7. Execute

Chapter 6 confirmed the Seed. Execution hands that Seed to the runtime to produce actual code.

Ouroboros 0.51.5upstream d103058feverified 2026-08-14 against docs and code

7.1 What it does

ooo run validates the Seed and hands execution to the runtime. The runtime writes files and runs commands; Ouroboros manages order and state. The input is the Seed reviewed in chapter 6.

7.2 Start

Run this inside the Claude Code session. Same command in a Codex CLI or OpenCode session once you have set it up.

ooo run

Expected result: execution starts and IDs for status queries are printed. The run continues in the background, so starting is not finishing.

A fresh run asks once how it should execute. Efficient execution starts parallel and decomposed work economically and strengthens the route only when recovery requires it; quality-first execution keeps child work at the parent's starting tier. To stop being asked every time, pin a default once from a normal terminal.

ouroboros config set execution.default_policy quality_first

Expected result: execution.default_policy: ask → quality_first, saved to ~/.ouroboros/config.yaml. The only accepted values are ask (the default), efficient, and quality_first; anything else is rejected. With ask, you keep being prompted. It does not apply to a resume — a resumed run keeps whatever the first run fixed.

7.3 Phases

Double Diamond diagram: a Seed passes through Discover, Define, Design, and Deliver to become code — Execution follows a four-phase order called the Double Diamond.

Phase	Content
Discover	Examine the repository, the environment, and what the requirements still need confirmed.
Define	Decide what to build and what to leave out.
Design	Decide the structure and the order of implementation.
Deliver	Create files and run tests.

This order exists to stop implementation from starting before understanding.

7.4 ID types

Each command prints IDs with different roles. Copy the values below from the output.

ID	Shape	Where you get it	Where you use it
`session_id`	`orch_…`	Interview and run output	`ooo status`, `ooo evaluate`, session resume
`job_id`	`job_…`	Background job start output	Status and result queries for background jobs
`execution_id`	`exec_…`	Run start output	`ooo cancel`
`auto_session_id`	`auto_…`	`ooo auto` output	`ooo auto --resume`
`lineage_id`	`lin_…`	`ooo evolve` output	Revision history queries, `ooo ralph`

7.5 Status

Run this inside the Claude Code session.

ooo status <session_id>

Expected result: the current phase and progress. In a separate terminal, ouroboros monitor opens a live progress view.

7.6 Cancel

Run this inside the Claude Code session.

ooo cancel

Expected result: a list of active executions appears; pick one or pass an ID to cancel. Confirm the state afterwards with ooo status.

7.7 Definition of done

The run state shows completed.
The result files exist in the working folder.
You saved the session_id from the completion summary for the next step. It is used in chapter 8.