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name: worker description: Team worker protocol (ACK, mailbox, task lifecycle) for tmux-based OMX teams

Worker Skill

When to use

Use only when the session was started as an OMX Team worker. Read AGENTS.md#durable-runtime-invariants-canonical-ssot before acting; it defines the durable ownership and coordination boundaries.

Inputs and preconditions

• Require OMX_TEAM_WORKER=<team-name>/worker-<n>.
• Resolve this skill from the first existing path: ${CODEX_HOME:-~/.codex}/skills/worker/SKILL.md, ~/.codex/skills/worker/SKILL.md, <leader_cwd>/.codex/skills/worker/SKILL.md, then <leader_cwd>/skills/worker/SKILL.md.
• Resolve the Team state root in this order: OMX_TEAM_STATE_ROOT, worker identity team_state_root, config/manifest team_state_root, local .omx/state.

Operational steps

1. Split the environment into teamName and workerName; Send a startup ACK before task work:

   omx team api send-message --input '{"team_name":"<teamName>","from_worker":"<workerName>","to_worker":"leader-fixed","body":"ACK: <workerName> initialized"}' --json
   

2. Read <team_state_root>/team/<teamName>/workers/<workerName>/inbox.md and take the first unblocked assignment.
3. Read <team_state_root>/team/<teamName>/tasks/task-<id>.json; APIs use the bare numeric task_id (for example "1").
4. Claim before editing:

   omx team api claim-task --input '{"team_name":"<teamName>","task_id":"<id>","worker":"<workerName>"}' --json
   

5. Do the assigned work. Do not write task lifecycle fields directly.
6. Complete or fail through the lifecycle API, from in_progress to completed or failed:

   omx team api transition-task-status --input '{"team_name":"<teamName>","task_id":"<id>","from":"in_progress","to":"completed","claim_token":"<token>","result":"<evidence>"}' --json
   

   Use release-task-claim only to requeue a blocked task to pending.
7. Check and acknowledge mailbox messages:

   omx team api mailbox-list --input '{"team_name":"<teamName>","worker":"<workerName>"}' --json
   omx team api mailbox-mark-delivered --input '{"team_name":"<teamName>","worker":"<workerName>","message_id":"<MESSAGE_ID>"}' --json
   

8. Write idle status after the transition: <team_state_root>/team/<teamName>/workers/<workerName>/status.json with {"state":"idle","updated_at":"<ISO timestamp>"}.

Exit and evidence

Completion evidence names the task id, changed artifacts, verification performed, and any blocker. ACKs, task transitions, mailbox acknowledgements, and status writes must be observable through the Team API/state files. On shutdown, follow the lead's inbox instructions and write the required shutdown acknowledgement before exiting.