---
name: Ouroboros Help
slug: ouroboros-help
category: AI Engineering
description: Ouroboros Help is a full reference guide for Ouroboros commands and agents, covering usage, natural language triggers, and setup. Use it to look up commands, skills, agents, and installation instructions for the Ouroboros requirement crystallization engine.
github: "https://github.com/Q00/ouroboros/tree/main/skills/help"
language: Python
stars: 5431
forks: 550
install: "npx degit https://github.com/Q00/ouroboros/tree/main/skills/help ~/.claude/skills/help"
installs_to: ~/.claude/skills/help
source_path: skills/help/SKILL.md
collection_size: 25
category_size: 2451
collection_url: "https://dirskills.com/collections/Q00/ouroboros"
added: 2026-08-16T07:00:00.698Z
last_synced: 2026-08-16T07:00:00.698Z
canonical_url: "https://dirskills.com/skills/ouroboros-help"
---

# Ouroboros Help

Ouroboros Help is a full reference guide for Ouroboros commands and agents, covering usage, natural language triggers, and setup. Use it to look up commands, skills, agents, and installation instructions for the Ouroboros requirement crystallization engine.

**Install:**

```bash
npx degit https://github.com/Q00/ouroboros/tree/main/skills/help ~/.claude/skills/help
```

## README

# /ouroboros:ouroboros-help

Full reference guide for Ouroboros power users.

## Usage

```
ooo help
/ouroboros:ouroboros-help
```

## What Is Ouroboros?

Ouroboros is a **requirement crystallization engine** for AI workflows. It transforms vague ideas into validated specifications through:

1. **Socratic Interview** - Exposes hidden assumptions
2. **Seed Generation** - Creates immutable specifications
3. **PAL Routing** - Auto-escalates/descends model complexity
4. **Lateral Thinking** - 5 personas to break stagnation
5. **3-Stage Evaluation** - Mechanical > Semantic > Consensus

## All Commands

### Core Commands

| Command | Purpose | Mode |
|---------|---------|------|
| `ooo` | Welcome + quick start | Plugin |
| `ooo interview` | Socratic requirement clarification | Plugin |
| `ooo seed` | Generate validated seed spec | Plugin |
| `ooo run` | Execute seed workflow | MCP |
| `ooo evaluate` | 3-stage verification | MCP |
| `ooo unstuck` | 5 lateral thinking personas | Plugin |
| `ooo status` | Session status + drift check | MCP |
| `ooo resume-session` | List in-flight sessions and re-attach commands | CLI |
| `ooo setup` | Installation wizard | Plugin |
| `ooo config` | Settings GUI — per-stage agents & models (browser here, TUI in a terminal) | CLI |
| `ooo welcome` | First-touch welcome guide | Plugin |
| `ooo tutorial` | Interactive hands-on learning | Plugin |
| `ooo help` | This reference guide | Plugin |
| `ooo pm` | PM-focused interview + PRD generation | MCP |
| `ooo qa` | General-purpose QA verdict for any artifact | Plugin |
| `ooo cancel` | Cancel stuck or orphaned executions | CLI |
| `ooo update` | Check for updates + upgrade to latest | Plugin |
| `ooo brownfield` | Scan and manage brownfield repo defaults | MCP |
| `ooo publish` | Publish Seed as GitHub Issues for teams | Plugin |

### Evolutionary Loop

| Command | Purpose | Mode |
|---------|---------|------|
| `ooo evolve` | Start/monitor evolutionary development loop | MCP |
| `ooo ralph` | Client-driven loop until verified (uses background evolve_step jobs) | Plugin + MCP |

**Plugin** = Works immediately after `ooo setup`.
**MCP** = Requires `ooo setup` (Python >= 3.12 auto-detected). Run setup once to unlock all features.

## Natural Language Triggers

| Phrase | Triggers |
|--------|----------|
| "interview me", "clarify requirements", "socratic interview" | `ooo interview` |
| "crystallize", "generate seed", "create seed", "freeze requirements" | `ooo seed` |
| "ouroboros run", "execute seed", "run seed", "run workflow" | `ooo run` |
| "evaluate this", "3-stage check", "verify execution" | `ooo evaluate` |
| "think sideways", "i'm stuck", "break through", "lateral thinking" | `ooo unstuck` |
| "am I drifting?", "drift check", "session status" | `ooo status` |

### Utility Triggers

| Phrase | Triggers |
|--------|----------|
| "write prd", "pm interview", "product requirements", "create prd" | `ooo pm` |
| "qa check", "quality check" | `ooo qa` |
| "cancel execution", "stop job", "kill stuck", "abort execution" | `ooo cancel` |
| "in-flight sessions", "mcp disconnected", "lost Ouroboros execution" | `ooo resume-session` |
| "update ouroboros", "upgrade ouroboros" | `ooo update` |
| "open settings", "change model", "change agent", "configure backend" | `ooo config` |
| "brownfield defaults", "brownfield scan" | `ooo brownfield` |
| "publish to github", "create issues from seed", "seed to issues" | `ooo publish` |

### Loop Triggers

| Phrase | Triggers |
|--------|----------|
| "ralph", "don't stop", "must complete", "until it works", "keep going" | `ooo ralph` |
| "evolve", "evolutionary loop", "iterate until converged" | `ooo evolve` |

## Available Skills

### Core Skills

| Skill | Purpose | Mode |
|-------|---------|------|
| `/ouroboros:welcome` | First-touch welcome experience | Plugin |
| `/ouroboros:interview` | Socratic requirement clarification | Plugin |
| `/ouroboros:seed` | Generate validated seed spec | Plugin |
| `/ouroboros:ouroboros-run` | Execute seed workflow | MCP |
| `/ouroboros:evaluate` | 3-stage verification | MCP |
| `/ouroboros:unstuck` | 5 lateral thinking personas | Plugin |
| `/ouroboros:ouroboros-status` | Session status + drift check | MCP |
| `/ouroboros:resume-session` | List in-flight sessions and re-attach commands | CLI |
| `/ouroboros:setup` | Installation wizard | Plugin |
| `/ouroboros:tutorial` | Interactive hands-on learning | Plugin |
| `/ouroboros:ouroboros-config` | Settings GUI | Plugin |
| `/ouroboros:ouroboros-help` | This guide | Plugin |
| `/ouroboros:pm` | PM-focused interview + PRD generation | MCP |
| `/ouroboros:qa` | General-purpose QA verdict for any artifact | Plugin |
| `/ouroboros:cancel` | Cancel stuck or orphaned executions | CLI |
| `/ouroboros:update` | Check for updates + upgrade to latest | Plugin |
| `/ouroboros:brownfield` | Scan and manage brownfield repo defaults | MCP |
| `/ouroboros:publish` | Publish Seed as GitHub Issues for teams | Plugin |

### Loop Skills

| Skill | Purpose | Best For |
|-------|---------|----------|
| `/ouroboros:ralph` | Client-driven loop over background evolve_step jobs | "Don't stop", must complete |
| `/ouroboros:evolve` | Evolutionary ontology refinement | Spec iteration until convergence |

## Available Agents

| Agent | Purpose |
|-------|---------|
| `ouroboros:socratic-interviewer` | Exposes hidden assumptions through questioning |
| `ouroboros:ontologist` | Finds root problems vs symptoms |
| `ouroboros:seed-architect` | Crystallizes requirements into seed specs |
| `ouroboros:evaluator` | Three-stage verification |
| `ouroboros:contrarian` | "Are we solving the wrong problem?" |
| `ouroboros:hacker` | "Make it work first, elegance later" |
| `ouroboros:simplifier` | "Cut scope to absolute minimum" |
| `ouroboros:researcher` | "Stop coding, start investigating" |
| `ouroboros:architect` | "Question the foundation, redesign if needed" |

## Setup

After installing Ouroboros, run `ooo setup` once to register the MCP server.
This connects your runtime backend to the Ouroboros Python core and unlocks all features.

```
ooo setup    # One-time setup (~1 minute)
```

## RFC #1392 State Breadcrumb Footer

Your final response MUST end with exactly one breadcrumb footer line:

```
◆ <current state> → next: <recommended action>
```

Derive `<current state>` from live session state via `ouroboros_session_status` when that MCP projection is available; otherwise derive it from this skill's actual outcome. Never use a linear `Step N of M` footer because Ouroboros is an evolutionary loop. When the next action is genuinely a choice, list 2-3 honest options in the `next:` clause. The breadcrumb line must be the last line of the response.