ao core gap: launch-time Claude Code title sync primitive

[polymath-orchestrator]

Finding

While working GH #51, the instruction/policy layer could correct the required naming policy, but it cannot guarantee that a newly spawned Claude Code session is never momentarily shown under Claude Code's auto-generated codename.

The repo-owned instruction layer can tell workers and orchestrators to run /rename via tmux once the agent is active. That still depends on code running inside the session after launch. There is no non-backend primitive in this checkout that pushes AO's chosen name into the Claude Code app title at spawn/session-start time.

Why this is parked separately

The ao repo's vanilla rule says backend/core changes must be upstream-shaped and issue-first. #51 explicitly asked not to patch ao core ad hoc. The browser/UI and instruction changes can ship independently, but the strict "never a codename even initially" acceptance criterion needs a launch-time title sync primitive outside the current instruction layer.

Expected capability

Provide an upstream-shaped mechanism so ao can set the Claude Code app title for a session at launch/session-start time:

1. Workers: initial Claude title should be #<issue-or-PR> <short-desc> before the agent has to remember to self-rename.
2. Orchestrators: initial Claude title should be <projectname> Orchestrator.
3. Non-Claude harnesses should remain covered by AO display name only.
4. This should not require changing the tmux session name.

Related

• Tracks the missing primitive discovered in GH orchestrator + worker Claude Code titles: descriptive, reliable, never a codename #51.
• Related ao web/display-name gap: GH ao gap: session displayName has no first-class path to the harness session title #28.

[polymath-orchestrator]

UN-PARKED — this is CRITICAL, not agent:noauto (Nick 2026-07-07). Worker/session names in the Claude Code app keep reverting to codenames (mirrorborn-*) or raw issue titles because ao has NO primitive to set the Claude Code app title — only a manual /rename inside the session does, and nothing runs it automatically for new (esp. daemon-intake) workers. THIS ticket is the durable fix.

Requirements:

1. Launch-time mechanism (SessionStart hook installed with ao's claude-code hooks, or an ao-managed watcher) that sets the Claude Code session title on EVERY claude-code session start to the ao-provided name — no dependence on the agent self-renaming.
2. Name format: ' # ' (ao/cc/lb + issue# + short slug); orchestrators = ' Orchestrator'. Keep ao displayName and the Claude Code title in sync (orchestrator + worker Claude Code titles: descriptive, reliable, never a codename #51).
3. FIX INTAKE DISPLAYNAME: daemon trackerIntake spawns with no DisplayName, so ao derives it from the prompt = the raw issue title ('Fix session cleanup deleting live workspace'). Intake (observe/trackerintake/observer.go) must set SpawnConfig.DisplayName = ' # ' from the issue it already has.
4. Retire the interim scratchpad name-watcher (scratchpad/name-watcher.py, running now) once this lands.

Interim: a name-watcher is live and continuously enforcing the format on all sessions. Priority: P1. Upstream-shaped where it touches ao core (title primitive); intake displayName + hook install are ours.