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Q-00 Architecture Synthesis: T0 Intake Findings

Agent: lead
Timestamp: 2026-05-11T01:55:00Z
Stage: T0 Intake
Status: IN PROGRESS

Current State Analysis

Research Queue Status

Total Questions: 13 (Q-00 through Q-12)

Status Breakdown: - CLAIMED: Q-00 (lead), Q-05 (researcher - ANSWERED), Q-06 (builder-reviewer) - OPEN: Q-01, Q-02, Q-03, Q-04, Q-07, Q-08, Q-09, Q-10, Q-11, Q-12 - ANSWERED: Q-05 (Knowledge Depot / RAG)

Answered Questions

Q-05: Knowledge Depot / RAG (ANSWERED by researcher)

Recommendation: Use LLM-wiki as primary knowledge depot with optional SQLite enhancement

Key Points: - ✅ LLM-wiki file-based Markdown system is sufficient for MVP - ✅ Avoid complex RAG systems (LlamaIndex) due to Raspberry Pi constraints - ✅ Optional SQLite indexing layer for faster queries if needed - ✅ Keep Pearl Brain for external context, LLM-wiki for local knowledge - ❌ No LlamaIndex or vector search for MVP

Impact on Architecture: - Knowledge system decision made - File-based approach confirmed - SQLite as optional enhancement - No complex RAG dependencies

Open Questions Summary

Q-01: Pi Teams Fit

Focus: Team structure, tmux integration, role configuration Dependencies: None Priority: HIGH (foundational for agent coordination)

Q-02: LangGraph Fit

Focus: Graph-based orchestration vs Pi teams Dependencies: Q-01 (understand Pi teams first) Priority: MEDIUM (alternative approach)

Q-03: Framework Comparison

Focus: Pi-teams vs CrewAI vs AutoGen vs Pydantic AI Dependencies: Q-01, Q-02 Priority: MEDIUM (framework selection)

Q-04: Work Shape / Lifecycle

Focus: T0-T7 task lifecycle, artifact requirements, decision points Dependencies: None Priority: HIGH (process definition)

Q-07: Toolchain / KOS Contract

Focus: KOS exposure, documentation, smoke tests Dependencies: None Priority: MEDIUM (D3-TUI specific)

Q-08: Forgejo Workflow

Focus: Issue templates, branching, sync with wiki Dependencies: Q-04 (work lifecycle) Priority: MEDIUM (workflow integration)

Q-09: Bun / Pi Install / Model Routing

Focus: Runtime installation, model configuration Dependencies: None Priority: MEDIUM (setup requirements)

Q-10: Validation / Smoke Testing

Focus: Validation contract, test scope, reporting Dependencies: Q-07 (toolchain) Priority: MEDIUM (quality assurance)

Q-11: Remote UI / Observability

Focus: Remote viewing, health checks, status files Dependencies: None Priority: LOW (nice-to-have)

Q-12: External Agent Coordination

Focus: External agent participation, claim process Dependencies: Q-04 (work lifecycle), Q-08 (Forgejo workflow) Priority: MEDIUM (collaboration)

Current Bind Mount Structure

Observed Mounts:

/workcell/llm-wiki    → ext4 (rw)
/workcell/runs       → ext4 (rw)  
/workcell/config     → ext4 (rw)
/work/repo           → ext4 (rw)

Analysis: - ✅ Workcell directories are separate ext4 mounts (not Docker volumes) - ✅ Repo is separate mount - ✅ Clear separation between workcell and repo - ✅ All paths are writable by agent user

Current Container Environment

Container Type: Docker (.dockerenv present)

Docker Availability: ❌ Docker not available inside container (no docker-in-docker)

pi-container-sandbox: ❌ Not found (appears to be hypothetical in research questions)

Current Setup: Single Docker container with tmux/pi-teams

Agent Roles and Assignments

Lead Agent (current): - Owns Q-00 Architecture Synthesis - Coordinates question assignment - Makes final architecture recommendations - Ensures protocol compliance

Researcher Agent: - Owns Q-05 Knowledge Depot/RAG (ANSWERED) - Available for additional research questions - Focuses on information architecture

Builder-Reviewer Agent: - Owns Q-06 Runtime Container Shape - Focuses on implementation constraints - Reviews architecture decisions

Workflow Observations

Current Process: 1. Agents check claim-board.md 2. Agents claim one question 3. Agents research and write answer 4. Agents update research-queue.md 5. Lead synthesizes answers into architecture

Working Well: - ✅ Clear claim process - ✅ Structured answer format - ✅ Append-only logging - ✅ Separate workcell/repo mounts

Potential Issues: - ⚠️ No Docker available for container experiments - ⚠️ pi-container-sandbox doesn't exist as a tool - ⚠️ Many questions still open - ⚠️ Framework comparison needed urgently

Constraints Analysis

Raspberry Pi Constraints

Memory: 2-8GB typical (limits complex systems)

Storage: microSD I/O slow (favors fewer files)

CPU: ARM architecture (compatibility concerns)

Power: Limited, thermal throttling risk

Impact: Favor simple, lightweight solutions

Protocol Constraints

From AGENT_PROTOCOL.md: - Work only in mounted repo and allowed paths - No deletion of archives, assets, build evidence - When validation blocked, do review/docs/tests - Leave traceable notes

Impact: Architecture must respect these boundaries

Team Constraints

Three Pi Agents: - Lead: coordination, synthesis, final decisions - Researcher: information architecture, knowledge systems - Builder-Reviewer: implementation, constraints, review

External Agents: - Can claim OPEN questions - Must follow claim process - Should avoid Pi-specific runtime details

Synthesis Approach

Recommended Order

Phase 1: Foundation (Immediate) 1. Q-04 Work Shape / Lifecycle (process definition) 2. Q-01 Pi Teams Fit (team structure) 3. Q-12 External Agent Coordination (collaboration)

Phase 2: Framework (Next) 4. Q-03 Framework Comparison (pi-teams vs alternatives) 5. Q-02 LangGraph Fit (graph-based orchestration)

Phase 3: Implementation (After framework decision) 6. Q-06 Runtime Container Shape (builder-reviewer) 7. Q-09 Bun / Pi Install (runtime setup) 8. Q-07 Toolchain / KOS Contract (D3-TUI specific)

Phase 4: Workflow (Final) 9. Q-08 Forgejo Workflow (issue templates) 10. Q-10 Validation / Smoke Testing (quality) 11. Q-11 Remote UI (observability)

Synthesis Strategy

Iterative Approach: 1. Answer foundational questions first 2. Make framework decision (pi-teams vs alternatives) 3. Design implementation around chosen framework 4. Define workflow and validation processes 5. Add observability as enhancement

Decision Points: - Framework selection (Q-03): pi-teams vs LangGraph vs others - Container strategy (Q-06): single vs multiple containers - Workflow integration (Q-08): Forgejo issue templates

Risk Mitigation: - Start with simplest viable approach - Add complexity only when demonstrated need - Favor file-based systems over databases - Avoid heavy dependencies on Raspberry Pi

Immediate Next Steps

For Lead (Current Work)

  1. ✅ Complete T0 intake (this document)
  2. Proceed to T1 research on synthesis approach
  3. Coordinate with researcher and builder-reviewer
  4. Identify which OPEN questions to assign next
  5. Begin drafting architecture recommendations

For Researcher

  1. Available to claim next research question
  2. Q-01 Pi Teams Fit would be valuable next
  3. Or Q-04 Work Shape / Lifecycle

For Builder-Reviewer

  1. Continue Q-06 Runtime Container Shape research
  2. Focus on single container approach (Docker not available)
  3. Document current bind mount structure
  4. Recommend operational controls

For External Agents

  1. Q-01, Q-02, Q-03, Q-04, Q-07, Q-08, Q-09, Q-10, Q-11, Q-12 available
  2. Follow claim process in claim-board.md
  3. Write answers to answers/q-*.md
  4. Update research-queue.md status

Preliminary Recommendations

Minimal Viable Architecture

Core Components: - ✅ Single Docker container with tmux/pi-teams - ✅ LLM-wiki file-based knowledge depot - ✅ Append-only logging system - ✅ Claim board for task coordination - ✅ Research queue for question tracking

Framework: - ✅ Start with pi-teams (already working) - ❌ Avoid LangGraph complexity for MVP - ❌ Avoid CrewAI/AutoGen for now

Container Strategy: - ✅ Single container (Docker not available inside) - ✅ Current bind mount structure works well - ✅ No pi-container-sandbox (doesn't exist)

Workflow: - ✅ T0-T7 lifecycle (define in Q-04) - ✅ File-based Markdown answers - ✅ Simple grep/find for searching - ✅ Optional SQLite if needed

Enhancement Path

Phase 2 Enhancements: - SQLite indexing for knowledge depot - Forgejo issue templates - Validation smoke tests - Remote UI for observability

Phase 3 Enhancements: - LangGraph for complex orchestration - Multiple containers if needed - Advanced RAG if scale requires

Questions for Team

For Researcher

  1. Should you claim Q-01 (Pi Teams Fit) or Q-04 (Work Shape) next?
  2. Any insights from Q-05 that affect other questions?
  3. Should we prioritize framework comparison (Q-03) urgently?

For Builder-Reviewer

  1. Any early findings on Q-06 container shape?
  2. Does the single container approach meet your constraints?
  3. Any operational control recommendations?

For External Agents

  1. Which OPEN questions are you best positioned to answer?
  2. Any constraints or preferences for question assignment?
  3. How can we make the claim process clearer?

Next Checkpoint

T1 Research Target: 2026-05-11T02:25:00Z (~30 minutes from now)

T1 Goals: - Review researcher's Q-05 answer in detail - Analyze dependencies between open questions - Draft preliminary architecture outline - Identify critical path questions - Prepare for team coordination

T1 Output: Comprehensive research document at /workcell/llm-wiki/wiki/research/answers/q-00-architecture-synthesis/t1-research.md

Last generated: 2026-05-11 20:15 UTC | v0.2.0