HOTL Governed Execution

This is the preferred execution entry point for new HOTL runs. It selects a host driver and an execution profile while preserving the canonical state machine in loop-execution.

Required behavior

1. Resolve and lint the workflow using loop-execution rules.
2. Select the profile from user intent: loop for autonomous sequential work, manual for explicit checkpoints, or delegated for eligible independent steps. Never select delegated execution when the user prohibited subagents.
3. Locate the router in the active HOTL installation, then run runtime/drivers/route.sh preflight <workflow> before initialization. Supported roots include the current repository, ~/.codex/hotl, ~/.codex/plugins/hotl-source, the active Codex plugin cache, the Claude plugin root, and ~/.cline/hotl. Use --host only when the user or trusted host context identifies one.
4. If preflight resolves fallback, follow the chosen existing execution skill with the generic driver. If it resolves native, obtain envelope and use only supported native features; the host sandbox and approvals remain authoritative. Native goals, automations, background sessions, handoffs, and hooks provide scheduling and liveness only. They never replace HOTL ownership, verification, state, or receipts. Preview and experimental continuation features remain explicit opt-ins.
5. Launch new driver-managed runs with --require-owner. Immediately run owner claim --owner <stable-controller-id> --lease-seconds <bounded-lease> --run-id <run-id>, retain the returned token only in the controller, export it as HOTL_OWNER_TOKEN, and run owner heartbeat before and after long actions and at safe transition boundaries. Every later mutation must carry that token. Use explicit owner handoff, owner release, or reviewed owner takeover; never infer ownership from age alone.
6. Persist every step, verification, gate, action decision, effect outcome, budget observation, finalize, and finish transition through the selected driver. Host UI or chat text is never state.
7. Before claiming success, require receipt <run-id> to return sufficiency.sufficient: true. A successful finalize only moves the run to ready_to_finish; finish records the explicit disposition and moves it to completed. If interrupted, run reconcile <run-id> and follow resuming verify-first behavior.

Long-running controller contract

• The controller, not the host session UI or a delegated worker, owns HOTL_OWNER_TOKEN, gates, verification, budgets, and stop conditions.
• Before a sensitive external effect, run action request with a stable idempotency key, obtain the required human action decide, and then persist action begin before performing the effect. Persist the observed result with action complete; after an interrupted or uncertain result, inspect the target and use action reconcile instead of replaying it.
• Treat in_progress or uncertain effect state as a reconciliation stop. Approval authorizes one bounded attempt; it is not evidence that the effect succeeded.
• Keep the lease renewable during long work. If the controller cannot heartbeat safely, stop at a durable boundary and hand off or release ownership.

Compatibility profiles

• loop-execution: canonical autonomous state machine and reporting contract.
• executing-plans: explicit human checkpoints.
• subagent-execution: delegated workers; controller retains gates and verification.
• resuming: interrupted-run recovery.
• finishing-a-development-branch: explicit finish disposition.

These names remain supported. Do not rewrite an accepted workflow merely to use this router.

Safety invariants

• Native mode is opt-in; executable presence alone does not prove capability.
• external_write, production_change, and secret_access require the action request → human action decide → action begin → effect → action complete lifecycle. Interrupted effects use action reconcile, never blind replay.
• Unknown budget telemetry stays unknown.
• Never auto-write project memory. scripts/hotl-memory-proposal.sh only creates a proposal for human review.