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handoff: write to Argus KB by default, fall back to clipboard #285

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drn merged 2 commits into from
Apr 28, 2026
Merged

handoff: write to Argus KB by default, fall back to clipboard #285

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handoff: write to Argus KB by default, fall back to clipboard
drn Apr 28, 2026
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handoff: address review findings
drn Apr 28, 2026
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26 changes: 21 additions & 5 deletions agents/skills/handoff/SKILL.md
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Expand Up @@ -61,12 +61,28 @@ Keep it concise but complete enough that the receiving agent can continue withou

### Output procedure

1. Write the handoff text (raw markdown, no wrapping code fence) to `/tmp/handoff.md` using the Write tool.
2. Display the file contents to the user inside a fenced code block.
3. Copy to clipboard: `cat /tmp/handoff.md | pbcopy`
4. Confirm: "Copied to clipboard."
The Argus knowledge base is the primary destination for handoffs — they persist across threads and the receiving agent can pull them with `kb_read`, `kb_list`, or `kb_search`. Clipboard is only a fallback when the KB is unavailable.

Writing to a file first guarantees the clipboard content preserves all newlines and formatting exactly as displayed.
1. **Slug.** Derive a slug from the handoff title: lowercase kebab-case. Keep only `[a-z0-9-]`, collapse runs of hyphens, trim leading/trailing hyphens, and cap at 40 characters. If empty after sanitization, use `handoff`. This protects the KB path from traversal characters in user-supplied titles.
2. **Timestamp.** Run `date +%Y-%m-%d-%H%M%S`. If the command fails or returns empty, use a 4-character random hex suffix instead. Seconds in the timestamp keep two same-minute invocations from colliding.
3. **Paths.** KB path: `memory/handoff/<timestamp>-<slug>.md`. Temp file: `/tmp/handoff-<timestamp>.md` (timestamped so concurrent invocations don't overwrite each other).
4. **Document.** Build the full document with YAML frontmatter at the top — Argus KB requires `title` and `tags`:

```
---
title: "<handoff title>"
tags: [handoff, <slug>]
---

<handoff body>
```

5. Write the full document (raw markdown, no wrapping code fence) to the temp path using the Write tool.
6. Display the handoff body (without frontmatter) to the user inside a fenced code block.
7. **Save to KB.** Call `mcp__argus__kb_ingest` with the KB path and the full document. If that exact tool name is not registered, retry with `mcp__argus-kb__kb_ingest` — both names refer to the same server in different harnesses. On success, tell the user: handoff saved to the KB path, and the receiving agent can find it with `kb_list("memory/handoff/")` (latest is highest-sorted by timestamp) or `kb_search("<slug>")`. Handoffs are intentionally not deduplicated — each one is a session snapshot.
8. **Clipboard fallback.** If the Argus KB MCP server is not running (both tool names return tool-not-found, or the ingest call returns a server error), run `cat <temp path> | pbcopy` and report: KB unavailable — copied to clipboard instead.

Writing to a temp file first guarantees the content preserves all newlines and formatting exactly as displayed, regardless of whether it ends up in the KB or the clipboard.

---

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