and open-source. A GitHub star helps other developers discover it. Star the repo?" with Star on GitHub (run gh api -X PUT /user/starred/Q00/ouroboros) and Skip for now. After any answer, merge star_asked: true into the prefs file, keeping existing keys:

ouroboros_python - <<'PY'
import json, os
path = os.path.expanduser('~/.ouroboros/prefs.json')
os.makedirs(os.path.dirname(path), exist_ok=True)
try:
    with open(path, encoding='utf-8') as f:
        prefs = json.load(f)
    if not isinstance(prefs, dict):
        prefs = {}
except Exception:
    prefs = {}
prefs['star_asked'] = True
with open(path, 'w', encoding='utf-8') as f:
    json.dump(prefs, f, indent=2)
    f.write('\n')
PY

Step 1: Environment Detection

ouroboros_python --version
which uvx 2>/dev/null && uvx --version 2>/dev/null
which claude 2>/dev/null
uv python list 2>/dev/null | grep "cpython-3.1[2-9]"

The resolver already rejects Python below 3.12 and falls back to a uv-managed interpreter; that does not make the [claude-sdk] and MCP 2 profiles import-compatible. Report what was found, then:

Environment	Action
Python >= 3.12 + Claude CLI	Ready: configure [claude] SDK/MCP 1 and skills
uvx + Python >= 3.12	MCP-capable elsewhere: use a supported CLI-backed runtime setup for isolated ouroboros-ai[mcp]
Python < 3.12 only	Run uv python install 3.12, then re-run ooo setup
No package runner or Ouroboros package	Install uv (below), then re-run ooo setup

Prefer package managers for uv: pipx install uv, pip install --user uv, or brew install uv; the vendor one-liner curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh is the last resort.

IMPORTANT: Never install [mcp,claude], [mcp,claude-sdk], or [all,mcp] together and never write a direct ouroboros or python -m ouroboros MCP fallback. MCP 2 launchers must use an isolated uvx --isolated --python '>=3.12' --from 'ouroboros-ai[mcp]' ... or pipx run --spec 'ouroboros-ai[mcp]' ... process. Only [mcp,claude-cli] is supported because the CLI worker is out of process. Do not write an Ouroboros entry to ~/.claude/mcp.json; the plugin owns that registration.

Step 1.5: Runtime Configuration

Write the Claude runtime selection to ~/.ouroboros/config.yaml. The welcome gate and the CLI read it; nothing else in this wizard writes it. This step never touches ~/.claude/mcp.json.

Define ouroboros_cli in the same shell as each command below (shell state does not persist between commands):

ouroboros_cli() {
  if command -v ouroboros >/dev/null 2>&1; then
    command ouroboros "$@"
  else
    uvx --isolated --python '>=3.12' --from 'ouroboros-ai' ouroboros "$@"
  fi
}
ouroboros_cli config show orchestrator
ouroboros_cli config show llm

The welcome gate is ready only when orchestrator.runtime_backend is claude or claude_mcp AND llm.backend is claude. A missing file or section counts as not set.

• Both conditions hold: already configured. Skip to Step 2.
• runtime_backend is claude_mcp but llm.backend is not claude: run ouroboros_cli setup --runtime claude-cli --non-interactive (keeps the CLI transport).
• runtime_backend is another runtime (for example codex): ask the user whether to switch the default runtime to Claude. If they decline, keep the existing configuration and skip to Step 2.
• Otherwise (runtime_backend is claude with another llm.backend, no config, no orchestrator section), or after the user agrees to switch, run:

ouroboros_cli setup --runtime claude --non-interactive

Both setup commands set llm.backend: claude; --runtime claude sets orchestrator.runtime_backend: claude and --runtime claude-cli sets claude_mcp. If it fails, show the error and continue the wizard; Step 4 reports the runtime as not configured.

Step 2: MCP Profile Boundary

Tell the user: the default Claude SDK profile stays on MCP 1.x, and the plugin-owned MCP server runs MCP 2 separately with the [claude-cli] worker. Do not create, update, or remove ~/.claude/mcp.json. Existing entries may be user-managed or belong to another compatible runtime. Advanced MCP workflows require a host-managed isolated [mcp] launcher, which the Claude marketplace plugin or another supported host setup owns.

Step 3: CLAUDE.md Integration (Optional)

Offer Integrate / Skip / Preview first for adding this ~40-line reference block (pipeline, command table, agent catalog) to the project's CLAUDE.md. On Preview first, show it:

<!-- ooo:START -->
<!-- ooo:VERSION:0.59.0 -->
# Ouroboros — Specification-First AI Development

> Before telling AI what to build, define what should be built.
> As Socrates asked 2,500 years ago — "What do you truly know?"
> Ouroboros turns that question into an evolutionary AI workflow engine.

Most AI coding fails at the input, not the output. Ouroboros fixes this by
**exposing hidden assumptions before any code is written**.

1. **Socratic Clarity** — Question until ambiguity ≤ 0.2
2. **Ontological Precision** — Solve the root problem, not symptoms
3. **Evolutionary Loops** — Each evaluation cycle feeds back into better specs

```
Interview → Seed → Execute → Evaluate
    ↑                           ↓
    └─── Evolutionary Loop ─────┘
```

## ooo Commands

Each command loads its agent/MCP on-demand. Details in each skill file.

| Command | Loads |
|---------|-------|
| `ooo` | — |
| `ooo interview` | `ouroboros:socratic-interviewer` |
| `ooo seed` | `ouroboros:seed-architect` |
| `ooo run` | MCP required |
| `ooo evolve` | MCP: `evolve_step` |
| `ooo evaluate` | `ouroboros:evaluator` |
| `ooo unstuck` | `ouroboros:{persona}` |
| `ooo status` | MCP: `session_status` |
| `ooo setup` | — |
| `ooo help` | — |

## Agents

Loaded on-demand — not preloaded.

**Core**: socratic-interviewer, ontologist, seed-architect, evaluator,
advocate, contrarian, judge
**Support**: hacker, simplifier, researcher, architect
<!-- ooo:END -->

On Integrate: back up CLAUDE.md to CLAUDE.md.bak, append the block, and confirm.

Step 4: Verification

Confirm (with the Step 1.5 config show commands) that the saved Ouroboros config selects the default Claude Agent SDK runtime on MCP 1.x while ~/.claude/mcp.json was not mutated by this setup. The dependency-free Claude CLI worker remains a distinct, explicit [claude-cli] selection for the isolated MCP 2 process.

Step 5: Success Summary

Ouroboros Setup Complete!

Mode:                     Claude Agent SDK (MCP 1.x)
MCP Server:               Host-owned (config not mutated)
CLAUDE.md:                <integrated | skipped>

Next: ooo interview "your project idea" | ooo tutorial | ooo help

Step 5.1: Model Choice (Claude Code)

Offer optional model control. Ask "설정이 완료됐어요. 기본 모델 설정으로 바로 시작할 수 있고, 모델은 언제든 나중에 바꿀 수 있어요." (header 모델 설정):

• 바로 시작하기 (권장): 기본 모델 설정으로 바로 작업을 시작해요. Continue to Step 5.5.
• 직접 모델 설정하기: 단계별로 모델을 바꾸거나 목록에 없는 모델 ID를 입력해 고정해요. Read and follow ../config/SKILL.md. In the local Claude Code harness it opens the settings UI in the user's browser at a temporary localhost address. They can reopen it any time with ooo config; this choice never permanently locks a model.

Step 5.5: Brownfield Repository Scan

Register existing git repositories and linked worktrees in the Ouroboros DB so interviews can use them as brownfield context. Use the MCP tool only, not the CLI or Python scripts.

Loading MCP tools (deferred-schema guard)

Ouroboros tools may be deferred, and a schema loaded on one turn can unload by the next. Immediately before each ouroboros_* call, load it with the active runtime's tool-discovery capability: "+ouroboros brownfield" for ouroboros_brownfield (both the scan and the later set_defaults call). A call whose schema is not loaded fails with "Invalid tool parameters". If the tool is already callable, discovery is a no-op and an empty result is expected. If the tool is genuinely absent, skip this step and continue to Step 6.

1. Scan and register:

   Tool: ouroboros_brownfield
   Arguments: { "action": "scan" }
   

   The walk starts at scan_root (default: the user's home directory) and goes at most two directory levels deep, skipping dot-prefixed and noisy directories such as node_modules. Normal repos (.git directory) and linked worktrees (.git file) reached by the walk are registered self-only. Git worktree families are not expanded. Repos with no remote or any remote name are eligible. Existing defaults are preserved.

2. The scan response text already holds a numbered list with default markers. Do NOT make any additional MCP calls to list or query repos. Show every repo in a plain-text two-column grid inside a code block (not a markdown table), keeping the * default markers exactly as returned:

   Scan complete. 8 repositories registered.
   
    1. repo-alpha                   5. repo-epsilon
    2. repo-bravo *                 6. repo-foxtrot
   

   If no repos were found, skip to Step 6.

3. Do NOT use the active runtime's ask_user dialog for this selection. Text emitted between tool calls is not guaranteed to render, so a dialog can appear without the list, and option previews truncate long lists. Instead, end the turn with the repo grid as the final message, followed by the prompt:

   • Defaults exist: Current defaults: <names> (numbers <numbers>), then Reply with repo numbers to change defaults (e.g. "6, 18, 19"), "keep" to keep the current defaults, or "none" to clear them.
   • No defaults: No defaults set. Reply with repo numbers to set defaults (e.g. "6, 18, 19"), or "none" to run interviews in greenfield mode.

4. On the next turn: numbers (any separator) select those IDs; "keep" skips the MCP call and leaves defaults unchanged; "none" clears all; anything else gets the prompt again (never guess). Then make ONE call that replaces all defaults ("indices": "" for none):

   Tool: ouroboros_brownfield
   Arguments: { "action": "set_defaults", "indices": "<comma-separated IDs>" }
   

   Confirm the resulting defaults, or that interviews will run in greenfield mode, and mention that ooo setup or ooo brownfield changes them later.

Step 6: First Project Nudge

Suggest ooo interview "Build a CLI tool for [something you need]" or ooo tutorial.

Uninstall

On --uninstall, ask for confirmation, explaining that it removes only the Ouroboros block from CLAUDE.md, not plugin files, seeds, or project data. If confirmed:

1. Leave ~/.claude/mcp.json untouched
2. Remove <!-- ooo:START --> to <!-- ooo:END --> block from CLAUDE.md (if exists)
3. Confirm: "Ouroboros plugin configuration removed. To remove plugin files, run: claude plugin uninstall ouroboros"

Setup Troubleshooting

• "No compatible Python found": plugin mode works without a global Python when uv is on PATH. Otherwise install Python 3.12 (brew install python@3.12, sudo apt install python3.12, or python.org/downloads).
• "uvx: command not found": uvx is recommended, not required. For the default Claude SDK runtime, pip install 'ouroboros-ai[claude]' ([claude-sdk] is an explicit alias). Use [claude-cli] only for the isolated MCP 2 server worker. Never combine [claude], [claude-sdk], or [all] with [mcp].

RFC #1392 State Breadcrumb Footer

End the final response with exactly one line ◆ <current state> → next: <recommended action>. Derive the state from live session state via ouroboros_session_status when available, otherwise from this skill's actual outcome. Never use a linear Step N of M footer; when the next step is a real choice, list 2-3 options.