From 1cf11b6d9f1968abd3a427484d503aaeedca39eb Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Sujay Choubey <sujaychoubey@Sujays-MacBook-Pro-3.local>
Date: Tue, 17 Feb 2026 18:40:42 +0530
Subject: [PATCH] fix: include agentConfig.permissions=skip in ao init --auto
 output

When using claude-code, each agent runs inside a fresh git worktree
it has never previously visited. Claude shows an interactive trust
prompt on first entry to any new directory and blocks waiting for a
keypress. Without --dangerously-skip-permissions, every spawned agent
silently hangs at this prompt. The dashboard shows all sessions stuck
at "spawning" indefinitely and no work is ever performed.

Root cause: handleAutoMode() in init.ts built the config object without
the agentConfig.permissions field, so the claude-code plugin defaulted
to "default" (no flag) on every spawn.

Fix:
- Add agentConfig.permissions: "skip" to the defaults block emitted by
  ao init --auto, with an inline comment explaining why it is required
- Update README Configuration example to show the field and explain
  the trust-dialog failure mode
- Add the scenario to the Troubleshooting quick-reference so users
  who hit it after manual config edits can find the fix immediately

The fix is safe: AO creates worktrees from the user's own repository,
so the implicit trust granted by --dangerously-skip-permissions is
equivalent to the user manually accepting the prompt for every session.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
---
 README.md                         | 13 +++++++++++++
 packages/cli/src/commands/init.ts |  8 ++++++++
 2 files changed, 21 insertions(+)

diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 2b249fa64..df2a0a6bd 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -158,6 +158,8 @@ defaults:
   agent: claude-code
   workspace: worktree
   notifiers: [desktop]
+  agentConfig:
+    permissions: skip  # required — see note below
 
 projects:
   my-app:
@@ -170,6 +172,16 @@ projects:
       Write clear commit messages.
 ```
 
+> **`permissions: skip` is required when using claude-code.**
+> Each agent runs in a fresh git worktree it has never seen before. Claude shows
+> an interactive trust prompt on first entry to any new directory — *"Do you trust
+> the files in this folder?"* — and waits for a keypress. Without this flag, every
+> spawned session silently blocks at that prompt, the dashboard shows all agents
+> stuck at "spawning", and no work ever gets done. Setting `permissions: skip`
+> passes `--dangerously-skip-permissions` to Claude, bypassing the prompt.
+> This is safe in the AO context because you are the one creating the worktrees
+> from your own repository.
+
 See `agent-orchestrator.yaml.example` for full reference.
 
 ## Examples
@@ -213,6 +225,7 @@ See [TROUBLESHOOTING.md](TROUBLESHOOTING.md) for common issues and solutions.
 - Terminal not working → node-pty rebuild (automatic via postinstall hook)
 - Port in use → Kill existing server or change port in config
 - Config not found → Run `ao init` from your project directory
+- **All agents stuck at "spawning" forever** → `agentConfig.permissions: skip` is missing from your config. Claude blocks on an interactive trust dialog in each new worktree. Add it under `defaults:` (see Configuration above).
 
 ## Philosophy
 
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/init.ts b/packages/cli/src/commands/init.ts
index 92c5fac80..7f9a73fea 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/commands/init.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/init.ts
@@ -441,6 +441,14 @@ async function handleAutoMode(outputPath: string, smart: boolean): Promise<void>
       agent: "claude-code",
       workspace: "worktree",
       notifiers: ["desktop"],
+      // Required for claude-code: each agent runs in a fresh git worktree it has
+      // never seen before. Claude shows an interactive trust dialog on first entry
+      // to any new directory. Without this flag the agent process blocks silently
+      // waiting for keyboard input that never arrives, causing every spawned
+      // session to hang at "spawning" indefinitely.
+      agentConfig: {
+        permissions: "skip",
+      },
     },
     projects: {
       [projectId]: {