propose a change to the file, and it makes the change only after the
user agrees.
+A permanent child agent lives in ``agent/children/NAME/`` with the same
+files as the root. The root's ``agent_create(name, responsibility)``
+tool creates and starts it with the root's model, effort, and working
+directory, and a separate random ID. A name describes the area, such as
+``House`` or ``Calendar``. It is one word of 2 to 32 ASCII letters,
+starts with a capital letter, and cannot name the root, an existing
+child, or a subagent. The daemon opens all children at startup. A
+missing or invalid child config stops startup. Only one level of
+children is supported. Remove a child by hand while the daemon is
+stopped. The root's turn state lists each child and its responsibility.
+The root passes area messages from mixed chats with sender, date, and
+words, and asks the user before it sends a child's draft to WhatsApp.
+
+Each child has its own memory, model client, usage file, subagents,
+schedules, and turn loop. Its prompt limits work to its area, asks for
+only reports that need the parent or the user, and permits an empty
+reply. Children have no WhatsApp tools and draft replies instead of
+sending them. Clients address only the root. A child's saved schedules
+and subagents can resume at startup. The ready log line lists the child
+names.
+
+A message from a parent to its own child enters the child's log as
+``user`` and wakes it. A child's final reply reaches the parent as
+``work`` with the prefix ``[NAME] `` and wakes it. An empty reply sends
+nothing. A busy recipient takes the message between tool calls or in its
+next turn. ``agent/messages.json``, with mode 0600, keeps messages until
+their recipient finishes its turn. A daemon stop preserves queued
+messages and reports for the next start without a second log entry. An
+interrupted turn can repeat its model calls and tools after restart.
+Backups lock this queue with the agent files, including children made
+during the daemon run. The root uses ``tell`` for both children and
+subagents. ``zoom("Name")`` gives a child's view or a subagent's whole
+log. ``spawn`` starts short-lived subagents, not permanent children.
+
**************
User service
**************
ONECHAT_DIR=EMPTY_DATA_DIR onechat restore BACKUP_FILE.tar.gz
The daemon flushes memory and holds its write locks during the agent
-copy. It also flushes and locks the subagent logs. It copies the
-WhatsApp session with SQLite ``VACUUM INTO``, not as raw database files.
-It then compresses the copy and installs the archive through a temporary
-file and a rename. Use a backup path outside the data directory.
+copy. It also flushes and locks the child agents and all subagent logs.
+It copies the WhatsApp session with SQLite ``VACUUM INTO``, not as raw
+database files. It then compresses the copy and installs the archive
+through a temporary file and a rename. Use a backup path outside the
+data directory.
The archive includes configuration, instructions, the log, tree,
-indexes, views, layout, schedules, subagents, Telegram offset, tokens,
-and WhatsApp state and session. It excludes sockets, lock files,
+indexes, views, layout, schedules, subagents, children, Telegram offset,
+tokens, and WhatsApp state and session. It excludes sockets, lock files,
``probe/``, and the ``agent-backup-*`` import copies. Links and special
files fail, rather than enter the archive. **The archive holds
secrets**, including login tokens, the Telegram bot token, and the
``/whatsapp status``
Shows the link: not linked, linked and connected, or linked and
- disconnected, with the times of the connection.
+ disconnected, with the times of the connection and the WhatsApp
+ routes.
``/whatsapp unlink``
Ends the link and deletes the session. When WhatsApp is disconnected,
They keep them only for a limited time, so a long stop can lose
messages. These messages form batches by their original times, as live
messages do. The daemon waits for the end of this catch-up, or one
-minute at the most, and then gives all its batches to the agent in one
-turn, not one turn for each chat. The batches of ``whatsapp/state.json``
-at the start wait for the first catch-up in the same way.
+minute at the most, and then gives all its unrouted batches to the root
+in one turn, not one turn for each chat. Routed batches wake their
+child. The batches of ``whatsapp/state.json`` at the start wait for the
+first catch-up in the same way.
The agent finds a chat with the tool ``whatsapp_find``: it gives the
contacts and the groups whose name holds a text, with no regard to case
Each batch of a group goes to the chat, also with no turn, and the
memory tree summarizes it with model calls, which use the quota.
+The root manages source routes with ``route(source, agent)``,
+``unroute(source)``, and ``routes()``, only after the user agrees. A
+source is ``whatsapp:CHAT-ID``, with the ID from ``whatsapp_find`` or a
+``[WhatsApp]`` message, and the agent must be its child. The root keeps
+the map in ``agent/routes.json`` with mode 0600. Children and subagents
+have no route tools. There is no command to change routes. Each routed
+batch enters only its child's log and wakes it, including a group batch
+with no mention. The durable agent queue prevents a second log entry
+after a restart. An unrouted source or a missing child uses the root. A
+queued batch whose child is removed while stopped goes to the root.
+
When the session holds a linked device, the daemon connects at its
start. If the first connection fails, it tries again after 2 seconds,
then doubles the wait up to 5 minutes. The inbox and commands stay
onechat import -n CHAT.zip OTHER.zip
onechat import CHAT.zip OTHER.zip
-
-``-n`` makes no model call and prints the chats, chat-day batches, local
-dates, cutoff, text bytes, merged message count, and estimated calls.
-The import keeps multiline text, system lines, and omitted-media
-markers. It maps the session's profile name to ``You``. Without that
-name, it keeps the senders as written and says so in the plan. An exact,
-unambiguous local contact or batch name supplies the chat ID when known.
-No network lookup is made.
+ onechat import -n --agent House CHAT.zip OTHER.zip
+ onechat import --agent House CHAT.zip OTHER.zip
+
+The target is the root unless ``--agent NAME`` selects an existing
+direct child. A missing child is refused. The rebuild uses the target's
+log, prompt, cache key, and usage records. The root keeps its history
+when the target is a child. An import or plan is refused while the
+target has pending agent deliveries. Start the daemon and let those
+turns finish before you stop it and try again. This keeps their saved
+log IDs valid.
+
+``-n`` makes no model call and prints the target name, chats, chat-day
+batches, local dates, cutoffs, text bytes, merged message count, and
+estimated calls. The import keeps multiline text, system lines, and
+omitted-media markers. It maps the session's profile name to ``You``.
+Without that name, it keeps the senders as written and says so in the
+plan. An exact, unambiguous local contact or batch name supplies the
+chat ID when known. No network lookup is made.
Each chat and local day becomes one work message marked ``(imported)``.
-Only messages before the first message of the earliest live WhatsApp
-batch enter the import. Live times have minute precision, so the cutoff
-excludes that whole minute. A chat-day already imported is skipped.
-Overlapping chat-days in the supplied ZIPs are refused. Review the
-exports before import: their text goes to the model as chat history.
+For each chat, the cutoff is the first message time of its earliest live
+WhatsApp batch across the root and target logs. Only messages before
+that cutoff enter the import. Live times have minute precision, so the
+cutoff excludes that whole minute. A chat-day already imported into the
+target is skipped. An imported day held only by the root does not skip
+that day for a child. Overlapping chat-days in the supplied ZIPs are
+refused. Review the exports before import: their text goes to the model
+as chat history.
The import merges the full log in date order and builds its tree with
real compactor calls, the agent prompt, and the agent cache key. It uses
message, not a cost guarantee. A stopped or failed run leaves the agent
unchanged. A new run starts over. Success keeps the other agent files
and renames the old directory to ``agent-backup-TIMESTAMP`` before it
-installs the new one. Keep the backup until the new memory is checked,
-then start the daemon. Message IDs change to their positions in the
-merged log.
+installs the new one. A child's staging directory and backup stay in the
+root agent directory, outside ``children/``. Its backup is
+``NAME-backup-TIMESTAMP``. Keep the backup until the new memory is
+checked, then start the daemon. Message IDs change to their positions in
+the merged log.
***********
Schedules
my WhatsApp groups talked about". A schedule has a text, the task for
the agent, and either one time or a cron expression. The agent also
lists the schedules with their next times, and removes one when the user
-asks. Only the agent has the schedule tools, not its subagents.
+asks. The root and its children have the schedule tools, not their
+subagents. Each schedule records its owner and wakes only that agent.
A cron expression has five fields: minute, hour, day of month, month,
and day of week, where 0 and 7 are Sunday. A field is a comma list of
projects / onechat / blobdiff