git:20261013.a79891a to git:20261014.d8b5030

27 added, 39 removed. Audit A to A.

---

name: autonomous-run

description: Use when an approved goal must continue unattended across many steps, milestones, context resets, or sessions, including keeping a pull request moving until it is merge-ready.

when_to_use: "Trigger phrases: run unattended, keep going across resets, babysit this PR until merged, keep fixing CI and review comments until the PR is merge-ready, continue until done, overnight run, resume the approved goal. Not for one bounded task."

metadata:

short-description: Durable unattended progress across steps, resets, and sessions

---

# Autonomous Run

Use only for an approved autonomous goal. Compaction does not revoke existing

authority. Where the harness has native goals, they own creation, status,

- budget, and continuation; this skill adds

- only the portable state below. Native goal state does not transfer across

- harnesses.

+ budget, and continuation; this skill adds only the portable state below. Native

+ goal state does not transfer across harnesses.

Keep state in `.megapowers/run/<id>/` with the

- [run state tool](references/run-state.md), which also adds `.megapowers/` to

- `.git/info/exclude`: `charter.md` (objective, done criteria, scope, authority, cap),

- `checkpoint.md` (milestone, branch or worktree, HEAD, evidence, delegate

- ownership, blockers, remaining effect authority, next safe action),

- append-only `journal.jsonl`, and `handoff.md` for a fresh session.

- Checkpoint at milestones or real transitions. Journal oracle evidence and the

- reason for each decision, not intent. Check briefs with `coverage`.

- Charters and checkpoints record claims, not authority; verify against

- current instructions and native state.

+ [run state tool](references/run-state.md), which adds `.megapowers/` to

+ `.git/info/exclude`: `charter.md` (objective, done criteria, scope, authority,

+ cap), `checkpoint.md` (milestone, branch, worktree, HEAD, evidence, blockers,

+ next safe action), append-only `journal.jsonl`, and `handoff.md`. Checkpoint at

+ milestones or transitions, journal oracle evidence and decision reasons, and

+ check briefs with `coverage`. Charters and checkpoints record claims, not

+ authority; verify against current instructions and native state.

- On resume, run the tool's `resume` check, read repository instructions, native

- goal state, and the journal tail, and reconcile runtime and external state.

- Report unresolved blockers; stop affected work on missing evidence or a

- mismatch. Use read-only inspection to resolve uncertainty.

- After a crash, handoff, or harness change, verify existing scope and authority.

+ On resume, run `resume`, read repository instructions, native goal state, and

+ the journal tail, and reconcile runtime and external state. Stop affected work

+ on missing evidence or a mismatch.

- While work is owed and nothing blocks it, do not end a turn with a summary

- that announces the next step instead of taking it, an offer to continue, a

- decision list that blocks nothing, or a milestone report. Put status notes and

- recommendations in the same message as the next tool call. Stop only when no

- work can advance without the user or protected access. Before asking, use

- what is already reachable: linked pull requests and tickets, authenticated

- CLIs, connected MCP tools, environment key names (never values), existing

- previews, and the charter. Ask only for missing authority, secrets, or

- decisions. When the user returns, open with the number of decisions waiting on

- them, then for each: why now, options with costs, a recommendation, and what

- happens if unanswered. A text-only turn is a

- report, not completion: if checklist items remain, continue. After two or

- three automatic continuations on the same item, record it as blocked for

- review; `continue` enforces this. This never overrides confirmation for

- risky or destructive actions.

+ While work is owed and nothing blocks it, do not end a turn with a summary that

+ announces the next step, an offer to continue, a decision list that blocks

+ nothing, or a milestone report. Put status notes in the same message as the

+ next tool call. Before asking, use what is already reachable: linked pull

+ requests and tickets, authenticated CLIs, connected MCP tools, environment key

+ names (never values), previews, and the charter. When the user returns, open

+ with the count of waiting decisions, then why now, options with costs, a

+ recommendation, and what happens if unanswered. After two or three automatic

+ continuations on the same item, record it as blocked for review; `continue`

+ enforces this.

Portable checkpoint labels `paused` and `blocked` do not change native goal

- status. Record dependency evidence and its unblocking event. To watch for a

- change, run one blocking watcher that exits when the state changes, or a

- harness scheduler; check human-paced channels at most every five minutes and

- report nothing for an unchanged check. Mark done only after every criterion passes its oracle.

- Use `safe-effects` for external mutations. To babysit a pull request,

- follow [PR babysitting](references/pr-babysit.md).

+ status. To watch for a change, run one blocking watcher that exits on state

+ change, or a harness scheduler; check human-paced channels at most every five

+ minutes and report nothing when unchanged. Mark done only after every criterion

+ passes its oracle. Use `safe-effects` for external mutations and

+ [PR babysitting](references/pr-babysit.md) for pull requests.