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swarm-zap/memory/plans/flynn-council-fix.md
zap e7051a617f docs(council): add Flynn council pipeline fix plan
- 5-phase plan: config, structured output, bridge caps, E2E run, zap integration
- Work to happen on fix/council-pipeline branch in ~/flynn
- Goal: get Flynn's dual-council working so zap can delegate to it
2026-03-05 19:00:58 +00:00

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# Flynn Council Pipeline — Fix Plan
**Goal**: Get Flynn's dual-council pipeline (`council.run`) working against real models so zap can delegate council tasks to Flynn as an external agent.
**Branch**: `fix/council-pipeline` (off `main`)
**Status**: The orchestrator code, types, schemas, tool registration, TUI `/council` command, and preflight check all exist. Unit tests pass (mocked). But the pipeline has never run successfully against real models.
---
## Phase 1: Configuration & Agent Setup
**Problem**: The council requires 5 named agents in `agent_configs` that don't exist in the default config (everything is commented out).
**Tasks**:
1. Uncomment and populate `councils` block in `config/default.yaml` with `enabled: true`.
2. Define the 5 required agent configs:
- `council_d_arbiter` — D-group arbiter (feasibility-focused, structured JSON output)
- `council_d_freethinker` — D-group freethinker (ideation, boring-but-true)
- `council_p_arbiter` — P-group arbiter (novelty-focused, structured JSON output)
- `council_p_freethinker` — P-group freethinker (ideation, weird-is-fine)
- `council_meta_arbiter` — Meta merge agent (selects across both groups)
3. Each agent needs:
- A `system_prompt` that matches the pipeline's expected behavior (JSON-only output, role-specific framing)
- A `model_tier` (start with `default` for all; upgrade meta to `complex` after first success)
4. Decide whether to add grounder/writer agents or skip them initially (recommendation: skip, they're optional).
**Acceptance**: `flynn tui``/council preflight` shows all agents resolved, tiers probed OK, no `[agent_missing]` flags.
---
## Phase 2: Structured Output Compatibility
**Problem**: The orchestrator demands strict JSON schema output (`responseFormat: jsonSchemaFormat(...)`) from every agent call. Most models handle this poorly or inconsistently. The pipeline has JSON repair + agent-based recovery, but if the underlying model doesn't support `response_format: json_schema`, it may fail before repair kicks in.
**Tasks**:
1. Verify which models/providers in Flynn's config support `response_format` with `json_schema` type.
- OpenAI GPT-4o+: yes
- Anthropic Claude: no native `json_schema` (uses prompt-based JSON)
- Copilot/OpenRouter: depends on underlying model
- Ollama: partial support
2. Check how Flynn's model router handles `responseFormat` for providers that don't support it — does it silently drop it, error, or adapt?
- File: `src/models/` — check provider adapters
3. If needed, make the `responseFormat` parameter gracefully degrade:
- For providers without `json_schema` support, rely on the system prompt directive ("Return JSON only...") + the existing `parseWithAgentRecovery` fallback
- Don't hard-fail if the provider ignores `responseFormat`
4. Test with the actual configured model to confirm JSON output parses correctly through the Zod schemas.
**Acceptance**: A single group round (D, round 1) completes without `repair_failed` or `parse_failed` using the configured model.
---
## Phase 3: Bridge & Cap Validation
**Problem**: `enforceBridgeCaps()` throws hard on any cap violation (`cap_exceeded`), which kills the entire run. Real model output is likely to exceed the tight defaults (e.g., `bridge_entry_max_chars: 300`).
**Tasks**:
1. Review default cap values and increase if they're too restrictive for real output:
- `bridge_packet_max_chars: 2500` — may need 4000-5000
- `bridge_entry_max_chars: 300` — may need 500-800
- `bridge_field_max_bullets: 6` — probably fine
2. Consider making `enforceBridgeCaps` truncate rather than throw — trim entries to max chars, drop excess bullets, with a trace warning.
3. Alternatively, add a `strict_bridge: false` config option that allows soft enforcement.
**Acceptance**: A 2-round run completes without `bridge_validation_failed` stop reason.
---
## Phase 4: End-to-End Run
**Tasks**:
1. Run `/council preflight` — confirm clean.
2. Run `/council <simple test task>` — e.g., "What's the best approach to add persistent memory to an AI assistant?"
3. Verify:
- Pipeline reaches `max_rounds` or `convergence` stop reason (not an error).
- Both D and P groups produce shortlists.
- Meta merge produces `selected_primary` and `selected_secondary`.
- Artifacts are written to `~/.local/share/flynn/councils/`.
- Markdown summary is human-readable and useful.
4. Fix any issues surfaced during the run (likely: JSON format, cap overflow, agent prompt tuning).
**Acceptance**: At least one clean end-to-end run with real models, artifacts saved, readable output.
---
## Phase 5: Integration with Zap (OpenClaw)
**Goal**: Let zap delegate council tasks to Flynn via external agent invocation.
**Tasks**:
1. Determine the integration path:
- **Option A**: Flynn exposes a CLI command (`flynn council run --task "..."`) that zap can call via `exec`.
- **Option B**: Flynn exposes an HTTP endpoint for council runs (if gateway supports it).
- **Option C**: Zap uses `sessions_spawn` to invoke Flynn as an ACP agent with a council task.
2. Implement the chosen path (likely Option A as simplest):
- Add `flynn council run --task "<task>" [--max-rounds N] [--output json|markdown]` CLI subcommand.
- Output the markdown summary to stdout, JSON to a file.
3. Update zap's council skill to support a `backend: flynn` option that delegates to Flynn instead of spawning subagents.
**Acceptance**: Zap can invoke `flynn council run --task "..."` and get structured output back.
---
## Estimated Work
| Phase | Effort | Risk |
|-------|--------|------|
| 1. Config & agents | Small (config-only) | Low |
| 2. Structured output | Medium (may need provider adapter changes) | Medium — depends on model JSON compliance |
| 3. Bridge caps | Small (config + maybe truncation logic) | Low |
| 4. E2E run | Medium (iterative debugging) | Medium — real models are unpredictable |
| 5. Zap integration | Medium (new CLI command + skill update) | Low |
**Total**: ~1-2 focused sessions.
---
## Open Questions
- Which model tier to use for council agents? Start with `default` (cheapest), upgrade after confirmed working.
- Should we keep the scaffold system or skip it for now? Recommendation: skip (`scaffold_path` unset), use system prompts only.
- Do we need the writer agents? Recommendation: skip for v1, the meta arbiter output is sufficient.
## TODO (from earlier council skill work)
- Revisit subagent personality depth
- Revisit skill name ("council")
- Consider unifying debate and parallel flows
- Experiment with 2-round sufficiency
- Test with different model tiers for advisors vs referee