Sub

Overview

Run a subtask through codex exec and fold its output back into the primary task without losing context.

Workflow

1) Parse the /sub command

• •Treat /sub <prompt> as a command.
• •If the prompt is missing, ask the user for the prompt text.
• •Preserve the prompt as provided unless the user requests edits.

2) Execute the subtask

• •Prefer the bundled script to run and stream output:
  • •Locate this skill directory by the path of SKILL.md.
  • •Run: python3 <skill_dir>/scripts/codex_exec.py --prompt "<prompt>".
  • •If the prompt contains $ or other shell-sensitive text, write it to a temp file and pass --prompt-file <path> to avoid shell expansion.
• •The wrapper has no overall timeout, but it will terminate if there is no stdout for 120s. Override with --idle-timeout <seconds> or set --idle-timeout 0 to disable.
• •If the script is unavailable, run codex exec "<prompt>" directly.

3) Monitor and capture output

• •Let the command run to completion.
• •Capture the full output (stdout + stderr) and note the exit code.
• •If the command fails, surface the error output and decide whether to retry, adjust the prompt, or proceed without the subtask.

4) Continue the main task

• •Summarize the subtask result in 1-3 sentences.
• •Continue the higher-level task using the subtask output as inputs.
• •If the subtask returned actionable artifacts (files, commands, or decisions), apply them directly or ask for confirmation when needed.

Resources

scripts/

• •scripts/codex_exec.py: Run codex exec with a prompt and stream output for monitoring and reuse.
• •scripts/test_codex_exec.py: Unit tests for the wrapper script.