/gobby clones - Clone Management Skill

This skill manages git clones via the gobby-clones MCP server. Clones are full repository copies that can be worked on independently without affecting the main repository.

Clones vs Worktrees

Use clones when:

• •Running multiple agents in parallel on independent tasks
• •Working on features that might conflict
• •Need complete isolation from main repo state
• •Want to easily discard work without affecting main

Use worktrees when:

• •Working on related features that share code
• •Need quick switching between branches
• •Disk space is a concern
• •Working solo on sequential tasks

Session Context

IMPORTANT: Use the session_id from your SessionStart hook context.

Look for Gobby Session Ref: or Gobby Session ID: in your system context:

Gobby Session Ref: #5
Gobby Session ID: <uuid>

Note: All session_id and parent_session_id parameters accept #N, N, UUID, or prefix formats.

Subcommands

/gobby clones create <branch-name> <clone-path> - Create a new clone

Call create_clone with:

• •branch_name: (required) Branch to clone
• •clone_path: (required) Path where clone will be created
• •remote_url: Remote URL (defaults to origin of parent repo)
• •task_id: Optional task ID to link
• •base_branch: Base branch (default: main)
• •depth: Clone depth (default: 1 for shallow)

Creates an isolated git clone for development.

Example: /gobby clones create feature/auth /tmp/gobby-clones/auth -> create_clone(branch_name="feature/auth", clone_path="/tmp/gobby-clones/auth")

/gobby clones show <clone-id> - Show clone details

Call get_clone with:

• •clone_id: (required) Clone ID

Returns clone details including path, branch, status, and linked task.

Example: /gobby clones show clone-abc123 -> get_clone(clone_id="clone-abc123")

/gobby clones list - List all clones

Call list_clones with:

• •status: Filter by status (active, syncing, stale, cleanup)
• •limit: Max results (default: 50)

Returns clones with path, branch, status, and associated task.

Example: /gobby clones list -> list_clones() Example: /gobby clones list active -> list_clones(status="active")

/gobby clones spawn <branch-name> <prompt> - Spawn agent in new clone

Call spawn_agent_in_clone with:

• •prompt: (required) Task description for the agent
• •branch_name: (required) Name for the branch in the clone
• •parent_session_id: (required) Parent session ID for context
• •task_id: Optional task ID to link
• •base_branch: Branch to clone from (default: main)
• •clone_path: Optional custom path for the clone
• •mode: Execution mode (terminal, embedded, headless) - default: terminal
• •terminal: Terminal type (auto, ghostty, etc.) - default: auto
• •provider: LLM provider (claude, gemini, codex, antigravity) - default: claude
• •model: Optional model override
• •workflow: Workflow to activate
• •timeout: Max runtime in seconds (default: 120)
• •max_turns: Max conversation turns (default: 10)

Creates clone + spawns agent in one call. The agent receives clone context including:

• •Warning that they're in an isolated clone
• •Clone path and branch name
• •Rules to stay within the clone directory

Example: /gobby clones spawn feature/auth Implement OAuth login -> spawn_agent_in_clone(branch_name="feature/auth", prompt="Implement OAuth login", parent_session_id="<session_id>")

Example: /gobby clones spawn feature/auth --headless Fix all type errors -> spawn_agent_in_clone(branch_name="feature/auth", prompt="Fix all type errors", mode="headless", parent_session_id="<session_id>")

/gobby clones sync <clone-id> - Sync with remote

Call sync_clone with:

• •clone_id: (required) Clone ID to sync
• •direction: Sync direction (pull, push, both) - required

Syncs the clone with its remote repository.

Example: /gobby clones sync clone-abc123 pull -> sync_clone(clone_id="clone-abc123", direction="pull") Example: /gobby clones sync clone-abc123 push -> sync_clone(clone_id="clone-abc123", direction="push")

/gobby clones merge <clone-id> - Merge clone to target branch

Call merge_clone_to_target with:

• •clone_id: (required) Clone ID to merge
• •target_branch: Target branch to merge into (default: main)

Performs:

1. •Push clone changes to remote
2. •Fetch branch in main repo
3. •Merge to target branch

On success, sets cleanup_after to 7 days. If conflicts occur, use gobby-merge tools to resolve.

Example: /gobby clones merge clone-abc123 -> merge_clone_to_target(clone_id="clone-abc123") Example: /gobby clones merge clone-abc123 develop -> merge_clone_to_target(clone_id="clone-abc123", target_branch="develop")

/gobby clones delete <clone-id> - Delete a clone

Call delete_clone with:

• •clone_id: (required) Clone ID to delete
• •force: Force deletion even with uncommitted changes (default: false)

Removes the clone directory and database record.

Example: /gobby clones delete clone-abc123 -> delete_clone(clone_id="clone-abc123") Example: /gobby clones delete clone-abc123 --force -> delete_clone(clone_id="clone-abc123", force=true)

Response Format

After executing the appropriate MCP tool, present the results clearly:

• •For create: Show clone path, branch name, and ID
• •For show: Full clone details
• •For list: Table with branch, path, status, task ID
• •For spawn: Show clone + agent creation confirmation with run_id
• •For sync: Show sync result (pull/push status)
• •For merge: Show merge result, or conflicts if any
• •For delete: Confirm deletion

Clone Lifecycle

1. •active - Currently in use
2. •syncing - Currently syncing with remote
3. •stale - No recent activity
4. •cleanup - Marked for cleanup (after merge)

Parallel Development Workflow

A typical parallel workflow using clones:

1. Create subtasks for parallel work
   /gobby tasks expand #parent --parallel

2. Spawn agents in separate clones
   /gobby clones spawn feature/auth "Implement OAuth" --task #1
   /gobby clones spawn feature/api "Add API endpoints" --task #2
   /gobby clones spawn feature/tests "Write integration tests" --task #3

3. Each agent works in complete isolation

4. When agent completes, merge back to main
   /gobby clones merge clone-auth
   /gobby clones merge clone-api
   /gobby clones merge clone-tests

5. Handle any merge conflicts
   /gobby merge start wt-main feature/auth

6. Clean up merged clones
   /gobby clones delete clone-auth

Error Handling

Common errors:

• •"Clone not found" - Invalid clone_id
• •"No remote URL provided" - Repository has no remote configured
• •"Clone failed" - Git clone operation failed
• •"Sync failed" - Push or pull failed
• •"Merge conflicts detected" - Use gobby-merge to resolve

If the subcommand is not recognized, show available subcommands:

• •create, show, list, spawn, sync, merge, delete