# aish — Phase 3 Manifest **Project:** aish — AI-augmented conversational shell **Document:** Phase 3 Requirements, Architecture & Design Decisions **Status:** Formulate (pre-analyze) **Date:** 2026-05-12 PHASE0.md is the locked substrate; PHASE1.md and PHASE2.md are layered on top. This manifest specifies what Phase 3 adds — **Chuck Norris autonomous mode**, the **destructive-op safety heuristic** that gates it, and the **HALT/confirm protocol** for human-in-the-loop control. Section numbers reference back to earlier phases where relevant. --- ## 1. Scope of Phase 3 Three pillars per PHASE0.md §11 row 3: 1. **Norris autonomous mode** (`safety.norris_step` + `repl.lua` integration) — a planning-and-execution loop where the model pursues a user-stated goal across multiple shell-exec and tool-call turns without per-turn user prompting. Triggered by `\C-n` (Phase 1 reserved key) or `:norris `. Iterative re-plan after each action. 2. **Destructive-op heuristic** (`safety.is_destructive`) — hybrid gate that combines (a) a static pattern allowlist of obviously destructive shell idioms (`rm -rf`, `dd of=`, `mkfs`, `git push --force`, etc.) with (b) an LLM second-opinion via the `fast` model for ambiguous cases. Any positive hit forces HALT before execution, regardless of Norris-mode policy. 3. **HALT/confirm protocol** — a uniform way for the Norris loop to surface decisions to the user. HALT means: stop generation, drop to a `[Norris] proceed / skip / abort?` prompt with the proposed action displayed. User decides on each gate; abort returns control to the interactive REPL with the conversation intact. **Phase 3 is done when:** - `\C-n` toggles Norris mode (replacing the Phase 1 status no-op). - `:norris ` launches an autonomous task explicitly. - The model can plan + execute a multi-step task (e.g. "find all Python files modified in the last week and count them") through iterative CMD:/tool_call cycles without per-step user confirms for safe operations. - `rm -rf /tmp/foo`, `dd of=/dev/sda`, and equivalent destructive operations HALT and require explicit user approval. - The LLM second-opinion catches at least one realistic ambiguous case the static patterns miss (e.g. `find . -delete`, `truncate -s 0 important.log`). - HALT-abort returns to interactive mode without context loss. --- ## 2. Technology Decisions (delta from Phase 2) | Decision | Choice | Rationale | |---|---|---| | Planning model | **Iterative re-plan after each action** | Resolves PHASE0.md §13 Q2. Top-down task trees are brittle to dynamic environments — a shell command's output frequently changes what the next step should be. Iterative re-plan piggybacks the existing Phase 2 tool-sub-loop pattern: model emits next action, gets result, decides next. Depth-bounded by `max_norris_steps` (default 16, configurable). | | Action sources | **`CMD:` lines + MCP `tool_calls`** | Per PHASE0.md §11 row 3 ("now able to use MCP tools as well as CMD: lines"). Norris consumes both kinds equally. The Phase 2 system prompt already biases toward tools when available; that bias carries into Norris mode unchanged. | | HALT trigger | **Static-pattern hit OR LLM-second-opinion flag** | Either gate fires HALT independently. Static for speed and predictability on known footguns; LLM for novel/ambiguous patterns. Cost of an LLM second-opinion call: one fast-model round-trip (≤3s on local Q4). Only invoked when static doesn't already HALT. | | HALT response shape | **3-way prompt**: `proceed` / `skip` / `abort` | `proceed` runs the action and continues. `skip` reports "user skipped" to the model and lets it re-plan. `abort` ends the Norris session, drops back to interactive mode. (`abort` is also bound to `\C-x\C-c` per PHASE1.md §7 reserved keys.) | | Auto-approve under Norris | **Trust the Phase 2 `auto_approve` policy** | A tool already in `auto_approve` runs without HALT even in Norris mode, as long as the destructive-op heuristic doesn't flag it. The user opted in once; Norris doesn't unilaterally re-prompt. CMD: lines never auto-approve under Norris — they always pass through `is_destructive` first. | | Destructive-op static rules | **Patterned shell-idiom list** in `safety.lua` (hardcoded; configurable later via `config.safety.destructive_patterns`) | Phase 3 v1 ships a fixed list (~20 patterns) inline. v2 may make it user-extendable. Patterns target the command string after expansion; conservative — false positives mean a confirm prompt the user dismisses, false negatives mean unsupervised destructive action. Bias to false positives. | | LLM second-opinion model | **The `fast` preset** (whichever model maps to the user's small/cheap local) | Cheapest available; destructive-detection doesn't need a smart model. Prompt: "Is this shell command destructive (could delete or overwrite data)? Answer YES or NO." Single-token-ish response, no streaming. Falls back to YES (safe default) on broker failure. | | Norris prompt suffix | **Status appended to the system prompt** when Norris is active: `[NORRIS MODE] You are operating autonomously toward a stated goal. Plan and execute step by step. Use CMD: lines or tool_calls. When done, emit "GOAL: complete" on its own line.` | The `GOAL: complete` sentinel is how the model signals task completion; Norris loop exits the planning sub-loop on seeing it. | | Interrupt handling | **`\C-c` during a Norris step sends abort** | Standard SIGINT semantics for the user. Mid-stream, this means: stop the broker request, stop any running shell command, drop to interactive mode. The current context is preserved (incl. partial assistant turn). | | Context budgeting under Norris | **Same `max_turns` and `token_budget` as interactive** | Sliding window evicts oldest non-system turns when budget exceeded — including mid-Norris-session if the loop runs long. Phase 4's `memory.jsonl` summarization is the proper fix; Phase 3 just gets the eviction status as before. | --- ## 3. Module Changes | File | State after Phase 2 | Phase 3 changes | |---|---|---| | `safety.lua` | `confirm_tool_call` (Phase 2 surface only) + Phase 3 stubs `is_destructive` / `norris_step` raising error() | Implement the stubs: (a) `is_destructive(cmd_or_tool_call) -> (bool, reason)` with static pattern matching + optional LLM second-opinion (controlled by `cfg.safety.llm_second_opinion`, default true); (b) `norris_step(ctx, broker_cfg, executor_fn, tools_fn, halt_fn, opts) -> {status, reason}` — single iteration of the Norris loop. Pattern list is module-local; LLM second-opinion uses `broker.chat` (non-streaming, no tools, single-shot). | | `repl.lua` | tool-sub-loop + `:mcp` meta + Phase 1 `\C-n` no-op binding | Replace `\C-n` body with a Norris toggle. Add `:norris ` meta cmd as the explicit-launch variant. New module-local `norris_active` flag. Implement the Norris driver loop: while active, call `safety.norris_step`; handle HALT decisions; exit on `GOAL: complete`, `abort`, or step budget exceeded. Auto_approve policy from `confirm_tool_call` is consulted in-line. | | `renderer.lua` | exec frame + tool-call frame + assistant streaming | Add `M.norris_begin(goal)`, `M.norris_step(n, action_desc)`, `M.norris_halt(reason, action)`, `M.norris_end(status, reason)`. Visual: bold cyan banner on enter, indented step counter per iteration, red HALT banner on intercept, dim summary on exit. Phase 0 prompt becomes `[aish:fast ⚡]>` when Norris is active per PHASE0.md §9. | | `broker.lua` | `chat_stream` with opts.tools, `chat` non-streaming | No structural change. Norris re-uses `chat_stream` for planning rounds (same as interactive). `chat` is used by `safety.is_destructive` for LLM second-opinion. | | `context.lua` | system_prompt + turns + pending_exec_output + use_tool_role | When Norris is active, `to_messages()` appends the Norris suffix (§2 row "Norris prompt suffix") to the system message. The suffix is computed dynamically — when Norris exits, subsequent broker calls revert to plain system prompt. No additional storage. | | `ffi/readline.lua` | `bind(seq, fn)` (Phase 1) | No additions — `\C-n` binding mechanism already in place. The Phase 1 placeholder handler is just replaced with a real one in repl.lua. | | `config.lua` | mcp example block | New optional `safety = { llm_second_opinion = true, llm_model = "fast", destructive_patterns = {...} }` block, also commented-out example. Defaults are sane when absent. | No new module files beyond what already exists. The `\C-x\C-c` abort keybinding (PHASE1.md §7 reserved) gets wired here. --- ## 4. The Planning Loop (`safety.norris_step`) One iteration of Norris is exactly one round-trip with the model — same shape as Phase 2's tool-sub-loop iteration, with the model deciding what to do next based on accumulated context: ``` norris_step(ctx, broker_cfg, executor_fn, tools_fn, halt_fn, opts): # opts.step_n, opts.max_steps, opts.cfg 1. Call broker.chat_stream(broker_cfg, ctx:to_messages(), on_delta, {tools=tools_fn()}) — collect (text, tool_calls). 2. If text contains "GOAL: complete" line → return {status="done"}. 3. If no actions emitted (no tool_calls, no CMD: in text): → return {status="stalled", reason="no action"} (user-visible). 4. For each action (tool_call OR CMD: line): a. Pass through safety.is_destructive(action). b. If destructive: invoke halt_fn(action, reason) → user verdict. "proceed" → run action. "skip" → append a synthesized turn telling the model "[aish] action skipped by user: ". "abort" → return {status="aborted"}. c. If non-destructive: check auto_approve (for tool_calls only) or destructive_check passed (for CMD:). Run. d. Append result turn to ctx (role:"tool" for tool calls, exec-output buffer for CMD:). 5. step_n += 1. If step_n >= max_steps: return {status="budget_exhausted"}. 6. Continue loop (driver in repl.lua re-calls norris_step). ``` The driver in repl.lua is the simple while loop; norris_step is one iteration so testing is granular. --- ## 5. Destructive-Op Heuristic (`safety.is_destructive`) ### Static pattern list (v1, ~20 entries) ```lua local DESTRUCTIVE_PATTERNS = { -- Filesystem { pat = "rm%s+.-%-rf?", reason = "rm -rf" }, { pat = "rm%s+.-%-fr?", reason = "rm -fr" }, { pat = "find%s+.-%-delete", reason = "find -delete" }, { pat = "find%s+.-%-exec%s+rm", reason = "find -exec rm" }, { pat = ">%s*/dev/sd[a-z]", reason = "write to raw disk" }, { pat = "dd%s+.-of=/dev/", reason = "dd to device" }, { pat = "mkfs%.", reason = "mkfs (format)" }, { pat = "shred%s", reason = "shred" }, { pat = "wipefs%s", reason = "wipefs" }, { pat = "truncate%s+.-%-s%s*0", reason = "truncate to zero" }, -- Version control destructive { pat = "git%s+push%s+.-%-%-force", reason = "git push --force" }, { pat = "git%s+push%s+.-%-f%f[%s]", reason = "git push -f" }, { pat = "git%s+reset%s+.-%-%-hard", reason = "git reset --hard" }, { pat = "git%s+clean%s+.-%-fd?", reason = "git clean -fd" }, { pat = "git%s+branch%s+.-%-D", reason = "git branch -D" }, -- Database / process { pat = "DROP%s+TABLE", reason = "DROP TABLE", ci = true }, { pat = "DROP%s+DATABASE", reason = "DROP DATABASE", ci = true }, { pat = "TRUNCATE%s+TABLE", reason = "TRUNCATE TABLE", ci = true }, { pat = "kill%s+%-9", reason = "kill -9" }, { pat = "pkill%s+%-9", reason = "pkill -9" }, -- Network/permission { pat = "chmod%s+.-777", reason = "chmod 777" }, { pat = "chown%s+.-/$", reason = "chown on root path" }, } ``` Patterns are Lua patterns (not regex), `ci = true` enables case-insensitive match. ### LLM second-opinion (when static doesn't HALT) If `cfg.safety.llm_second_opinion ~= false`, call `broker.chat` (non-streaming, no tools) on the `fast` model with: ``` System: Detect destructive shell commands. Reply YES if running this would delete, overwrite, or irreversibly modify data, processes, or system state. Otherwise reply NO. Respond with only YES or NO. User: ``` Response parse: case-insensitive match on `YES` → destructive; everything else → not. Broker failure → YES (safe default). Returns: `(is_destructive, reason)`. Reason is the matched pattern name for static hits, "LLM flagged as destructive" for LLM hits. ### Tool-call destructive check For MCP tool_calls, `is_destructive` checks: 1. Tool name against an "always destructive" set (configurable; v1 includes `*__shell` / `*__write_file` / `*__edit_file` / `*__shell_bg` patterns). 2. Arguments serialized as JSON against the static shell patterns (in case a `shell` tool's command argument is destructive). 3. LLM second-opinion on the JSON-serialized call. --- ## 6. HALT Protocol When `is_destructive` returns true OR a non-auto_approve tool_call is attempted under Norris (auto_approve is the user's explicit consent that DOES apply): ``` ─── NORRIS HALT ─────────────────────────────── step 7/16 reason: rm -rf action: rm -rf /var/log/old [N] proceed / skip / abort? p ``` User types `p` (proceed) / `s` (skip) / `a` (abort). - **proceed**: run the action, append result to context, continue loop. - **skip**: append a synthesized turn explaining the user skipped this step (gives the model a chance to re-plan); continue loop. - **abort**: exit Norris mode; the conversation context is preserved. Drop back to the interactive prompt. `\C-x\C-c` at any prompt also aborts. Auto-approved tools (per `cfg.mcp.auto_approve`) skip the HALT entirely IF AND ONLY IF the destructive-op heuristic doesn't flag them. The heuristic is the final word — auto_approve is a confirmation bypass, not a destructive bypass. --- ## 7. Meta Commands (Phase 3 additions) | Command | Action | |---|---| | `:norris ` | Launch Norris mode with an explicit goal text (same as `\C-n` after typing a goal but works on previously-issued goals too) | | `:norris off` | Exit Norris mode mid-loop (alternative to abort prompt) | | `:safety patterns` | Show the active destructive-op pattern list | | `:safety check ` | Probe `is_destructive` against a hypothetical command without running it (debug aid) | `\C-n` toggles Norris on/off in-place. If on, prompts for a goal if none pending; if off and a goal is in progress, asks for confirm-abort. --- ## 8. System Prompt Augmentation (active only in Norris) Appended to the default Phase 2 system prompt while `norris_active == true`: ``` [NORRIS MODE] You are operating autonomously toward a stated goal. Plan and execute step by step using CMD: lines (for shell) or tool_calls (when MCP tools are available). After each action, you will see its result in the next turn. Re-plan based on what you observe. When the goal is achieved, emit a single line: GOAL: complete on its own line, optionally followed by a brief summary. If the goal is unreachable or you need user input, emit: GOAL: blocked with a one-line reason. Avoid destructive operations unless the goal explicitly requires them. The user will be prompted to confirm destructive actions; expect their verdict in the next turn as "[aish] action skipped by user" or "[aish] action approved". ``` This block is composed dynamically by `context.to_messages()` when `ctx.norris_active` is set. No state stored beyond the boolean. --- ## 9. Migration from Phase 2 User-visible: - `\C-n` now does something (was a Phase 1 placeholder). - `:norris ` is a new meta command. - Destructive-looking commands suddenly stop and ask for confirmation even outside Norris mode (the `is_destructive` check is also applied to interactive CMD: extraction, replacing the current bare `confirm_cmd` for known-destructive cases). This is a behavior change to interactive mode. Substrate (PHASE0.md §3) invariants: unchanged. The `CMD:` extraction marker is still the only shell-suggestion contract. `config.lua`: configs without a `safety` block work unchanged — defaults kick in (LLM second-opinion enabled, default pattern list, default step budget). --- ## 10. Out of Scope (Phase 3) Per PHASE0.md §11, these belong to later phases: - `memory.jsonl` summarization across sessions (Phase 4). - Multi-model routing / cloud fallback (Phase 5) — but Norris's LLM second-opinion uses the `fast` model regardless of active model. - Tree-sitter syntax highlighting (Phase 6). Specifically out of Phase 3 scope despite proximity: - Per-session destructive-pattern learning (user-corrects-LLM feedback loop). v2. - Parallel exploration / branching Norris sessions. v3+. - User-extendable pattern list via config. v2 — Phase 3 ships hardcoded. - Goal-decomposition for very long-running tasks (multi-day, persistent state). Out of aish's scope entirely; that's a different tool. --- ## 11. Open Questions | # | Question | Impact | Resolve by | |---|---|---|---| | Q23 | LLM second-opinion latency budget: 3s per check on the fast model means a 16-step Norris session adds ~48s of overhead. Acceptable for autonomous mode? Or cache by command-hash within a session? | safety.lua | Phase 3 (analyze) | | Q24 | `is_destructive` also runs on **interactive** `CMD:` extraction (per §9)? Or only under Norris? §9 says yes; the manifest implicitly broadens the destructive gate. The alternative is to keep `confirm_cmd` as the interactive surface and Norris uses its own stricter check. Mixing both is the proposed default but worth challenging. | safety.lua + repl.lua | Phase 3 (analyze) | | Q25 | If the model emits BOTH text AND a `GOAL: complete` line in the same response, is the goal done immediately, or are any pending actions in that response still dispatched first? Default proposal: dispatch pending actions first; the GOAL: marker fires after the loop's next round-trip would have been called (so the model effectively pre-announces). Less surprising. | repl.lua norris driver | Phase 3 (analyze) | | Q26 | Context preservation when Norris ends with `abort` vs `done` vs `budget_exhausted`. Proposal: all three keep ctx intact (user sees the conversation in `:history`). The only difference is the renderer summary. | repl.lua + renderer.lua | Phase 3 (plan) | | Q27 | Resume mode after abort: should the user be able to type `:norris continue` to pick up where the model left off? v1 says no — too many edge cases with stale plans. v2 maybe. | scope | Phase 3 — defer to v2 | | Q28 | `tool_calls` from MCP servers that have side effects but aren't in `*__shell` / `*__write_file` patterns (e.g. a custom `hertz__wol_machine` tool that wakes a server). The static set in §5 won't catch this; the LLM second-opinion might. Reasonable default given the LLM's role here. | safety.lua | Phase 3 (verify) | | Q29 | Norris response when `is_destructive` returns YES but the user-stated goal explicitly authorizes destruction (e.g. "clean up old logs in /var/log"). Currently the HALT still fires. Should the model be allowed to convey "user authorized this implicitly" in the goal? v1: no — explicit per-action confirm always. v2 could relax. | UX + safety.lua | Phase 3 (verify) | | Q30 | `:norris` without a goal arg vs `\C-n`: should they share a single "ask for goal" code path? Yes; trivial. | repl.lua | Phase 3 (plan) | Resolved at formulate (in §2 table): - Q2 (planner shape) — iterative re-plan after each action. - Q8 inheritance — auto_approve from Phase 2 applies under Norris IF destructive heuristic clears. Carried forward (not in §13 originally): - Norris's interaction with Phase 4's memory.jsonl — captured tasks could pre-populate context. Phase 4 concern. --- ## 12. Implementation Plan (commit-by-commit) Bottom-up, same cadence as Phase 0/1/2. Six commits expected: 1. **`safety.is_destructive` — static pattern list only.** Implement the ~20-pattern matcher + the tool-call shell-arg extraction. No LLM second-opinion yet. Returns `(bool, reason)`. **Test**: unit-table of ~30 commands (mix of destructive + safe) → assertEqual on each. 2. **`safety.is_destructive` — LLM second-opinion + cache.** Add the fast-model probe path with a session-scoped cache keyed by the normalized command string (mitigates Q23 latency). Broker-failure falls back to YES. **Test**: mock broker; verify cache hits don't re-call; verify failure-fallback is YES. 3. **`renderer.lua` — Norris frames.** Add `norris_begin/step/halt/end` per §3. Visual parity with exec/tool frames. Update prompt to include `⚡` when active. **Test**: one-liner script renders each frame visually. 4. **`safety.norris_step` — single-iteration planner.** The `norris_step` function per §4. Caller provides ctx + dispatch helpers; returns `{status, reason}`. No driver loop yet — that's the next commit. **Test**: mock broker emitting various model responses (text+actions, GOAL:complete, stalled, destructive action requiring HALT) and verify each return shape. 5. **`repl.lua` — Norris driver + `\C-n` real binding + `:norris` meta.** The while-loop driver consuming `safety.norris_step`, the rebound `\C-n` (replacing Phase 1 placeholder), the `:norris ` / `:norris off` meta cmds, and `\C-x\C-c` abort handler. Also extends the interactive `CMD:` confirm path to consult `is_destructive` first (per Q24 resolution). **Test**: mocked-broker end-to-end — submit a multi-step goal, verify driver loops correctly, hits GOAL:complete, returns to interactive. 6. **`config.lua` — `safety` example block.** Commented-out example showing `llm_second_opinion`, `llm_model`, `destructive_patterns`, `max_norris_steps`. Documentation only. ### Risk / non-obvious - **Catastrophic false-negative in `is_destructive`**: the static list is patterned; a creative model could write `bash -c "rm -rf /tmp"` or `r"m" -rf` etc. Static is the floor, LLM second-opinion is the net. Both check. - **LLM second-opinion model itself being autonomous** in a Norris run would be circular. Mitigation: the second-opinion call uses `broker.chat` (no tools, no streaming, dedicated prompt) — distinct call path from the Norris planning stream. No tool-call recursion possible. - **Norris loop runs the LLM N times**: each step is a full broker round-trip plus optionally an LLM second-opinion. A 16-step Norris goal could be ~32 LLM calls on the fast model. Visible as latency but no economic surprise on local models. - **Destructive check on interactive CMD: extraction (Q24)** is a behavior change to Phase 0/1 (`confirm_cmd` users will see the prompt automatically for destructive commands even with `confirm_cmd=false`). Documented in §9. Defensible: the worst case is a confirm prompt the user dismisses. - **`GOAL: complete` extraction** uses the same `^GOAL: complete$` regex on emitted text. Substrate-aligned with CMD: extraction. ### Open at plan; resolve at review - Whether to ship the LLM second-opinion **on by default** or **off by default with a config opt-in**. Default on is safer; off saves latency. Recommend on; Phase 7 verify will quantify the overhead. - Whether `:safety check ` should also be reachable by `\C-x` keybinding for fast probing during interactive sessions. v2. --- *End of Phase 3 Manifest — aish*