manual_slop/conductor/tracks/mma_implementation_20260224/proposal.md

Conductor Self-Reflection & Upgrade Strategy Proposal

1. Executive Summary

To be drafted.

2. Memory Siloing & Token Firewalling

Current Evaluation

Currently, the conductor extension relies heavily on reading index files and full markdown texts recursively through the project structure. This injects entire tracks, plans, guidelines, and specifications into the LLM context continuously. While beneficial for ensuring alignment with user instructions, this linear scaling creates immense token bloat during repetitive planning and execution loops.

Proposed Upgrade Strategy

To align with the 4-Tier Architecture, the Conductor extension must implement Token Firewalling:

1. Curated Manifests & Viewports: Implement an extension tool or AST parser hook to generate "Skeleton Views" or restricted tree maps instead of fully loading index files into the prompt.
2. Stateless Sub-Agent Invocations: Delegate localized tasks (like writing documentation updates to a single file) to a background sub-agent (via run_shell_command leveraging a separate stateless invocation, or by utilizing Gemini CLI's sub-agent framework). This prevents the main conductor thread from storing the trial-and-error generation in its history.
3. Amnesiac Context Management: Incorporate lifecycle hooks (before_tool_call, after_tool_call) to clean up unnecessary tool outputs from the active memory array, only keeping the 50-token summaries of execution outcomes.

3. Execution Clutch & Linear Debug Mode

Current Evaluation

Conductor currently employs an iterative, fire-and-forget execute_tasks workflow where each replace, write_file, and run_shell_command is done sequentially via its prompt instructions. While autonomous, the user's only control mechanism during rapid tool-calling is the standard CLI prompt interruption, which may leave tracked artifacts in an inconsistent state or execute runaway hallucinated loops.

Proposed Upgrade Strategy

To enforce precise developer control, Conductor should natively embed a Human-In-The-Loop Execution Clutch:

1. Interactive Checkpoints (Trust Levels): Use extension hooks like before_tool_call to intercept payload executions based on heuristic models. Tools like replace might trigger an interactive payload editor (vim / CLI editor plugin) before applying the JSON parameters, ensuring full developer review.
2. Global Linear Mode Flag: Implement a gemini conductor:implement --step flag. This configures the engine to pause execution and prompt the user using ask_user natively after every major milestone, allowing validation of file diffs and tool payloads before resuming.
3. Rollback Mutators: Provide quick access commands (e.g., via after_tool_call) to reject the change, auto-restoring the last known file state, and feeding the error/feedback directly back to the model without breaking the run loop.

4. Multi-Model/Sub-Agent Delegation

To be drafted. Focus: Evaluating reliance on single models and proposing a design for delegating tasks via Gemini CLI Sub-agents and Skills.

5. Implementation Strategy

To be drafted. Focus: Alignment with 4-Tier Architecture philosophy and leveraging Gemini CLI's extension framework (manifests, hooks, sub-agents).