Before following this workflow, read the Codex runtime contract. It defines plugin paths, model configuration, delegation, and persistence.
Setup pstack for Codex
Write ~/.codex/pstack-models.md, the override file every delegating pstack skill reads before it spawns subagents. Missing roles keep the defaults below. This file is configuration for pstack, not a Codex model-provider configuration file.
1. Load current state
Read the existing override file when present, preserving its budget and configured role values. Otherwise start from the defaults in step 4. Drop retired roles absent from step 4 (for example how critics) and list each dropped line when showing the proposed configuration. Determine which Codex models the current host exposes from the current tool metadata or official local model picker. Never invent a model slug. inherit-parent and auto are always valid and both mean to omit the model override.
For roles executed through spawn_agent, its model and effort choices are authoritative. A picker entry or a model available through another harness does not establish that it can be spawned here. Follow CODEX.md when an explicit model requires a fresh context fork.
2. Choose a budget
Use the available user-input tool, or ask one concise question. Preserve the current budget on a rerun unless the user changes it. With no configuration, large matches the skill defaults. Offer:
unlimited — max reasoning: each model's highest host-supported effort, up tomax.large — xhigh reasoning:xhigh.medium — high reasoning:high.small — medium reasoning:medium.
Apply the selected effort to every real model, including panel entries. Preserve existing model choices, list order, and inheritance aliases; aliases keep both overrides unset. Model and effort are separate fields in Codex. Use the highest supported effort at or below the requested target. If none is available, mark the role as needing a choice. Never change the model to satisfy a budget.
3. Confirm role assignments
Show every role, model, and reasoning effort. Allow inherit-parent or auto for any role. Panel roles are ordered lists; one subagent runs per list entry. List length controls panel size. Keep a user's existing override unless it is unavailable.
If the user asks to repair unavailable assignments, choose replacements from the execution tool's available models using their advertised strengths and the role's purpose. Preserve valid assignments, the budget, and panel order and size; report each replacement. That request authorizes updating the file without another confirmation. Otherwise ask about unavailable choices before writing.
4. Write the override
Overwrite ~/.codex/pstack-models.md atomically so reruns are idempotent. Use this shape:
text# pstack model configuration for Codex. Delete a role line to use its skill default. # `inherit-parent` or `auto` omits explicit model and reasoning overrides. # budget: large (xhigh) feature, refactoring: gpt-6-luna @ xhigh bug-fix: gpt-6-luna @ xhigh perf-issue: gpt-6-luna @ xhigh hillclimb: gpt-6-luna @ xhigh judgment and prose: gpt-6-astra @ xhigh hardest tasks: gpt-6-astra @ xhigh how explorer: gpt-6.1-sol @ xhigh how explainer: gpt-6-astra @ xhigh why investigators: gpt-6.1-sol @ xhigh why synthesizer: gpt-6-astra @ xhigh reflect tooling: gpt-6.1-sol @ xhigh reflect judgment, divergent, synthesizer: gpt-6-astra @ xhigh arena runners: gpt-6-astra @ xhigh, gpt-6-luna @ xhigh arena cross-judge pool: gpt-6-astra @ xhigh, gpt-6-luna @ xhigh swarm workers: gpt-6-luna @ xhigh architect runners: gpt-6-astra @ xhigh, gpt-6-luna @ xhigh interrogate reviewers: gpt-6-astra @ xhigh, gpt-6-luna @ xhigh
Apply the budget to the separate effort values before writing. Validate every real model and its effort against the execution tool's available choices. Resolve unavailable assignments as described in step 3; do not write a slug the tool cannot accept.
5. Install or refresh custom agents
Locate this installed plugin's root. Copy codex-agents/poteto-agent.toml and codex-agents/comment-sicko.toml into ~/.codex/agents/, replacing only those two pstack-owned files. Do not alter unrelated agents. Tell the user that new Codex sessions pick them up.
6. Confirm
Report the chosen budget, overrides, config path, and installed agent files. Re-running this skill updates the same files.
Optionally offer $create-verification-skill when the repository has no real-surface test harness. Also offer $create-formal-verification-skill once when the project has no formal verification skill: it checks a key property with a model checker, proof, or code-level verifier under explicit bounds. If the user declines either offer, move on.
If the user wants poteto-mode to persist across tasks in this repository, use the optional scoped AGENTS.md method. Do not alter project instructions unless that persistence was requested.
