Setup pstack

Write pstack's model settings, one model per role:

• Cursor: ~/.cursor/rules/pstack-models.mdc, an always-applied rule.
• Every other harness (Claude Code, Codex, Pi, OpenCode, and others): ~/.agents/pstack-models.md. These harnesses don't load Cursor rules, so pstack skills read this file when they pick a model.

"The settings file" below means the file for your harness. When reading, check both paths and use the one that exists.

Steps

1. Detect available models

Enumerate the model slugs you can pass to a subagent in this session (Cursor Task, Claude Code Agent, OpenCode task, Codex spawn_agent). That is the dependable source. If your harness also has a command that lists the user's models, prefer it for completeness (for example opencode models or pi --list-models). If you cannot detect any, ask the user to paste the slugs they have access to. Never write a real slug you have not confirmed is available. The aliases inherit-parent and auto are always valid even though they are not detected slugs.

2. Load current state

The default role-to-model mapping is the rule shape shown in step 5 below. If the settings file already exists, read it and treat its # budget line and its role values as the current choices. Otherwise start from those defaults. A line whose role is not in step 5, such as how critics, is from a retired role. Drop it.

3. Budget, map, and confirm

(a) Ask for a budget. Prefer your structured-question tool (AskQuestion in Cursor, AskUserQuestion in Claude Code, question in OpenCode) over free text. Offer these four options with these exact labels, and name the current budget when the rule records one. With no rule, say that large matches the skill defaults.

• unlimited — max reasoning
• large — xhigh reasoning
• medium — high reasoning
• small — medium reasoning

(b) Apply it. Build the working table from the skill defaults, and on a re-run keep any role you changed by family, list, or alias (inherit-parent, auto). unlimited, large, medium, and small set the effort token of every real slug, panel entries included, to max, xhigh, high, or medium. The effort token is the last token, or the one before a trailing fast, on the ladder max > xhigh > high > medium > low. If the result is not a detected slug, use the same family's detected slug with the highest effort at or below the target, else mark the role as needing a choice. inherit-parent and auto do not change. So unlimited turns claude-opus-5-5-xhigh into claude-opus-5-5-max. Grok slugs top out at xhigh, so under unlimited the fallback puts Grok at xhigh and keeps grok-4.7-xhigh-fast as it is. large keeps both defaults. small turns them into claude-opus-5-5-medium and grok-4.7-medium-fast.

(c) Show the roles and confirm. Show every role with its model, marking any real slug not in the detected set as needing a choice. Also list each line step 2 dropped. Ask whether to accept as-is or change specific roles, offering the detected models plus inherit-parent and auto (both mean: this role runs on the parent chat model, which is how Auto users stay on Auto) as the options. Prefer your structured-question tool over free text. For panel roles (arena runners, architect runners, interrogate reviewers) the value is a list, and one subagent runs per entry, alias entries included, so the list length sets the count. arena cross-judge pool is also a list, but Arena selects one value from it whose model family differs from the parent's when possible. swarm workers is the default model for every worker unless a race or comparison assigns another model per arm.

4. Validate

Every real slug written must be in the detected set. inherit-parent and auto always pass. If a chosen real slug is not available, stop and ask again.

5. Write the rule

Write the settings file with a # budget line with the chosen label and its target effort, and one line per role, using the same labels poteto-mode uses. In Cursor, include the frontmatter below with alwaysApply: true. In other harnesses, write ~/.agents/pstack-models.md without the frontmatter (start at the first # line). Overwrite the whole file so re-runs stay idempotent. Shape:

---
description: pstack per-role model choices (overrides skill defaults)
alwaysApply: true
---
# pstack model configuration. One line per role. Delete a line to fall back to the skill default.
# `inherit-parent` or `auto` as a value: the role runs on the parent chat model (omit the subagent `model`). Alias entries in a panel list still count toward its fan-out.
# budget: large (xhigh)
feature, refactoring: grok-4.7-xhigh-fast
bug-fix: grok-4.7-xhigh-fast
perf-issue: grok-4.7-xhigh-fast
hillclimb: grok-4.7-xhigh-fast
judgment and prose: claude-opus-5-5-xhigh
hardest tasks: claude-opus-5-5-xhigh
how explorer: grok-4.7-xhigh-fast
how explainer: claude-opus-5-5-xhigh
why investigators: grok-4.7-xhigh-fast
why synthesizer: claude-opus-5-5-xhigh
reflect tooling: grok-4.7-xhigh-fast
reflect judgment, divergent, synthesizer: claude-opus-5-5-xhigh
arena runners: claude-opus-5-5-xhigh, grok-4.7-xhigh-fast
arena cross-judge pool: claude-opus-5-5-xhigh, grok-4.7-xhigh-fast
swarm workers: grok-4.7-xhigh-fast
architect runners: claude-opus-5-5-xhigh, grok-4.7-xhigh-fast
interrogate reviewers: claude-opus-5-5-xhigh, grok-4.7-xhigh-fast

6. Confirm

Tell the user which file was written. In Cursor, the rule applies to new sessions. In other harnesses, pstack skills read ~/.agents/pstack-models.md when they pick a model. Re-running this skill updates it.

7. Offer a verification skill (optional)

Check whether the project has a way to drive the real app for proof (a verify-* skill, or an existing harness). If not, offer once: "want a project-local verification skill, so agents can drive the app the way a user does and prove changes work? I can generate one with /create-verification-skill." On yes, invoke /create-verification-skill (resolves wherever pstack is installed: workspace, user, or plugin). On no, move on without pushing.