Outsource / Task Agent

Delegate complex, multi-step tasks to an autonomous sub-agent that works in the background while you continue chatting.

How It Works

The task agent uses a ReAct loop — it thinks, picks a tool, observes the result, and repeats until the task is done or an error occurs. It has access to:

• file_read / file_write / file_list — read and write local files
• shell_exec — run shell commands (whitelisted in strict mode)
• grep — search code and files
• ask_user — pause and ask you a question mid-task

Two-Step Flow

Tasks always follow a preview → confirm → execute pattern:

Step 1 — Preview

Trigger the outsource skill by using any of these phrases in chat:

Language	Trigger phrases
English	outsource mode, outsource this, delegate to agent, run as task, use task agent
Chinese	外包模式、外包任务、帮我外包、用外包、外包给你
Japanese	派遣モード、派遣して、派遣タスク、派遣に

Example:

"Outsource: scan the project and generate a README"

The agent calls dispatch_task with action=preview, generates a step-by-step plan, and shows it to you for review.

Step 2 — Confirm

Reply with "yes", "start", or similar. The agent calls dispatch_task with action=start and execution begins in the background.

You can continue chatting while the task runs.

Tracking Progress

Open /outsource in the web dashboard to see:

• All tasks (running, done, failed, cancelled)
• Real-time step-by-step execution log
• Tool parameters used at each step (collapsible)
• Final result and files changed

A task tray in the status bar shows active task count at a glance.

Interactive Questions

If the sub-agent needs clarification mid-task, it uses the ask_user tool to pause and send a question to your chat. Reply inline — the agent resumes automatically.

Strict vs. Loose Mode

Mode	Allowed
Strict (default)	Read files, search, syntax checks, tests. Package installs require your explicit approval via ask_user.
Loose	All of the above plus pip install, npm install, arbitrary shell commands (from whitelist).

Configure in settings.yaml:

tools:
  dispatch_task:
    enabled: true
    strict_mode: true   # set to false for loose mode
    max_steps: 20
    max_tokens: 8192

Cancellation & Deletion

• Cancel — Stop a running task from the /outsource page. Status is set to cancelled.
• Delete — Soft-deleted (history preserved). Useful for debugging past task execution logs.

Temporary Files

The sub-agent is instructed to place any temporary scripts in a per-task directory (/tmp/jkriver_tasks/{task_id}/). This directory is automatically cleaned up when the task finishes.