ALTO Configuration

Shared configuration procedures for setup and build orchestrators.

Arbiter Thresholds

Use AskUserQuestion:

• Header: "Autonomy"
• Question: "How much autonomy should ALTO have before checkpoints?"
• Options:
  1. Label: "Conservative", Description: "500 lines, 20 files, checkpoint every 2 tasks"
  2. Label: "Balanced (Recommended)", Description: "2000 lines, 50 files, checkpoint every 3 tasks"
  3. Label: "Autonomous", Description: "5000 lines, 100 files, checkpoint every 5 tasks"

After user answers, read alto.json, update the arbiter section, and write back:

Procedure:

1. Read alto.json
2. Update arbiter.max_lines_changed_without_human, arbiter.max_files_changed_without_human, arbiter.task_checkpoint_interval
3. Write back alto.json

Example updated arbiter section for "Balanced":

"arbiter": {
  "max_lines_changed_without_human": 2000,
  "max_files_changed_without_human": 50,
  "task_checkpoint_interval": 3,
  ...
}

Permissions

Use AskUserQuestion:

• Header: "Permissions"
• Question: "What permission level for bash commands?"
• Options:
  1. Label: "Supervised (Recommended)", Description: "Prompt for git, npm, docker"
  2. Label: "Autonomous", Description: "Auto-approve most commands"
  3. Label: "Locked", Description: "Prompt for everything"

If NOT "Supervised": Tell user to update devenv.nix:

alto.permissions.profile = "autonomous";  # or "locked"

Then alto-restart. (Permissions require Nix change - orchestrator cannot modify at runtime.)

Verification (Existing Projects Only)

Read alto.json, display the verification section, then use AskUserQuestion:

• Header: "Verification"
• Question: "How would you like to adjust verification?"
• Options:
  1. Label: "Keep current", Description: "No changes"
  2. Label: "Add pattern", Description: "Add verification for new file type"
  3. Label: "Edit command", Description: "Change existing command"
  4. Label: "Remove pattern", Description: "Remove file type verification"

Procedure: Read alto.json, update the verification section, write back alto.json.

Format for verification section:

"verification": {
  "<glob-pattern>": {
    "<check-type>": "<command>"
  }
}

Example:

"verification": {
  "*.ts": { "typecheck": "npx tsc --noEmit", "lint": "npm run lint" },
  "*.py": { "lint": "ruff check {file}" },
  "*.test.ts": { "test": "npm test -- --related" }
}

Check types: lint, typecheck, test, format

New Projects

Skip verification. Say: "Verification starts empty. QA agent configures it when tooling is set up."

Key Rules

1. Orchestrator writes JSON files - never ask user to edit JSON manually
2. Orchestrator confirms changes after writing
3. Only permissions require user edit (devenv.nix + alto-restart)