Define done before Codex starts
Set the completion contract up front, track proof for every requirement, and block partial work from being called done.
Use this when
Use this for long-running Codex work, pull requests, runtime checks, or user-visible artifacts where a plausible partial result could be mistaken for completion.
How it runs
- Recover a measurable definition of done for every ambiguous requirement.
- Record the requirements, scope, non-goals, evidence plan, and current status without expanding the requested work.
- Execute one bounded action at a time and attach current evidence to each affected requirement.
- Audit every requirement before closure and preserve honest blocked, exhausted, stalled, or contradicted states.
Done when
✓ Every Codex Goal requirement has current, adequate proof. The final audit contains no weak, missing, or contradicted required item; otherwise the work remains open, blocked, or exhausted.
Why it works
A durable completion contract keeps the definition of done visible across long sessions. Mapping every requirement to evidence makes false completion easy to detect.
Implementation note
Use $goal-planner-codex only when the user explicitly asks for a Codex Goal or completion audit. Create native Goal state only with approval; ordinary task planning does not need it, and budget exhaustion never counts as success.
Source: Forward Future ↗graded C · 55/100 — how grades work →
More maintenance loops
Upgrade to current Node LTS
Move the project to the current Node LTS across .nvmrc, CI config, Dockerfiles, and engines, fixing deprecations until everything is green on the new runtime.
Upgrade dependencies one at a time
Walk through outdated dependencies one package per turn, upgrading, running the full check suite, and pinning back anything that breaks.
Triage untriaged issues to zero
Pick the oldest untriaged issue, validate it against the current build, then label it, close if obsolete, or document repro steps—one per turn until the queue empties or 12 iterations pass.