ops: remove tmux-based bridge guidance and runtime paths

Author: benvinegar

README.md

@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ Baudbot is designed as shared engineering infrastructure, not a single-user desk
 | **CPU** | 2 vCPU | 4 vCPU |
 | **Disk** | 20 GB | 40 GB+ (repos, dependencies, Docker images) |
 
-System package dependencies (installed by `baudbot install`): `git`, `curl`, `tmux`, `iptables`, `docker`, `gh`, `jq`, `sudo`.
+System package dependencies (installed by `baudbot install`): `git`, `curl`, `iptables`, `docker`, `gh`, `jq`, `sudo`.
 
 ## Quick Start
 

bin/baudbot

@@ -131,8 +131,8 @@ usage() {
   echo "  restart        Restart the agent"
   echo "  status         Show agent status + deployed version + broker connection"
   echo "  logs           Tail agent logs"
-  echo "  attach         Attach to control-agent by default; supports --pi/--tmux"
-  echo "  sessions       List agent tmux and pi sessions (name → id)"
+  echo "  attach         Attach to a running pi session (defaults to control-agent)"
+  echo "  sessions       List live pi sessions (name → id)"
   echo ""
   echo -e "${BOLD}Setup:${RESET}"
   echo "  install        Bootstrap install from GitHub (download script, then escalate)"
@@ -351,16 +351,6 @@ case "${1:-}" in
     shift
     require_root "restart"
     if has_systemd; then
-      # Ensure any pre-existing detached bridge tmux session is torn down so
-      # restart always boots a fresh bridge from currently deployed runtime files.
-      AGENT_USER="${BAUDBOT_AGENT_USER:-baudbot_agent}"
-      if command -v tmux >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-        if command -v sudo >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-          sudo -u "$AGENT_USER" tmux kill-session -t slack-bridge 2>/dev/null || true
-        elif command -v runuser >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-          runuser -u "$AGENT_USER" -- tmux kill-session -t slack-bridge 2>/dev/null || true
-        fi
-      fi
       exec systemctl restart baudbot "$@"
     else
       echo "systemd not available."

bin/baudbot.test.sh

@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ EOF
   )
 }
 
-test_restart_restarts_systemd_and_kills_bridge_tmux() {
+test_restart_restarts_systemd() {
   (
     set -euo pipefail
     local tmp fakebin log_file
@@ -168,12 +168,6 @@ if [ "${1:-}" = "-u" ]; then
 fi
 echo "sudo $*" >> "${BAUDBOT_TEST_LOG}"
 exec "$@"
-EOF
-
-    cat > "$fakebin/tmux" <<'EOF'
-#!/bin/bash
-echo "tmux $*" >> "${BAUDBOT_TEST_LOG}"
-exit 0
 EOF
 
     cat > "$fakebin/systemctl" <<'EOF'
@@ -182,11 +176,10 @@ echo "systemctl $*" >> "${BAUDBOT_TEST_LOG}"
 exit 0
 EOF
 
-    chmod +x "$fakebin/id" "$fakebin/sudo" "$fakebin/tmux" "$fakebin/systemctl"
+    chmod +x "$fakebin/id" "$fakebin/sudo" "$fakebin/systemctl"
 
     PATH="$fakebin:$PATH" BAUDBOT_TEST_LOG="$log_file" BAUDBOT_ROOT="$tmp" bash "$CLI" restart
 
-    grep -q '^tmux kill-session -t slack-bridge$' "$log_file"
     grep -q '^systemctl restart baudbot$' "$log_file"
   )
 }
@@ -198,7 +191,7 @@ run_test "version reads package.json" test_version_uses_package_json
 run_test "status dispatches via runtime module" test_status_dispatches_via_runtime_module
 run_test "attach requires root" test_attach_requires_root
 run_test "broker register requires root" test_broker_register_requires_root
-run_test "restart kills bridge tmux then restarts systemd" test_restart_restarts_systemd_and_kills_bridge_tmux
+run_test "restart restarts systemd" test_restart_restarts_systemd
 
 echo ""
 echo "=== $PASSED/$TOTAL passed, $FAILED failed ==="

bin/lib/baudbot-runtime.sh

@@ -305,8 +305,9 @@ cmd_logs() {
     exec journalctl -u baudbot -f "$@"
   fi
 
-  echo "No systemd unit. Check tmux sessions:"
-  echo "  sudo -u baudbot_agent tmux ls"
+  echo "No systemd unit. Check process + logs:"
+  echo "  pgrep -u baudbot_agent -af 'pi --session-control'"
+  echo "  tail -n 200 /home/baudbot_agent/.pi/agent/logs/runtime.log"
 }
 
 cmd_sessions() {
@@ -316,14 +317,6 @@ cmd_sessions() {
   local found alias alias_name alias_uuid sock sess_id name status
   declare -A ALIASES
 
-  echo -e "${BOLD}tmux sessions:${RESET}"
-  if sudo -u "$AGENT_USER" tmux ls 2>/dev/null; then
-    :
-  else
-    echo "  (none)"
-  fi
-
-  echo ""
   echo -e "${BOLD}pi sessions:${RESET}"
   PI_CONTROL_DIR="$(pi_control_dir "$AGENT_USER")"
   if [ ! -d "$PI_CONTROL_DIR" ]; then
@@ -377,28 +370,26 @@ cmd_attach() {
 
   local AGENT_USER="baudbot_agent"
   local AGENT_HOME="/home/$AGENT_USER"
-  local ATTACH_MODE="auto"
   local TARGET=""
-  local tmux_target pi_target
+  local pi_target
 
   while [ "$#" -gt 0 ]; do
     case "$1" in
       --pi)
-        ATTACH_MODE="pi"
+        # Backward-compatible no-op (pi is the only supported mode now)
         shift
         ;;
       --tmux)
-        ATTACH_MODE="tmux"
-        shift
+        echo "❌ --tmux is no longer supported. Use: sudo baudbot attach [session-name|session-id]"
+        exit 1
         ;;
       -h|--help)
-        echo "Usage: sudo baudbot attach [--pi|--tmux] [session-name|session-id]"
+        echo "Usage: sudo baudbot attach [session-name|session-id]"
         echo ""
         echo "Examples:"
         echo "  sudo baudbot attach                  # defaults to control-agent"
-        echo "  sudo baudbot attach --pi control-agent"
-        echo "  sudo baudbot attach --pi <uuid>"
-        echo "  sudo baudbot attach --tmux slack-bridge"
+        echo "  sudo baudbot attach control-agent"
+        echo "  sudo baudbot attach <uuid>"
         exit 0
         ;;
       *)
@@ -416,82 +407,22 @@ cmd_attach() {
     TARGET="control-agent"
   fi
 
-  attach_tmux_session() {
-    local tmux_target="$1"
-    echo -e "${BOLD}${CYAN}Attaching to tmux session:${RESET} $tmux_target"
-    echo -e "${GREEN}Safe detach:${RESET} Ctrl+b, d ${DIM}(keeps agent running)${RESET}"
-    echo ""
-    pause_before_attach
-    exec sudo -u "$AGENT_USER" tmux attach-session -t "$tmux_target"
-  }
-
   attach_pi_session() {
-    local pi_target="$1"
-    echo -e "${BOLD}${CYAN}Attaching to pi session:${RESET} $pi_target"
+    local target_session="$1"
+    echo -e "${BOLD}${CYAN}Attaching to pi session:${RESET} $target_session"
     echo -e "${BOLD}${YELLOW}Safe detach (does NOT stop the agent):${RESET}"
     echo -e "  ${YELLOW}1)${RESET} Press Ctrl+C once to clear input/cancel local prompt"
     echo -e "  ${YELLOW}2)${RESET} Press Ctrl+C again to exit this client"
     echo -e "  ${GREEN}Agent keeps running under systemd in the background.${RESET}"
     echo ""
     pause_before_attach
-    exec sudo -u "$AGENT_USER" bash -lc "export PATH='$AGENT_HOME/.varlock/bin:$AGENT_HOME/opt/node-v22.14.0-linux-x64/bin':\$PATH; cd ~; varlock run --path ~/.config/ -- pi --session '$pi_target'"
-  }
-
-  choose_tmux_target() {
-    local requested="${1:-}"
-    local first
-
-    if [ -n "$requested" ]; then
-      if sudo -u "$AGENT_USER" tmux has-session -t "$requested" 2>/dev/null; then
-        echo "$requested"
-        return 0
-      fi
-      return 1
-    fi
-
-    first=$(sudo -u "$AGENT_USER" tmux ls -F '#{session_name}' 2>/dev/null | head -1)
-    [ -n "$first" ] || return 1
-    echo "$first"
-    return 0
-  }
-
-  choose_pi_target() {
-    local requested="${1:-}"
-    local resolved
-
-    if ! resolved=$(resolve_pi_session_id "$AGENT_USER" "$requested"); then
-      return 1
-    fi
-
-    [ -n "$resolved" ] || return 1
-    echo "$resolved"
-    return 0
+    exec sudo -u "$AGENT_USER" bash -lc "export PATH='$AGENT_HOME/.varlock/bin:$AGENT_HOME/opt/node-v22.14.0-linux-x64/bin':\$PATH; cd ~; varlock run --path ~/.config/ -- pi --session '$target_session'"
   }
 
-  if [ "$ATTACH_MODE" = "tmux" ]; then
-    if tmux_target=$(choose_tmux_target "$TARGET"); then
-      attach_tmux_session "$tmux_target"
-    fi
-    echo "❌ tmux session not found. See: sudo baudbot sessions"
-    exit 1
-  fi
-
-  if [ "$ATTACH_MODE" = "pi" ]; then
-    if pi_target=$(choose_pi_target "$TARGET"); then
-      attach_pi_session "$pi_target"
-    fi
-    echo "❌ pi session not found. See: sudo baudbot sessions"
-    exit 1
-  fi
-
-  if pi_target=$(choose_pi_target "$TARGET"); then
+  if pi_target=$(resolve_pi_session_id "$AGENT_USER" "$TARGET"); then
     attach_pi_session "$pi_target"
   fi
 
-  if tmux_target=$(choose_tmux_target "$TARGET"); then
-    attach_tmux_session "$tmux_target"
-  fi
-
-  echo "❌ No matching tmux/pi session found. See: sudo baudbot sessions"
+  echo "❌ pi session not found. See: sudo baudbot sessions"
   exit 1
 }

install.sh

@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ install_prereqs_ubuntu() {
 
   for attempt in $(seq 1 5); do
     if DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive apt-get -o DPkg::Lock::Timeout=120 update -qq \
-      && DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive apt-get -o DPkg::Lock::Timeout=120 install -y -qq git curl tmux iptables docker.io gh jq sudo 2>&1 | tail -3; then
+      && DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive apt-get -o DPkg::Lock::Timeout=120 install -y -qq git curl iptables docker.io gh jq sudo 2>&1 | tail -3; then
       return 0
     fi
 
@@ -179,10 +179,10 @@ install_prereqs_ubuntu() {
 }
 
 install_prereqs_arch() {
-  pacman -Syu --noconfirm --needed git curl tmux iptables docker github-cli jq sudo 2>&1 | tail -5
+  pacman -Syu --noconfirm --needed git curl iptables docker github-cli jq sudo 2>&1 | tail -5
 }
 
-info "Installing: git, curl, tmux, iptables, docker, gh, jq, sudo"
+info "Installing: git, curl, iptables, docker, gh, jq, sudo"
 "install_prereqs_$DISTRO"
 info "Prerequisites installed"
 
@@ -318,12 +318,15 @@ else
         warn "Agent didn't start — check: baudbot logs"
       fi
     else
-      sudo -u baudbot_agent tmux new-session -d -s baudbot "$BAUDBOT_HOME/runtime/start.sh" 2>/dev/null || true
+      RUNTIME_LOG_DIR="$BAUDBOT_HOME/.pi/agent/logs"
+      RUNTIME_LOG_FILE="$RUNTIME_LOG_DIR/runtime.log"
+      sudo -u baudbot_agent mkdir -p "$RUNTIME_LOG_DIR"
+      sudo -u baudbot_agent bash -lc "nohup '$BAUDBOT_HOME/runtime/start.sh' >> '$RUNTIME_LOG_FILE' 2>&1 &"
       sleep 2
-      if sudo -u baudbot_agent tmux has-session -t baudbot 2>/dev/null; then
+      if pgrep -u baudbot_agent -f "pi --session-control" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
         info "Agent is running ✓"
       else
-        warn "Agent didn't start — try: baudbot start --direct"
+        warn "Agent didn't start — check: $RUNTIME_LOG_FILE"
       fi
     fi
   else

pi/skills/control-agent/SKILL.md

@@ -198,19 +198,22 @@ git fetch origin
 git worktree add ~/workspace/worktrees/$BRANCH -b $BRANCH origin/main
 
 # 2. Launch the agent IN the worktree
-tmux new-session -d -s $SESSION_NAME \
-  "cd ~/workspace/worktrees/$BRANCH && \
-   export PATH=\$HOME/.varlock/bin:\$HOME/opt/node-v22.14.0-linux-x64/bin:\$PATH && \
-   export PI_SESSION_NAME=$SESSION_NAME && \
-   exec varlock run --path ~/.config/ -- pi --session-control --skill ~/.pi/agent/skills/dev-agent --model <MODEL_FROM_TABLE_ABOVE>"
+mkdir -p ~/.pi/agent/logs
+nohup bash -lc "cd ~/workspace/worktrees/$BRANCH && \
+  export PATH=\$HOME/.varlock/bin:\$HOME/opt/node-v22.14.0-linux-x64/bin:\$PATH && \
+  export PI_SESSION_NAME=$SESSION_NAME && \
+  exec varlock run --path ~/.config/ -- pi --session-control --skill ~/.pi/agent/skills/dev-agent --model <MODEL_FROM_TABLE_ABOVE>" \
+  > ~/.pi/agent/logs/$SESSION_NAME.log 2>&1 &
+DEV_PID=$!
+echo $DEV_PID > ~/.pi/agent/$SESSION_NAME.pid
 ```
 
 **Important notes:**
 - `cd` into the worktree BEFORE launching pi — this ensures pi discovers project context from the repo's CWD
-- Use `exec` so the tmux session exits when pi exits
 - Use `varlock run --path ~/.config/` to validate and inject env vars
 - Set `PI_SESSION_NAME` so the auto-name extension registers it
 - Include `--session-control` for `send_to_session` / `list_sessions`
+- Read logs with `tail -f ~/.pi/agent/logs/$SESSION_NAME.log`
 - Wait **~10 seconds** after spawning before sending messages (agent needs time to initialize)
 - Do NOT use `--name` (not a real pi CLI flag)
 
@@ -225,8 +228,13 @@ SESSION_NAME=dev-agent-myapp-a8b7b331
 REPO=myapp
 BRANCH=fix/some-descriptive-name
 
-# 1. Kill the tmux session (agent should have already exited, but ensure it)
-tmux kill-session -t $SESSION_NAME 2>/dev/null || true
+# 1. Kill the process if still running
+PID_FILE=~/.pi/agent/$SESSION_NAME.pid
+if [ -f "$PID_FILE" ]; then
+  PID=$(cat "$PID_FILE" 2>/dev/null || true)
+  [ -n "$PID" ] && kill "$PID" 2>/dev/null || true
+  rm -f "$PID_FILE"
+fi
 
 # 2. Remove the worktree
 cd ~/workspace/$REPO
@@ -309,10 +317,10 @@ This removes stale `.sock` files, cleans dead aliases, and restarts the Slack br
 - [ ] Find or create sentry-agent:
   1. Use `list_sessions` to look for a session named `sentry-agent`
   2. If found, use that session
-  3. If not found, launch with tmux (see Sentry Agent section)
+  3. If not found, launch as a normal background process (see Sentry Agent section)
   4. Wait ~8 seconds, then send role assignment
 - [ ] Send role assignment to the `sentry-agent` session
-- [ ] Clean up any stale dev-agent worktrees/tmux sessions from previous runs
+- [ ] Clean up any stale dev-agent worktrees/background processes from previous runs
 
 **Note**: Dev agents are NOT started at startup. They are spawned on-demand when tasks arrive.
 
@@ -330,7 +338,9 @@ The sentry-agent triages Sentry alerts and investigates critical issues via the
 | `OPENCODE_ZEN_API_KEY` | `opencode-zen/claude-haiku-4-5` |
 
 ```bash
-tmux new-session -d -s sentry-agent "export PATH=\$HOME/.varlock/bin:\$HOME/opt/node-v22.14.0-linux-x64/bin:\$PATH && export PI_SESSION_NAME=sentry-agent && varlock run --path ~/.config/ -- pi --session-control --skill ~/.pi/agent/skills/sentry-agent --model <MODEL_FROM_TABLE_ABOVE>"
+mkdir -p ~/.pi/agent/logs
+nohup bash -lc "export PATH=\$HOME/.varlock/bin:\$HOME/opt/node-v22.14.0-linux-x64/bin:\$PATH && export PI_SESSION_NAME=sentry-agent && exec varlock run --path ~/.config/ -- pi --session-control --skill ~/.pi/agent/skills/sentry-agent --model <MODEL_FROM_TABLE_ABOVE>" > ~/.pi/agent/logs/sentry-agent.log 2>&1 &
+echo $! > ~/.pi/agent/sentry-agent.pid
 ```
 
 **Model note**: `github-copilot/*` models reject Personal Access Tokens and will fail in non-interactive sessions.
@@ -339,17 +349,14 @@ The sentry-agent operates in **on-demand mode** — it does NOT poll. Sentry ale
 
 ### Starting the Slack Bridge
 
-The `startup-cleanup.sh` script handles bridge (re)start automatically — it detects broker vs Socket Mode, reads the control-agent UUID, and launches the bridge in a `slack-bridge` tmux session.
+The `startup-cleanup.sh` script handles bridge (re)start automatically — it detects broker vs Socket Mode, reads the control-agent UUID, and starts the bridge as a normal background process.
 
-If you need to restart the bridge manually:
+If you need to restart the bridge manually, run `startup-cleanup.sh` again and then inspect logs:
 ```bash
-MY_UUID=$(readlink ~/.pi/session-control/control-agent.alias | sed 's/.sock$//')
-tmux kill-session -t slack-bridge 2>/dev/null || true
-tmux new-session -d -s slack-bridge \
-  "unset PKG_EXECPATH; export PATH=\$HOME/.varlock/bin:\$HOME/opt/node-v22.14.0-linux-x64/bin:\$PATH && export PI_SESSION_ID=$MY_UUID && cd ~/runtime/slack-bridge && exec varlock run --path ~/.config/ -- node broker-bridge.mjs"
+tail -n 200 ~/.pi/agent/logs/slack-bridge.log
 ```
 
-Verify: `curl -s -o /dev/null -w '%{http_code}' -X POST http://127.0.0.1:7890/send -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d '{}'` → should return `400`.
+Verify API readiness: `curl -s -o /dev/null -w '%{http_code}' -X POST http://127.0.0.1:7890/send -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d '{}'` → should return `400`.
 
 The bridge forwards:
 - **Human @mentions and DMs** from allowed users → delivered to you with security boundaries for handling
@@ -362,9 +369,9 @@ Health checks run automatically every ~10 minutes via the `heartbeat.ts` extensi
 If you need to check manually, use `heartbeat trigger` to run all checks immediately.
 
 When the heartbeat reports a failure, take the appropriate action:
-1. **Missing sentry-agent**: Respawn with tmux and re-send role assignment.
-2. **Orphaned dev-agents**: Kill tmux session and remove worktree.
-3. **Bridge down**: Restart the `slack-bridge` tmux session.
+1. **Missing sentry-agent**: Respawn as a background process and re-send role assignment.
+2. **Orphaned dev-agents**: Kill stale process + remove worktree.
+3. **Bridge down**: Restart via `startup-cleanup.sh` and read `~/.pi/agent/logs/slack-bridge.log`.
 4. **Stale worktrees**: `git worktree remove --force` + `rmdir` empty parents.
 5. **Stuck todos**: Escalate to user via Slack.
 

pi/skills/control-agent/memory/operational.md

@@ -8,5 +8,5 @@ Add entries under dated headings. Keep entries concise — one line per learning
 <!-- Example:
 ## 2026-02-17
 - Stale `.sock` files cause bridge "connect ENOENT" errors. Always run `startup-cleanup.sh` with live UUIDs on boot.
-- `varlock run` must be used (not `source .env`) when launching agents in tmux — ensures schema validation.
+- `varlock run` must be used (not `source .env`) when launching agents in background processes — ensures schema validation.
 -->