v0.0.81 - Add loop progress controls and admin limit diagnostics for DM, HTTP API, and triggers

README.md

@@ -55,11 +55,11 @@ Skills compose by adoption-list order (`10123`) and trigger tags carry runtime e
 
 Didactyl will support local inference, which is very privacy preserving. Remote inference does however have it's advantages, and in those cases Didactyl supports using Bitcoin Lightning and eCash inference providers.
 
-## Current Status — v0.0.79
+## Current Status — v0.0.81
 
 **Active build — this project is barely working. Experiment at your own risk.**
 
-> Last release update: v0.0.79 — Enhance existing-agent wizard with full config recovery review edit flow and new-agent fallback
+> Last release update: v0.0.81 — Add loop progress controls and admin limit diagnostics for DM, HTTP API, and triggers
 
 - Connects to configured relays with auto-reconnect and relay state transition logging
 - Publishes configured startup events per relay as each relay becomes connected

config.jsonc.example

@@ -40,10 +40,11 @@
   // triggered skills, HTTP API prompt runs, and local HTTP fetch tool.
   "tools": {
     "enabled": true,
-    "max_turns": 8,                             // default max turns for normal agent tool loops
-    "trigger_max_turns": 6,                     // max turns for triggered-skill executions
-    "api_default_max_turns": 4,                 // default when HTTP body omits max_turns
-    "api_max_turns_ceiling": 16,                // hard cap applied to API-provided max_turns
+    "max_turns": 20,                            // default max turns for normal agent tool loops
+    "trigger_max_turns": 12,                    // max turns for triggered-skill executions
+    "api_default_max_turns": 8,                 // default when HTTP body omits max_turns
+    "api_max_turns_ceiling": 32,                // hard cap applied to API-provided max_turns
+    "stall_repeat_threshold": 3,                // stop early when identical tool-call turns repeat this many times
     "local_http_fetch_default_timeout_seconds": 20,
     "local_http_fetch_max_timeout_seconds": 120,
     "shell": {

plans/fix_kind30078_agent_config_publish.md

@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+# Fix: Kind 30078 `d=agent_config` Publish Gaps
+
+## Problem
+
+The agent stores its admin pubkey and DM protocol in a NIP-44 self-encrypted kind 30078 replaceable event (`d=agent_config`). This event is critical for the `--nsec`-only startup path (used by systemd services) to recover the admin identity.
+
+**Multiple startup paths fail to publish this event**, causing:
+- Agents installed via wizard "Install Service" to lose their admin pubkey on restart
+- Agents recovering on new servers to use stale/old admin pubkeys from relays
+- Agents with genesis files to silently ignore newer kind 30078 values
+
+## Affected Files
+
+- `src/setup_wizard.c` — wizard flows
+- `src/main.c` — main startup logic
+
+## Fixes
+
+### Fix A: `new_agent_flow` — publish before service install
+**File:** `src/setup_wizard.c` ~line 2184  
+**Problem:** When user chooses "Install systemd service" in new agent flow, `persist_runtime_config_to_nostr_wizard_online` is never called. The service starts with `--nsec` only and has no kind 30078 to recover from.  
+**Fix:** Call `persist_runtime_config_to_nostr_wizard_online(cfg)` before `install_system_service_with_dedicated_user()`. Fail the install if publish fails (same pattern as existing_agent_flow).
+
+### Fix B: `new_agent_flow` — publish before "boot now" return
+**File:** `src/setup_wizard.c` ~line 2177  
+**Problem:** When user chooses "Boot now", the wizard returns `SETUP_WIZARD_RC_BOOTSTRAP` and relies on `main()` to publish later. This works but is fragile — if the bootstrap publish in `main()` fails, the kind 30078 is never created.  
+**Fix:** Call `persist_runtime_config_to_nostr_wizard_online(cfg)` before returning 0. This is belt-and-suspenders — `main()` will also publish, but the wizard ensures it happens at least once. If the wizard publish fails, log a warning but continue (non-fatal since main will retry).
+
+### Fix C: `existing_agent_flow` — always publish before service install
+**File:** `src/setup_wizard.c` ~line 2368  
+**Problem:** `persist_runtime_config_to_nostr_wizard_online` is only called `if (config_changed)`. If the user accepts the recovered config as-is, the kind 30078 is not re-published. The event may have been lost from relays.  
+**Fix:** Remove the `config_changed` gate. Always call `persist_runtime_config_to_nostr_wizard_online(cfg)` before installing the service. Kind 30078 is a replaceable event, so re-publishing is safe and idempotent.
+
+### Fix D: `existing_agent_flow` — always return BOOTSTRAP
+**File:** `src/setup_wizard.c` ~line 2364  
+**Problem:** When user chooses "Boot now" and `config_changed == 0`, the flow returns `SETUP_WIZARD_RC_EXISTING` which means `bootstrap_mode = 0` in `main()`. If `first_run = 0` (kind 10002 exists), `persist_runtime_config_to_nostr` is skipped.  
+**Fix:** Always return `SETUP_WIZARD_RC_BOOTSTRAP` from the "boot now" path, regardless of `config_changed`. This ensures `main()` always re-publishes the kind 30078. The wizard has all the config in memory — it should always be treated as authoritative.
+
+### Fix E: `persist_runtime_config_to_nostr_wizard_online` — ensure relay delivery
+**File:** `src/setup_wizard.c` ~line 1159  
+**Problem:** The function publishes the event and immediately calls `nostr_handler_cleanup()`. The event may not have been delivered to relays yet (fire-and-forget).  
+**Fix:** Add a brief poll loop (e.g., 2-3 seconds of `nostr_handler_poll()`) after the publish call and before `nostr_handler_cleanup()` to give the event time to propagate. This matches the pattern used elsewhere for relay operations.
+
+### Fix F: `main()` — always fetch kind 30078 and compare
+**File:** `src/main.c` ~line 847 (`recover_missing_runtime_config_from_nostr`)  
+**Problem:** The recovery only runs when `admin_config_is_complete()` returns false. If a genesis file provides an admin pubkey, the kind 30078 is never checked, even if it has a different (newer) value.  
+**Fix:** Always fetch the kind 30078 `d=agent_config` regardless of whether the genesis already provided values. Compare the fetched admin_pubkey with the loaded one. If they differ, log a `DEBUG_WARN` with both values. Genesis wins (operator intent), but the warning makes the conflict visible in logs.
+
+### Fix G: `main()` — always re-publish kind 30078
+**File:** `src/main.c` ~line 1152  
+**Problem:** `persist_runtime_config_to_nostr` only runs when `bootstrap_mode || first_run`. On subsequent runs, the kind 30078 is never refreshed. If relays purge the event, it's gone.  
+**Fix:** Move `persist_runtime_config_to_nostr(&cfg)` outside the `if (bootstrap_mode || first_run)` block so it runs on every startup. Kind 30078 is a replaceable event — re-publishing is safe, idempotent, and ensures relay persistence. Log the result but don't fail startup if it doesn't succeed.
+
+## Execution Order
+
+1. Fix E first (relay delivery) — this makes all other wizard publishes more reliable
+2. Fixes A + B (new_agent_flow) — the most critical bug
+3. Fixes C + D (existing_agent_flow) — second most critical
+4. Fix G (always re-publish in main) — ensures long-term relay persistence
+5. Fix F (conflict detection) — nice-to-have logging improvement
+
+## Testing
+
+- Wizard → New Agent → Install Service: verify kind 30078 exists on relays after service starts
+- Wizard → New Agent → Boot: verify kind 30078 exists on relays
+- Wizard → Existing Agent → Install Service (no changes): verify kind 30078 re-published
+- Wizard → Existing Agent → Boot (no changes): verify kind 30078 re-published
+- `--nsec` only restart: verify kind 30078 recovered and re-published
+- `--config genesis.jsonc` with different admin than kind 30078: verify warning logged, genesis wins, kind 30078 updated

src/agent.c

@@ -79,6 +79,63 @@ static uint64_t message_fingerprint(const char* sender_pubkey_hex, const char* m
     return a ^ (b + 0x9e3779b97f4a7c15ULL + (a << 6) + (a >> 2));
 }
 
+static uint64_t tool_calls_fingerprint(const llm_response_t* resp) {
+    if (!resp || resp->tool_call_count <= 0 || !resp->tool_calls) {
+        return 1469598103934665603ULL;
+    }
+
+    uint64_t h = 1469598103934665603ULL;
+    for (int i = 0; i < resp->tool_call_count; i++) {
+        const llm_tool_call_t* tc = &resp->tool_calls[i];
+        uint64_t name_h = fnv1a64(tc->name ? tc->name : "");
+        uint64_t args_h = fnv1a64(tc->arguments_json ? tc->arguments_json : "{}");
+        uint64_t part = name_h ^ (args_h + 0x9e3779b97f4a7c15ULL + (name_h << 6) + (name_h >> 2));
+        h ^= part + (uint64_t)(i + 1) * 1099511628211ULL;
+        h *= 1099511628211ULL;
+    }
+
+    h ^= (uint64_t)resp->tool_call_count;
+    h *= 1099511628211ULL;
+    return h;
+}
+
+static void notify_admin_limit_diagnostic(const char* source,
+                                          const char* reason,
+                                          const char* subject,
+                                          int max_turns,
+                                          int turns_run,
+                                          int stall_repeat_threshold,
+                                          int repeated_tool_turns,
+                                          const char* final_answer) {
+    if (!g_cfg || g_cfg->admin.pubkey[0] == '\0') {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    char diag[1400];
+    snprintf(diag,
+             sizeof(diag),
+             "⚠️ Didactyl limit diagnostic\n"
+             "source=%s\n"
+             "reason=%s\n"
+             "subject=%s\n"
+             "max_turns=%d\n"
+             "turns_run=%d\n"
+             "stall_repeat_threshold=%d\n"
+             "repeated_tool_turns=%d\n"
+             "final_answer_preview=%.*s",
+             source ? source : "unknown",
+             reason ? reason : "unknown",
+             subject ? subject : "n/a",
+             max_turns,
+             turns_run,
+             stall_repeat_threshold,
+             repeated_tool_turns,
+             360,
+             final_answer ? final_answer : "");
+
+    (void)nostr_handler_send_dm_auto(g_cfg->admin.pubkey, diag);
+}
+
 static int agent_message_is_debounced(const char* sender_pubkey_hex, const char* message) {
     time_t now = time(NULL);
     uint64_t fp = message_fingerprint(sender_pubkey_hex, message);
@@ -1815,7 +1872,10 @@ void agent_on_trigger(const char* skill_d_tag,
                         ? g_cfg->tools.trigger_max_turns
                         : (g_cfg->tools.max_turns > 0 ? g_cfg->tools.max_turns : 8);
 
+    int turns_run = 0;
+    int trigger_completed = 0;
     for (int turn = 0; turn < max_turns; turn++) {
+        turns_run = turn + 1;
         char* messages_json = cJSON_PrintUnformatted(messages);
         if (!messages_json) {
             break;
@@ -1836,6 +1896,7 @@ void agent_on_trigger(const char* skill_d_tag,
         }
 
         if (resp.tool_call_count <= 0) {
+            trigger_completed = 1;
             llm_response_free(&resp);
             break;
         }
@@ -1871,6 +1932,17 @@ void agent_on_trigger(const char* skill_d_tag,
         llm_response_free(&resp);
     }
 
+    if (!trigger_completed && turns_run >= max_turns) {
+        notify_admin_limit_diagnostic("trigger_skill_loop",
+                                      "max_turns_exhausted",
+                                      skill_d_tag,
+                                      max_turns,
+                                      turns_run,
+                                      g_cfg->tools.stall_repeat_threshold > 1 ? g_cfg->tools.stall_repeat_threshold : 3,
+                                      0,
+                                      "");
+    }
+
     if (g_trigger_manager) {
         (void)trigger_manager_fire_chains(g_trigger_manager,
                                           skill_d_tag,
@@ -2097,10 +2169,16 @@ void agent_on_message(const char* sender_pubkey_hex,
         cJSON_AddNumberToObject(live_user_msg, "_ts", (double)time(NULL));
     }
 
-    int max_turns = g_cfg->tools.max_turns > 0 ? g_cfg->tools.max_turns : 8;
+    int max_turns = g_cfg->tools.max_turns > 0 ? g_cfg->tools.max_turns : 20;
+    int stall_repeat_threshold = g_cfg->tools.stall_repeat_threshold > 1 ? g_cfg->tools.stall_repeat_threshold : 3;
+    uint64_t last_tool_fp = 0;
+    int repeated_tool_turns = 0;
+    int exited_on_stall = 0;
     char* final_answer_owned = NULL;
+    int turns_run = 0;
 
     for (int turn = 0; turn < max_turns; turn++) {
+        turns_run = turn + 1;
         char* messages_json = cJSON_PrintUnformatted(messages);
         if (!messages_json) {
             break;
@@ -2128,6 +2206,20 @@ void agent_on_message(const char* sender_pubkey_hex,
             break;
         }
 
+        uint64_t current_tool_fp = tool_calls_fingerprint(&resp);
+        if (turn == 0 || current_tool_fp != last_tool_fp) {
+            repeated_tool_turns = 1;
+            last_tool_fp = current_tool_fp;
+        } else {
+            repeated_tool_turns++;
+        }
+
+        if (repeated_tool_turns >= stall_repeat_threshold) {
+            exited_on_stall = 1;
+            llm_response_free(&resp);
+            break;
+        }
+
         if (append_assistant_tool_calls_message(messages, &resp) != 0) {
             llm_response_free(&resp);
             break;
@@ -2162,10 +2254,41 @@ void agent_on_message(const char* sender_pubkey_hex,
     }
 
     if (!final_answer_owned) {
-        final_answer_owned = strdup("I hit my tool-use limit for this request.");
+        char* messages_json = cJSON_PrintUnformatted(messages);
+        if (messages_json) {
+            llm_response_t final_resp;
+            int final_rc = llm_chat_with_tools_messages(messages_json, tools_json, "none", &final_resp);
+            free(messages_json);
+            if (final_rc == 0) {
+                const char* forced_answer = final_resp.content ? final_resp.content : "";
+                if (forced_answer[0] != '\0') {
+                    final_answer_owned = strdup(forced_answer);
+                }
+                llm_response_free(&final_resp);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    int exhausted_on_max_turns = (!final_answer_owned && !exited_on_stall && turns_run >= max_turns);
+
+    if (!final_answer_owned) {
+        final_answer_owned = strdup(exited_on_stall
+                                        ? "I stopped repeated tool calls after detecting a loop and could not produce a final summary."
+                                        : "I hit my tool-use limit for this request.");
     }
 
     const char* final_answer = final_answer_owned ? final_answer_owned : "I hit my tool-use limit for this request.";
+
+    if (exited_on_stall || exhausted_on_max_turns) {
+        notify_admin_limit_diagnostic("dm_agent_loop",
+                                      exited_on_stall ? "stall_repetition_detected" : "max_turns_exhausted",
+                                      sender_pubkey_hex,
+                                      max_turns,
+                                      turns_run,
+                                      stall_repeat_threshold,
+                                      repeated_tool_turns,
+                                      final_answer);
+    }
     fprintf(stdout, "[didactyl] final response: %.240s%s\n",
             final_answer,
             strlen(final_answer) > 240 ? "..." : "");

src/agent.h

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 #include "config.h"
 #include "nostr_handler.h"
 #include "cjson/cJSON.h"
-#include "tools.h"
+#include "tools/tools.h"
 
 struct trigger_manager;
 

src/config.c

@@ -225,6 +225,7 @@ static int parse_tools_config(cJSON* root, didactyl_config_t* config) {
     cJSON* trigger_max_turns = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(tools, "trigger_max_turns");
     cJSON* api_default_max_turns = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(tools, "api_default_max_turns");
     cJSON* api_max_turns_ceiling = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(tools, "api_max_turns_ceiling");
+    cJSON* stall_repeat_threshold = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(tools, "stall_repeat_threshold");
     cJSON* local_http_fetch_default_timeout_seconds =
         cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(tools, "local_http_fetch_default_timeout_seconds");
     cJSON* local_http_fetch_max_timeout_seconds =
@@ -244,6 +245,9 @@ static int parse_tools_config(cJSON* root, didactyl_config_t* config) {
     if (api_max_turns_ceiling && cJSON_IsNumber(api_max_turns_ceiling)) {
         config->tools.api_max_turns_ceiling = (int)api_max_turns_ceiling->valuedouble;
     }
+    if (stall_repeat_threshold && cJSON_IsNumber(stall_repeat_threshold)) {
+        config->tools.stall_repeat_threshold = (int)stall_repeat_threshold->valuedouble;
+    }
     if (local_http_fetch_default_timeout_seconds && cJSON_IsNumber(local_http_fetch_default_timeout_seconds)) {
         config->tools.local_http_fetch_default_timeout_seconds =
             (int)local_http_fetch_default_timeout_seconds->valuedouble;
@@ -294,6 +298,9 @@ static int parse_tools_config(cJSON* root, didactyl_config_t* config) {
     if (config->tools.api_default_max_turns > config->tools.api_max_turns_ceiling) {
         config->tools.api_default_max_turns = config->tools.api_max_turns_ceiling;
     }
+    if (config->tools.stall_repeat_threshold < 2) {
+        config->tools.stall_repeat_threshold = 3;
+    }
     if (config->tools.local_http_fetch_default_timeout_seconds < 1) {
         config->tools.local_http_fetch_default_timeout_seconds = 20;
     }
@@ -1124,10 +1131,11 @@ int config_load(const char* path, didactyl_config_t* config) {
     config->dm_protocol = DM_PROTOCOL_NIP04;
 
     config->tools.enabled = 1;
-    config->tools.max_turns = 8;
-    config->tools.trigger_max_turns = 6;
-    config->tools.api_default_max_turns = 4;
-    config->tools.api_max_turns_ceiling = 16;
+    config->tools.max_turns = 20;
+    config->tools.trigger_max_turns = 12;
+    config->tools.api_default_max_turns = 8;
+    config->tools.api_max_turns_ceiling = 32;
+    config->tools.stall_repeat_threshold = 3;
     config->tools.local_http_fetch_default_timeout_seconds = 20;
     config->tools.local_http_fetch_max_timeout_seconds = 120;
     config->tools.shell.enabled = 1;

src/config.h

@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ typedef struct {
     int trigger_max_turns;
     int api_default_max_turns;
     int api_max_turns_ceiling;
+    int stall_repeat_threshold;
     int local_http_fetch_default_timeout_seconds;
     int local_http_fetch_max_timeout_seconds;
     shell_tools_config_t shell;

src/http_api.c

@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
+#include <stdint.h>
 #include <time.h>
 
 #include "agent.h"
@@ -81,6 +82,73 @@ static int estimate_tokens_from_chars(int chars) {
     return (chars + 3) / 4;
 }
 
+static uint64_t fnv1a64_local(const char* s) {
+    uint64_t h = 1469598103934665603ULL;
+    if (!s) return h;
+    while (*s) {
+        h ^= (unsigned char)(*s++);
+        h *= 1099511628211ULL;
+    }
+    return h;
+}
+
+static uint64_t tool_calls_fingerprint_local(const llm_response_t* resp) {
+    if (!resp || resp->tool_call_count <= 0 || !resp->tool_calls) {
+        return 1469598103934665603ULL;
+    }
+
+    uint64_t h = 1469598103934665603ULL;
+    for (int i = 0; i < resp->tool_call_count; i++) {
+        const llm_tool_call_t* tc = &resp->tool_calls[i];
+        uint64_t name_h = fnv1a64_local(tc->name ? tc->name : "");
+        uint64_t args_h = fnv1a64_local(tc->arguments_json ? tc->arguments_json : "{}");
+        uint64_t part = name_h ^ (args_h + 0x9e3779b97f4a7c15ULL + (name_h << 6) + (name_h >> 2));
+        h ^= part + (uint64_t)(i + 1) * 1099511628211ULL;
+        h *= 1099511628211ULL;
+    }
+
+    h ^= (uint64_t)resp->tool_call_count;
+    h *= 1099511628211ULL;
+    return h;
+}
+
+static void notify_admin_limit_diagnostic_http(const char* source,
+                                               const char* reason,
+                                               const char* subject,
+                                               int max_turns,
+                                               int turns_run,
+                                               int stall_repeat_threshold,
+                                               int repeated_tool_turns,
+                                               const char* final_answer) {
+    if (!g_api_ctx.cfg || g_api_ctx.cfg->admin.pubkey[0] == '\0') {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    char diag[1400];
+    snprintf(diag,
+             sizeof(diag),
+             "⚠️ Didactyl limit diagnostic\n"
+             "source=%s\n"
+             "reason=%s\n"
+             "subject=%s\n"
+             "max_turns=%d\n"
+             "turns_run=%d\n"
+             "stall_repeat_threshold=%d\n"
+             "repeated_tool_turns=%d\n"
+             "final_answer_preview=%.*s",
+             source ? source : "unknown",
+             reason ? reason : "unknown",
+             subject ? subject : "n/a",
+             max_turns,
+             turns_run,
+             stall_repeat_threshold,
+             repeated_tool_turns,
+             360,
+             final_answer ? final_answer : "");
+
+    (void)nostr_handler_send_dm_auto(g_api_ctx.cfg->admin.pubkey, diag);
+}
+
 static int uri_extract_after_prefix(const struct mg_str* uri,
                                     const char* prefix,
                                     char* out,
@@ -844,9 +912,19 @@ static cJSON* run_prompt_with_tools_convo(cJSON* convo,
         return NULL;
     }
 
+    int stall_repeat_threshold = 3;
+    if (g_api_ctx.cfg && g_api_ctx.cfg->tools.stall_repeat_threshold > 1) {
+        stall_repeat_threshold = g_api_ctx.cfg->tools.stall_repeat_threshold;
+    }
+
     char* final_response = NULL;
+    uint64_t last_tool_fp = 0;
+    int repeated_tool_turns = 0;
+    int exited_on_stall = 0;
+    int turns_run = 0;
 
     for (int turn = 0; turn < max_turns; turn++) {
+        turns_run = turn + 1;
         char* messages_json = cJSON_PrintUnformatted(convo);
         if (!messages_json) break;
 
@@ -877,6 +955,20 @@ static cJSON* run_prompt_with_tools_convo(cJSON* convo,
             break;
         }
 
+        uint64_t current_tool_fp = tool_calls_fingerprint_local(&resp);
+        if (turn == 0 || current_tool_fp != last_tool_fp) {
+            repeated_tool_turns = 1;
+            last_tool_fp = current_tool_fp;
+        } else {
+            repeated_tool_turns++;
+        }
+
+        if (repeated_tool_turns >= stall_repeat_threshold) {
+            exited_on_stall = 1;
+            llm_response_free(&resp);
+            break;
+        }
+
         if (append_assistant_tool_calls_message_local(convo, &resp) != 0) {
             llm_response_free(&resp);
             final_response = strdup("Failed to append assistant tool calls.");
@@ -917,9 +1009,40 @@ static cJSON* run_prompt_with_tools_convo(cJSON* convo,
         llm_response_free(&resp);
     }
 
-done:
+done:;
+    int hit_max_turn_limit = (!final_response && !exited_on_stall && turns_run >= max_turns);
+
     if (!final_response) {
-        final_response = strdup(tool_limit_message ? tool_limit_message : "I hit my tool-use limit for this prompt run.");
+        char* messages_json = cJSON_PrintUnformatted(convo);
+        if (messages_json) {
+            llm_response_t final_resp;
+            int final_rc = llm_chat_with_tools_messages(messages_json, tools_json, "none", &final_resp);
+            free(messages_json);
+            if (final_rc == 0) {
+                const char* forced_answer = final_resp.content ? final_resp.content : "";
+                if (forced_answer[0] != '\0') {
+                    final_response = strdup(forced_answer);
+                }
+                llm_response_free(&final_resp);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    if (!final_response) {
+        final_response = strdup(exited_on_stall
+                                    ? "Stopped repeated tool calls after detecting a loop, and no final summary was produced."
+                                    : (tool_limit_message ? tool_limit_message : "I hit my tool-use limit for this prompt run."));
+    }
+
+    if (exited_on_stall || hit_max_turn_limit) {
+        notify_admin_limit_diagnostic_http("http_api_tool_loop",
+                                           exited_on_stall ? "stall_repetition_detected" : "max_turns_exhausted",
+                                           log_sender,
+                                           max_turns,
+                                           turns_run,
+                                           stall_repeat_threshold,
+                                           repeated_tool_turns,
+                                           final_response ? final_response : "");
     }
 
     cJSON_AddBoolToObject(root, "success", 1);

src/http_api.h

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 #define DIDACTYL_HTTP_API_H
 
 #include "config.h"
-#include "tools.h"
+#include "tools/tools.h"
 
 struct trigger_manager;
 

src/main.c

@@ -75,6 +75,8 @@ static void print_usage(const char* prog) {
             "      If file is missing, startup falls back to minimal nsec-only mode.\n"
             "  --nsec <nsec_or_hex>\n"
             "      Private key as nsec1... or 64-char hex; overrides DIDACTYL_NSEC.\n"
+            "  --admin <npub_or_hex>\n"
+            "      Administrator pubkey override; accepts npub1... or 64-char hex.\n"
             "  --api-port <port>\n"
             "      Enable HTTP API and bind to this port (1-65535).\n"
             "  --api-bind <addr>\n"
@@ -863,24 +865,32 @@ static void recover_missing_runtime_config_from_nostr(didactyl_config_t* cfg) {
         free(llm_plaintext);
     }
 
-    if (!admin_config_is_complete(cfg)) {
-        char* agent_plaintext = NULL;
-        if (fetch_self_config_plaintext(cfg, "agent_config", &agent_plaintext) == 0 && agent_plaintext) {
-            if (apply_recalled_agent_config(cfg, agent_plaintext) == 0) {
+    char* agent_plaintext = NULL;
+    if (fetch_self_config_plaintext(cfg, "agent_config", &agent_plaintext) == 0 && agent_plaintext) {
+        didactyl_config_t recalled = *cfg;
+        if (apply_recalled_agent_config(&recalled, agent_plaintext) == 0) {
+            if (!admin_config_is_complete(cfg)) {
+                snprintf(cfg->admin.pubkey, sizeof(cfg->admin.pubkey), "%s", recalled.admin.pubkey);
+                cfg->dm_protocol = recalled.dm_protocol;
                 DEBUG_INFO("[didactyl] startup phase: recovered agent_config from Nostr");
-            } else {
-                DEBUG_WARN("[didactyl] startup phase: failed to apply recalled agent_config");
+            } else if (recalled.admin.pubkey[0] != '\0' && strcmp(cfg->admin.pubkey, recalled.admin.pubkey) != 0) {
+                DEBUG_WARN("[didactyl] startup phase: agent_config admin pubkey differs from loaded config (loaded=%.16s..., nostr=%.16s...); loaded config wins",
+                           cfg->admin.pubkey,
+                           recalled.admin.pubkey);
             }
         } else {
-            DEBUG_WARN("[didactyl] startup phase: agent_config recall unavailable");
+            DEBUG_WARN("[didactyl] startup phase: failed to parse/decrypt recalled agent_config");
         }
-        free(agent_plaintext);
+    } else {
+        DEBUG_WARN("[didactyl] startup phase: agent_config recall unavailable");
     }
+    free(agent_plaintext);
 }
 
 int main(int argc, char** argv) {
     const char* config_path = "./genesis.jsonc";
     const char* cli_nsec = NULL;
+    const char* cli_admin_pubkey = NULL;
     const char* api_bind_override = NULL;
     int api_port_override = 0;
     int debug_level = DEBUG_LEVEL_NONE;
@@ -944,6 +954,8 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
                 debug_level = atoi(argv[++i]);
             } else if (strcmp(argv[i], "--nsec") == 0 && i + 1 < argc) {
                 cli_nsec = argv[++i];
+            } else if (strcmp(argv[i], "--admin") == 0 && i + 1 < argc) {
+                cli_admin_pubkey = argv[++i];
             } else if (strcmp(argv[i], "--api-port") == 0 && i + 1 < argc) {
                 api_port_override = atoi(argv[++i]);
             } else if (strcmp(argv[i], "--api-bind") == 0 && i + 1 < argc) {
@@ -997,6 +1009,18 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
         }
     }
 
+    if (cli_admin_pubkey && cli_admin_pubkey[0] != '\0') {
+        char decoded_admin[65] = {0};
+        if (decode_pubkey_hex_or_npub_local(cli_admin_pubkey, decoded_admin) != 0) {
+            fprintf(stderr, "Invalid admin pubkey provided via --admin (expected npub1... or 64-char hex)\n");
+            config_free(&cfg);
+            nostr_cleanup();
+            return 1;
+        }
+        snprintf(cfg.admin.pubkey, sizeof(cfg.admin.pubkey), "%s", decoded_admin);
+        DEBUG_INFO("[didactyl] startup phase: admin override applied from --admin (%.16s...)", cfg.admin.pubkey);
+    }
+
     if (config_ensure_default_skill_startup_events(&cfg) != 0) {
         fprintf(stderr, "Failed to synthesize startup events from default_skill\n");
         config_free(&cfg);
@@ -1124,7 +1148,7 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
     if (!admin_config_is_complete(&cfg)) {
         startup_step_fail(4, "Validate admin config", "missing admin pubkey");
         fprintf(stderr,
-                "Missing admin config: provide admin.pubkey in genesis or store d=agent_config via config_store\n");
+                "Missing admin config: provide admin.pubkey in genesis, pass --admin, or store d=agent_config via config_store\n");
         nostr_handler_cleanup();
         config_free(&cfg);
         nostr_cleanup();
@@ -1153,17 +1177,19 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
         if (nostr_handler_reconcile_startup_events() != 0) {
             DEBUG_WARN("[didactyl] startup phase: reconcile startup events failed (continuing)");
         }
-        if (persist_runtime_config_to_nostr(&cfg) != 0) {
-            DEBUG_WARN("[didactyl] startup phase: failed to persist encrypted runtime config to Nostr");
-        } else {
-            DEBUG_INFO("[didactyl] startup phase: persisted encrypted runtime config to Nostr");
-        }
     } else {
-        DEBUG_INFO("[didactyl] startup phase: existing-agent mode; skipping bootstrap publish on subsequent run");
+        DEBUG_INFO("[didactyl] startup phase: existing-agent mode; skipping startup-event reconcile on subsequent run");
         if (nostr_handler_load_system_context_from_adopted_skills() != 0) {
             DEBUG_WARN("[didactyl] startup phase: failed to load system context from adopted skills (continuing with fallback)");
         }
     }
+
+    if (persist_runtime_config_to_nostr(&cfg) != 0) {
+        DEBUG_WARN("[didactyl] startup phase: failed to persist encrypted runtime config to Nostr");
+    } else {
+        DEBUG_INFO("[didactyl] startup phase: persisted encrypted runtime config to Nostr");
+    }
+
     startup_step_ok(7, "Reconcile/persist startup state", NULL);
 
     const char* system_context = nostr_handler_get_system_context();

src/main.h

@@ -12,8 +12,8 @@
 // Using DIDACTYL_ prefix to avoid conflicts with nostr_core_lib VERSION macros
 #define DIDACTYL_VERSION_MAJOR 0
 #define DIDACTYL_VERSION_MINOR 0
-#define DIDACTYL_VERSION_PATCH 79
-#define DIDACTYL_VERSION "v0.0.79"
+#define DIDACTYL_VERSION_PATCH 81
+#define DIDACTYL_VERSION "v0.0.81"
 
 // Agent metadata
 #define DIDACTYL_NAME "Didactyl"

src/prompt_template.h

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 #define DIDACTYL_PROMPT_TEMPLATE_H
 
 #include "cjson/cJSON.h"
-#include "tools.h"
+#include "tools/tools.h"
 
 #define PROMPT_TEMPLATE_MAX_SECTIONS 32
 #define PROMPT_TEMPLATE_MAX_NAME_LEN 64

src/setup_wizard.c

@@ -271,10 +271,11 @@ static void config_set_defaults(didactyl_config_t* cfg) {
     cfg->dm_protocol = DM_PROTOCOL_NIP04;
 
     cfg->tools.enabled = 1;
-    cfg->tools.max_turns = 8;
-    cfg->tools.trigger_max_turns = 6;
-    cfg->tools.api_default_max_turns = 4;
-    cfg->tools.api_max_turns_ceiling = 16;
+    cfg->tools.max_turns = 20;
+    cfg->tools.trigger_max_turns = 12;
+    cfg->tools.api_default_max_turns = 8;
+    cfg->tools.api_max_turns_ceiling = 32;
+    cfg->tools.stall_repeat_threshold = 3;
     cfg->tools.local_http_fetch_default_timeout_seconds = 20;
     cfg->tools.local_http_fetch_max_timeout_seconds = 120;
     cfg->tools.shell.enabled = 1;
@@ -1056,6 +1057,167 @@ static int recover_full_config_from_nostr(didactyl_config_t* cfg,
     return 0;
 }
 
+static const char* dm_protocol_to_string_local(dm_protocol_t protocol) {
+    switch (protocol) {
+        case DM_PROTOCOL_NIP17: return "nip17";
+        case DM_PROTOCOL_BOTH: return "both";
+        case DM_PROTOCOL_NIP04:
+        default:
+            return "nip04";
+    }
+}
+
+static int publish_encrypted_self_config_wizard(const didactyl_config_t* cfg,
+                                                const char* d_tag,
+                                                const char* content_json) {
+    if (!cfg || !d_tag || !content_json || d_tag[0] == '\0') return -1;
+
+    size_t cipher_cap = (strlen(content_json) * 4U) + 1024U;
+    char* ciphertext = (char*)malloc(cipher_cap);
+    if (!ciphertext) return -1;
+
+    int enc_rc = nostr_nip44_encrypt(cfg->keys.private_key,
+                                     cfg->keys.public_key,
+                                     content_json,
+                                     ciphertext,
+                                     cipher_cap);
+    if (enc_rc != NOSTR_SUCCESS) {
+        free(ciphertext);
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    cJSON* tags = cJSON_CreateArray();
+    cJSON* d = cJSON_CreateArray();
+    cJSON* app = cJSON_CreateArray();
+    if (!tags || !d || !app) {
+        cJSON_Delete(tags);
+        cJSON_Delete(d);
+        cJSON_Delete(app);
+        free(ciphertext);
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    cJSON_AddItemToArray(d, cJSON_CreateString("d"));
+    cJSON_AddItemToArray(d, cJSON_CreateString(d_tag));
+    cJSON_AddItemToArray(tags, d);
+
+    cJSON_AddItemToArray(app, cJSON_CreateString("app"));
+    cJSON_AddItemToArray(app, cJSON_CreateString("didactyl"));
+    cJSON_AddItemToArray(tags, app);
+
+    nostr_publish_result_t result;
+    memset(&result, 0, sizeof(result));
+    int rc = nostr_handler_publish_kind_event(30078, ciphertext, tags, &result);
+    nostr_handler_publish_result_free(&result);
+    cJSON_Delete(tags);
+    free(ciphertext);
+    return rc;
+}
+
+static int persist_runtime_config_to_nostr_wizard(const didactyl_config_t* cfg) {
+    if (!cfg) return -1;
+
+    cJSON* llm = cJSON_CreateObject();
+    if (!llm) return -1;
+    cJSON_AddStringToObject(llm, "provider", cfg->llm.provider);
+    cJSON_AddStringToObject(llm, "api_key", cfg->llm.api_key);
+    cJSON_AddStringToObject(llm, "model", cfg->llm.model);
+    cJSON_AddStringToObject(llm, "base_url", cfg->llm.base_url);
+    cJSON_AddNumberToObject(llm, "max_tokens", cfg->llm.max_tokens);
+    cJSON_AddNumberToObject(llm, "temperature", cfg->llm.temperature);
+
+    char* llm_json = cJSON_PrintUnformatted(llm);
+    cJSON_Delete(llm);
+    if (!llm_json) return -1;
+
+    int llm_rc = publish_encrypted_self_config_wizard(cfg, "llm_config", llm_json);
+    free(llm_json);
+
+    cJSON* agent = cJSON_CreateObject();
+    if (!agent) return llm_rc;
+    cJSON_AddStringToObject(agent, "admin_pubkey", cfg->admin.pubkey);
+    cJSON_AddStringToObject(agent, "dm_protocol", dm_protocol_to_string_local(cfg->dm_protocol));
+    char* agent_json = cJSON_PrintUnformatted(agent);
+    cJSON_Delete(agent);
+    if (!agent_json) return llm_rc;
+
+    int agent_rc = publish_encrypted_self_config_wizard(cfg, "agent_config", agent_json);
+    free(agent_json);
+
+    return (llm_rc == 0 && agent_rc == 0) ? 0 : -1;
+}
+
+static int persist_runtime_config_to_nostr_wizard_online(const didactyl_config_t* cfg) {
+    if (!cfg) return -1;
+
+    didactyl_config_t tmp = *cfg;
+    if (nostr_handler_init(&tmp) != 0) {
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    (void)wait_connected_relays_ms(5000);
+    int rc = persist_runtime_config_to_nostr_wizard(cfg);
+
+    /* Give relays time to acknowledge the published events before tearing
+       down the connection.  Without this, the fire-and-forget publish may
+       not reach any relay before cleanup closes the sockets. */
+    for (int i = 0; i < 30; i++) {
+        nostr_handler_poll(100);
+    }
+
+    nostr_handler_cleanup();
+    return rc;
+}
+
+static int publish_kind10002_relays_wizard_online(const didactyl_config_t* cfg) {
+    if (!cfg) return -1;
+
+    didactyl_config_t tmp = *cfg;
+    if (nostr_handler_init(&tmp) != 0) {
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    (void)wait_connected_relays_ms(5000);
+
+    char* tags_json = NULL;
+    if (build_kind10002_tags_json(cfg, &tags_json) != 0 || !tags_json) {
+        free(tags_json);
+        nostr_handler_cleanup();
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    cJSON* tags = cJSON_Parse(tags_json);
+    free(tags_json);
+    if (!tags || !cJSON_IsArray(tags)) {
+        cJSON_Delete(tags);
+        nostr_handler_cleanup();
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    nostr_publish_result_t result;
+    memset(&result, 0, sizeof(result));
+    int rc = nostr_handler_publish_kind_event(10002, "", tags, &result);
+    nostr_handler_publish_result_free(&result);
+    cJSON_Delete(tags);
+
+    nostr_handler_cleanup();
+    return rc;
+}
+
+static int ensure_startup_kind10002_from_current_relays(didactyl_config_t* cfg) {
+    if (!cfg) return -1;
+
+    char* tags_json = NULL;
+    if (build_kind10002_tags_json(cfg, &tags_json) != 0 || !tags_json) {
+        free(tags_json);
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    int rc = upsert_startup_event(cfg, 10002, "", tags_json);
+    free(tags_json);
+    return rc;
+}
+
 static int wizard_llm_test(const llm_config_t* llm_cfg) {
     if (!llm_cfg) return -1;
     if (llm_init(llm_cfg) != 0) {
@@ -2022,6 +2184,13 @@ static int new_agent_flow(didactyl_config_t* cfg, char* genesis_path_out, size_t
     if (c == 's') return 2;
 
     if (c == 'b') {
+        /* Publish kind 30078 agent_config + llm_config so the --nsec-only
+           restart path can recover them.  Non-fatal: main() will also
+           publish during bootstrap, but doing it here is belt-and-suspenders. */
+        if (persist_runtime_config_to_nostr_wizard_online(cfg) != 0) {
+            fprintf(stderr, "%sWarning: failed to publish runtime config to Nostr (will retry on boot).%s\n",
+                    ANSI_YELLOW, ANSI_RESET);
+        }
         fprintf(stderr, "%sStep 7 of 7 -- Booting new agent. Check your messages for initial greeting.%s\n",
                 ANSI_YELLOW,
                 ANSI_RESET);
@@ -2029,6 +2198,16 @@ static int new_agent_flow(didactyl_config_t* cfg, char* genesis_path_out, size_t
     }
 
     if (c == 'i') {
+        /* Publish kind 30078 agent_config + llm_config BEFORE installing the
+           service.  The systemd service starts with --nsec only and depends
+           on recovering these from relays. */
+        if (persist_runtime_config_to_nostr_wizard_online(cfg) != 0) {
+            fprintf(stderr,
+                    "%sFailed to publish runtime config to Nostr; refusing install to avoid missing admin/LLM on first boot.%s\n",
+                    ANSI_RED, ANSI_RESET);
+            return -1;
+        }
+
         if (install_system_service_with_dedicated_user(cfg, agent_name) != 0) {
             fprintf(stderr, "%sFailed to install dedicated-user system service.%s\n", ANSI_RED, ANSI_RESET);
             return -1;
@@ -2069,7 +2248,7 @@ static int existing_agent_flow(didactyl_config_t* cfg) {
     char nsec_in[OW_MAX_KEY_LEN] = {0};
     char agent_name[OW_MAX_NAME_LEN] = {0};
     int agent_name_found = 0;
-    int config_changed = 0;
+    int relay_changed = 0;
 
     render_wizard_page_header("Existing Agent", "Identity");
     if (read_secret_prompt("Enter your agent nsec (nsec1... or 64-char hex): ", nsec_in, sizeof(nsec_in)) != 0) return -1;
@@ -2124,6 +2303,7 @@ static int existing_agent_flow(didactyl_config_t* cfg) {
         }
 
         render_wizard_page_header("Existing Agent", "Recovered Configuration");
+        fprintf(stderr, "Your agent was found. Change any of the following:\n\n");
         fprintf(stderr, "  Name:         %s\n", agent_name);
         fprintf(stderr, "  Identity:     %.16s...\n", cfg->keys.public_key_hex);
         fprintf(stderr, "  Admin:        %s\n", cfg->admin.pubkey[0] ? cfg->admin.pubkey : "(not set)");
@@ -2154,7 +2334,6 @@ static int existing_agent_flow(didactyl_config_t* cfg) {
                                                 "Existing Agent -- Administrator") != 0) {
                 return -1;
             }
-            config_changed = 1;
             continue;
         }
         if (c == 'l') {
@@ -2163,7 +2342,6 @@ static int existing_agent_flow(didactyl_config_t* cfg) {
                                               "Existing Agent -- LLM Provider") != 0) {
                 return -1;
             }
-            config_changed = 1;
             continue;
         }
         if (c == 'r') {
@@ -2173,7 +2351,7 @@ static int existing_agent_flow(didactyl_config_t* cfg) {
                                                                 "Existing Agent -- Relay Configuration");
                 if (rc < 0) return -1;
                 if (rc == 1) break;
-                config_changed = 1;
+                relay_changed = 1;
                 break;
             }
             continue;
@@ -2196,10 +2374,41 @@ static int existing_agent_flow(didactyl_config_t* cfg) {
     if (lc == 'q') return -1;
 
     if (lc == 'b') {
-        return config_changed ? SETUP_WIZARD_RC_BOOTSTRAP : SETUP_WIZARD_RC_EXISTING;
+        if (relay_changed) {
+            if (ensure_startup_kind10002_from_current_relays(cfg) != 0) {
+                fprintf(stderr,
+                        "%sFailed to stage updated relay list for startup publish.%s\n",
+                        ANSI_RED,
+                        ANSI_RESET);
+                return -1;
+            }
+        }
+        /* Always return BOOTSTRAP so main() re-publishes kind 30078.
+           The wizard has the authoritative config in memory. */
+        return SETUP_WIZARD_RC_BOOTSTRAP;
     }
 
     if (lc == 'i') {
+        /* Always publish kind 30078 before installing the service, even if
+           config was not changed.  The service depends on recovering these
+           from relays and the event may have been purged. */
+        if (persist_runtime_config_to_nostr_wizard_online(cfg) != 0) {
+            fprintf(stderr,
+                    "%sFailed to publish runtime config to Nostr; refusing install to avoid stale admin/LLM on first boot.%s\n",
+                    ANSI_RED,
+                    ANSI_RESET);
+            return -1;
+        }
+        if (relay_changed) {
+            if (publish_kind10002_relays_wizard_online(cfg) != 0) {
+                fprintf(stderr,
+                        "%sFailed to publish updated relay list (kind 10002) to Nostr; refusing install.%s\n",
+                        ANSI_RED,
+                        ANSI_RESET);
+                return -1;
+            }
+        }
+
         if (install_system_service_with_dedicated_user(cfg, agent_name) != 0) {
             fprintf(stderr, "%sFailed to install dedicated-user system service.%s\n", ANSI_RED, ANSI_RESET);
             return -1;

src/tools/tools.h

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #ifndef DIDACTYL_TOOLS_H
 #define DIDACTYL_TOOLS_H
 
-#include "config.h"
+#include "../config.h"
 
 struct trigger_manager;