Task Coordination

This skill provides a general coordination mechanism for shared task directories. It prevents conflicts when both Manager and Workers need to access/modify the same task workspace.

Problem

When a Worker delegates work to Manager (e.g., git operations), the Manager modifies the Worker's workspace. During this time, the Worker might also be modifying files, causing potential conflicts.

Solution

Use .processing marker files to signal "work in progress". Any party (Worker or Manager) must check for this marker before modifying a task directory.

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Task Directory Structure

tasks/{task-id}/
├── workspace/          # Code workspace (shared between Worker and Manager)
├── notes/              # Worker's notes, plan.md, memory (not synced by Manager)
├── meta.json           # Task metadata
└── .processing         # Processing marker file (created when work in progress)

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The .processing Marker

Format

Location: tasks/{task-id}/.processing

{
  "processor": "manager",
  "started_at": "2026-02-25T10:30:00Z",
  "expires_at": "2026-02-25T10:45:00Z",
  "operation": "git-delegation"
}

Fields

Field	Description
processor	Who is processing: manager or worker name
started_at	ISO 8601 timestamp when processing started
expires_at	ISO 8601 timestamp when marker expires (15 min default)
operation	What operation is in progress (optional)
run_id	Optional unique identifier for your current operation; coding CLI execution requires it to match before passing through an active marker

Expiration

The marker auto-expires after 15 minutes (configurable). This prevents deadlocks if a process crashes without removing the marker.

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Coordination Protocol

Before Modifying Task Directory

Always follow this sequence: