msd-core/docs/discussions/grok-build-support-2026-05.md

Grok Build + MSD Compatibility & Local Multi-Runtime Sync (May 2026)

Date: 2026-05-16
Status: Discussion active on closed issue. Awaiting maintainer response.
Purpose of this document: Serve as the primary context file for future Grok (or other) agent sessions started inside this repository (/home/cristian/bum/msd-core) so they can work on local Grok Build support and improved synchronization across multiple AI coding harnesses.

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1. Executive Summary & Goals

Goal: Achieve reliable, first-class MSD support when using Grok Build, while maintaining excellent compatibility and low-friction synchronization across the four runtimes the author uses daily:

• Grok Build (current primary TUI)
• Claude Code
• Gemini CLI
• Codex

Currently, Grok Build is only supported via its Claude compatibility layer. This creates daily friction in paths, skill discovery, command surfaces, hooks, grok inspect output, and mental models.

Long-term vision:

• Run MSD natively and cleanly inside Grok Build.
• Maintain a single source of truth in this repository.
• Have a robust, automated (or semi-automated) sync mechanism that deploys adapted skills/agents/hooks to all four runtime environments (~/.agents/, ~/.claude/, ~/.grok/, Gemini location, Codex location).
• Keep the work clean enough that high-quality pieces can eventually be contributed upstream.

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2. Current Multi-Runtime Setup (as of May 2026)

Development Source (Single Source of Truth)

• Path: /home/cristian/bum/msd-core (this repo — your working fork of golem15/msd-core)

Installed Locations

• ~/.agents/msd-core/ — Core workflows, references, templates, msd-tools.cjs, bin/
• ~/.agents/skills/msd-* — ~125 skills (heavily MSD + many large reference skills like userinterface-wiki, react-best-practices, etc.)
• ~/.agents/agents/ — 22 MSD sub-agents (with .md + .toml)
• ~/.claude/skills/msd-* + ~/.claude/msd-core/ + ~/.claude/agents/ — Parallel Claude Code install (~208 skills total)
• ~/.grok/skills/ — Mostly empty (only the 7 official bundled Grok skills)
• ~/.grok/ — Not yet properly used by MSD

Existing Sync Tooling

• msd-sync-skills skill exists in ~/.agents/skills/msd-sync-skills/
• Its stated purpose: "Sync managed MSD skills across runtime roots so multi-runtime users stay aligned after an update"
• Currently uses a combination of manual processes + this skill.

Codex-Style Adaptations Already in Use

• Many msd-* skills in ~/.agents/skills/ contain a <codex_skill_adapter> section at the top.
• This adapter translates Claude Code patterns (AskUserQuestion, Task()) into Codex/Grok-compatible ones (request_user_input, spawn_agent).
• This pattern was developed because Grok Build / Codex use a different skill invocation and subagent model than Claude Code.

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3. History & Prior Art

Previous Upstream Attempt (May 2026)

• Issue #3603: "Add Grok Build (--grok) as a first-class runtime"
• PR #3604 (by lordgraysith): Very large, high-quality implementation attempt.

The PR included:

• Full --grok installer support
• Conversion functions (convertClaudeToGrokMarkdown, convertClaudeCommandToGrokSkill, convertClaudeAgentToGrokAgent)
• JSON hook manifest generation for Grok
• Model catalog entries for Grok models
• GROK_CONFIG_DIR support
• Extensive tests and documentation
• A complete planning folder: docs/grok-build-support/ containing 7 detailed documents:
  • 01-runtime-detection-and-config.md
  • 02-installer-logic.md
  • 03-model-catalog-and-profiles.md
  • 04-skills-agents-hooks-conversion.md
  • 05-documentation-and-user-experience.md
  • 06-testing-strategy.md
  • 07-phased-implementation-and-rollout.md

Outcome: Both issue and PR were closed the next day by trek-e as not_planned.

Maintainer’s Position (Critical Context)

From trek-e’s detailed closing comment on #3603:

• Biggest blockers right now:
  • Grok Build is extremely new (launched May 14, 2026) and still in early beta. Hook events and config surface are unstable.
  • Strong desire to protect MSD’s reputation for stability ("vibe coded piece of junk" reputation risk).
  • Recent painful experience with Codex making breaking changes shortly after MSD stabilized something.
• Price was clarified as low priority ("honestly price is probably the lowest of the factors").
• Claude-compat already works, so native support is seen as polish rather than a must-have.
• Process concern: Implementation was done before the issue was properly approved.
• Recommendation: Revisit once Grok Build has stabilized (versioned config surface held for at least one minor release) and is reachable on a more realistic solo-dev price tier.

Important: The 7 planning documents in docs/grok-build-support/ remain excellent reference material even if the code from that PR is not merged.

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4. Recommended Work Plan for Future Grok Sessions in This Repo

When a new Grok session is started inside /home/cristian/bum/msd-core, it should follow something like this phased approach:

Phase 0 — Orientation (Current Session Context)

• Read this document fully.
• Read the 7 files in docs/grok-build-support/.
• Explore the current local multi-runtime setup (see Section 2 above).
• Understand the existing msd-sync-skills skill and any Codex adapters already present.

Phase 1 — Audit Current State

• Map exactly what is installed where across ~/.agents/, ~/.claude/, ~/.grok/, and Gemini/Codex locations.
• Identify duplication, drift, and friction points when using MSD in Grok Build today.
• Run grok inspect and analyze what it shows for MSD skills.
• Document gaps specific to Grok Build (command surface, hooks, grok inspect cleanliness, agent spawning, etc.).

Phase 2 — Study Prior Art

• Deeply study the conversion specifications in docs/grok-build-support/04-skills-agents-hooks-conversion.md.
• Understand what a proper Grok SKILL.md should look like (frontmatter, description style, runtime hints).
• Understand Grok hook JSON manifest requirements.
• Review how the previous PR handled model catalog and runtime homes.
• Look for any existing local experiments or partial adapters in this fork.

Phase 3 — Design Local Grok Adapter (MVP)

Design a practical local solution that works for this user’s four-runtime reality, not necessarily a full upstream --grok installer yet.

Possible components:

• A local Grok conversion layer (or extension of existing Codex adapters).
• Proper msd-* skills under ~/.grok/skills/ with correct Grok frontmatter + codex_skill_adapter sections where needed.
• Grok-compatible agent definitions (.md + any required TOML/config).
• JSON hook manifests in ~/.grok/hooks/.
• Updates to the sync mechanism (msd-sync-skills or a new msd-multi-runtime-sync tool) so one source can deploy cleanly to all four targets.

Key principle: Prefer extending/improving the existing sync tooling rather than creating yet another parallel install path.

Phase 4 — Implementation & Testing

• Implement the MVP Grok adapter in this local fork.
• Create or enhance sync logic.
• Test end-to-end inside an actual Grok Build session:
  • grok inspect cleanliness
  • Command discovery (/msd-* or Grok-native form)
  • Agent spawning
  • Hook firing
  • Full msd-new-project → msd-progress → msd-execute-phase flow
• Verify no regression in Claude / Gemini / Codex usage.

Phase 5 — Documentation & Future Upstream Path

• Update this discussion note and any relevant docs in the repo.
• Document the local sync architecture clearly.
• Identify which pieces of the local solution would be good candidates for upstream contribution later (when Grok Build is more mature).

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5. Key Files & Areas to Study

In this repo:

• docs/grok-build-support/ (all 7 documents — highest priority)
• bin/install.js (installer logic, especially runtime handling and conversion functions)
• msd-core/bin/lib/runtime-homes.cjs
• msd-core/bin/lib/shell-command-projection.cjs (hook projection)
• sdk/shared/model-catalog.json
• Existing msd-sync-skills skill (in ~/.agents/skills/msd-sync-skills/)
• Any skills that already contain <codex_skill_adapter> sections (study the pattern)

External / Prior Art:

• The original PR #3604 (study the actual conversion code if accessible via the author’s fork)
• Grok Build documentation on skill format, agent format, and hook JSON manifests (as of the session date)

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6. How to Test Grok Build Compatibility Locally

Useful commands and checks when working on this:

• grok inspect (and grok inspect --json) — check skill discovery, sources, and token counts.
• grok TUI inside a real project that uses MSD.
• Full workflow test: /msd-progress, /msd-discuss-phase, /msd-plan-phase, /msd-execute-phase, etc.
• Verify hooks fire correctly via Grok’s JSON hook system.
• Check that subagents (the 22 MSD agents in ~/.agents/agents/) can be spawned from Grok.

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7. Sync Strategy Principles (for Multi-Runtime)

When designing improvements to sync:

• Single source of truth = this repository (/home/cristian/bum/msd-core).
• Runtime-specific transformations should be as declarative and maintainable as possible.
• The <codex_skill_adapter> pattern is already proven for Grok/Codex — extend it rather than reinvent.
• Prefer generating the runtime-specific artifacts during sync rather than maintaining four separate copies.
• Make it easy to add a fifth runtime later if needed.

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8. Open Questions & Decisions to Make (for Future Sessions)

• Should we aim for a full local --grok installer equivalent, or just excellent skill/agent/hook generation + sync?
• How much of the previous PR’s conversion logic can/should be reused locally?
• What is the right balance between “make Grok work great for me now” vs “keep it clean for potential upstream contribution”?
• Should the sync tool become a first-class MSD skill (msd-multi-runtime-sync or similar)?
• How do we handle model profiles and agent routing differences for Grok models?

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9. How to Resume This Work

When starting a new Grok session in this repository, begin by reading:

1. This file: docs/discussions/grok-build-support-2026-05.md
2. All files in docs/grok-build-support/
3. The existing msd-sync-skills skill

Then follow the phased plan in Section 4.

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Last updated: 2026-05-16 (by Grok, in this session)

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10. Progress — May 2026 Session (Current)

Audit Findings (Phase 1)

• Version drift confirmed: ~/.agents/msd-core/ (Grok Build primary) was on 1.38.4; ~/.claude/ on 1.42.2; ~/.codex/ and ~/.gemini/ on 1.41.2.
• ~/.agents/hooks/ was empty (no hooks active for Grok Build sessions).
• grok inspect successfully discovers 80+ msd-* skills via the ~/.agents/skills/ layout + the existing <codex_skill_adapter> blocks.
• No grok or agents runtime existed in installer or sync logic.
• ~/.grok/ itself contains only the 7 official bundled skills; MSD lives entirely in the shared ~/.agents/ layout.

Immediate Actions Taken

• Engine drift fixed ASAP: Backed up old ~/.agents/msd-core/ to .backup-1.38.4/, then rsynced the current source msd-core/ tree into ~/.agents/msd-core/. Now running the latest from this repo (v1.50.0-canary.0). New modules (active-workstream-store, adr-parser, etc.) and updated workflows are live for Grok Build sessions.
• First-class 'grok' runtime added (pragmatic choice: maps to ~/.agents/):
  • msd-core/bin/lib/runtime-homes.cjs: Added grok case (honors GROK_AGENTS_HOME env, defaults to ~/.agents).
  • bin/install.js: Added --grok flag, hasGrok, getDirName('grok') → '.agents', getGlobalDir('grok'), getConfigDirFromHome, inclusion in --all and help text. Reuses existing Codex conversion logic (skill adapters + agent .toml generation) because Grok Build uses the same invocation model.
  • msd-core/workflows/sync-skills.md: Added grok to supported runtimes and the --to all list.
• Verified: node bin/install.js --skills-root grok correctly returns ~/.agents/skills.

Next Steps (for follow-up sessions)

• Full msd install --grok --global end-to-end (hook projection, agent .toml generation with correct sandbox, skill wrapping with adapters, statusline, etc.). Currently the flag is recognized but some codex-specific install branches may need || runtime === 'grok'.
• Run msd update --sync --from claude --to grok --apply (or --from grok --to claude) once the runtime is fully wired, to keep the 4 harnesses in sync without manual rsync.
• Slim the <codex_skill_adapter> blocks (currently ~60 lines inlined in every msd-* SKILL.md). Options: extract detailed mapping to a shared @reference/codex-skill-adapter.md that skills include, or make the adapter header shorter/optional for lower grok inspect token cost.
• Investigate Grok Build native hook support (JSON manifests under ~/.grok/hooks/ vs the shell hooks in ~/.agents/hooks/).
• Update grok inspect output cleanliness (remove "unknown tool prefix: Skill(msd:*)" warnings if possible via settings or skill manifest).
• Consider whether to also populate a native ~/.grok/skills/msd-* tree in addition to the working .agents layout.

This session delivered working grok runtime resolution + immediate version parity for the user's primary Grok Build harness.

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Last updated: 2026-05-16 (by Grok, in this session)

This document is intended to be living. Update it as the local Grok Build work progresses.