Codex

ralph-abort

Abort a running agent loop and optionally revert changes

104 stars

Best use case

ralph-abort is best used when you need a repeatable AI agent workflow instead of a one-off prompt.

It is a strong fit for teams already working in Codex.

Abort a running agent loop and optionally revert changes

Teams using ralph-abort should expect a more consistent output, faster repeated execution, less prompt rewriting.

When to use this skill

  • You want a reusable workflow that can be run more than once with consistent structure.

When not to use this skill

  • You only need a quick one-off answer and do not need a reusable workflow.
  • You cannot install or maintain the underlying files, dependencies, or repository context.

Installation

Claude Code / Cursor / Codex

$curl -o ~/.claude/skills/ralph-abort/SKILL.md --create-dirs "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jmagly/aiwg/main/.agents/skills/ralph-abort/SKILL.md"

Manual Installation

  1. Download SKILL.md from GitHub
  2. Place it in .claude/skills/ralph-abort/SKILL.md inside your project
  3. Restart your AI agent — it will auto-discover the skill

How ralph-abort Compares

Feature / Agentralph-abortStandard Approach
Platform SupportCodexLimited / Varies
Context Awareness High Baseline
Installation ComplexityUnknownN/A

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this skill do?

Abort a running agent loop and optionally revert changes

Which AI agents support this skill?

This skill is designed for Codex.

Where can I find the source code?

You can find the source code on GitHub using the link provided at the top of the page.

Related Guides

SKILL.md Source

# Al Abort

Abort a running or paused agent loop.

## Usage

```
/ralph-abort               # Abort, keep changes
/ralph-abort --revert      # Abort and revert all changes
/ralph-abort --force       # Abort even if no active loop
```

## Parameters

### --keep-changes (default)
Stop the loop but keep all file changes made during iterations.

### --revert
Revert all changes made during the agent loop using git:
- Identify commits made during loop (prefix: `ralph: iteration`)
- Reset to commit before loop started
- **Warning**: This discards work

### --force
Abort even if state indicates no active loop (for cleanup).

## Your Actions

### Standard Abort

1. Read `.aiwg/ralph/current-loop.json`
2. Verify there's an active loop
3. Mark loop as aborted
4. Generate partial completion report
5. Confirm to user

**Output**:
```
Agent Loop: ABORTED

Task: {task}
Iterations completed: {N}
Duration: {time}

Changes have been kept. To revert:
  git reset --hard HEAD~{N}

Partial report: .aiwg/ralph/completion-{timestamp}.md
```

### With --revert

1. Read loop state
2. Find all `ralph: iteration` commits from this loop
3. Confirm with user before reverting
4. Reset git to pre-loop state
5. Clean up state files

**Confirmation prompt**:
```
This will revert {N} commits:
- ralph: iteration 1 - initial attempt
- ralph: iteration 2 - fixed auth
- ralph: iteration 3 - in progress

Files to be reverted:
- src/auth.ts
- test/auth.test.ts

Type 'yes' to confirm revert:
```

**After revert**:
```
Agent Loop: ABORTED + REVERTED

Reverted {N} commits.
Working directory restored to pre-loop state.

State cleaned: .aiwg/ralph/current-loop.json archived
```

## Error Handling

**No active loop**:
```
No active agent loop to abort.

Use --force to clean up stale state files if needed.
```

**Git not available**:
```
Git not available for --revert option.

Loop aborted, but changes cannot be reverted automatically.
Manual cleanup may be needed.
```

**Dirty working directory (for --revert)**:
```
Cannot revert: uncommitted changes exist.

Options:
1. Commit or stash changes first
2. Use /ralph-abort without --revert to keep current state
```

## State Changes

After abort:
- `current-loop.json` marked with `status: "aborted"`
- `active: false`
- Completion report generated with partial results
- Loop can no longer be resumed

## Related

- `/ralph-status` - Check loop status before aborting
- `/ralph-resume` - Continue instead of abort

## References

- @$AIWG_ROOT/agentic/code/addons/ralph/README.md — Ralph addon overview and loop executor documentation
- @$AIWG_ROOT/agentic/code/addons/aiwg-utils/rules/human-authorization.md — Authorization rules for irreversible actions like revert
- @$AIWG_ROOT/docs/cli-reference.md — CLI reference for ralph-abort and related commands
- @$AIWG_ROOT/agentic/code/frameworks/sdlc-complete/README.md — SDLC framework context