Remove max turns cap, add TUI session header, fix write_file truncation

- Remove maxTurns entirely from Config, director, renderer, and all tests;
  agent now runs until submit_output is called
- TUI header shows session title (truncated from initial task) and live
  latest-user-prompt row that updates as the agent runs
- Detect malformed (_raw) tool call arguments in path-escape plugin and
  return an actionable error instead of a cryptic type failure
- Add system prompt rule discouraging large single-file writes
- Raise max_tokens to 16384 on both headless and TUI agent sources to
  prevent JSON argument truncation on large write_file payloads

Author: TheGreatAxios

e2e/agent-loop.test.ts

@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ describe("agent loop", () => {
       const director = createCodingDirector(
         buildSystemPrompt(),
         [submitOutputDefinition],
-        10,
         {
           turnsUsed: 0,
           submitCalled: false,
@@ -124,88 +123,12 @@ describe("agent loop", () => {
     }
   });
 
-  test("director aborts at max turns", async () => {
-    const harness = setupHarness();
-    try {
-      const director = createCodingDirector(
-        buildSystemPrompt(),
-        [submitOutputDefinition],
-        2,
-      );
-
-      const capabilities = createCapabilities();
-
-      // Turn 1: empty text (no tools)
-      const actions1 = await director.decide(
-        {
-          type: "inference.done",
-          turn: {
-            role: "assistant",
-            model: "test",
-            timestamp: 0,
-            content: [{ type: "text", text: "Thinking..." }],
-          },
-          usage: { input: 10, output: 5, cacheRead: 0, cacheWrite: 0, thinking: 0 },
-          source: { id: "xai", model: "test" },
-        },
-        {
-          turns: [],
-          activeForks: [],
-          pendingOperations: [],
-          activeGates: [],
-          tokenUsage: { input: 0, output: 0, cacheRead: 0, cacheWrite: 0, thinking: 0 },
-          lastCycleUsage: null,
-          lastCycleSource: null,
-          sessionId: "test",
-        },
-        capabilities,
-      );
-
-      // Default director replies and waits
-      const arr1 = Array.isArray(actions1) ? actions1 : [actions1];
-      expect(arr1.some((a) => a.type === "reply")).toBe(true);
-
-      // Turn 2: empty text again (reaches max turns)
-      const actions2 = await director.decide(
-        {
-          type: "inference.done",
-          turn: {
-            role: "assistant",
-            model: "test",
-            timestamp: 0,
-            content: [{ type: "text", text: "Still thinking..." }],
-          },
-          usage: { input: 10, output: 5, cacheRead: 0, cacheWrite: 0, thinking: 0 },
-          source: { id: "xai", model: "test" },
-        },
-        {
-          turns: [],
-          activeForks: [],
-          pendingOperations: [],
-          activeGates: [],
-          tokenUsage: { input: 0, output: 0, cacheRead: 0, cacheWrite: 0, thinking: 0 },
-          lastCycleUsage: null,
-          lastCycleSource: null,
-          sessionId: "test",
-        },
-        capabilities,
-      );
-
-      // Should reply because max turns reached
-      const arr2 = Array.isArray(actions2) ? actions2 : [actions2];
-      expect(arr2.some((a) => a.type === "reply")).toBe(true);
-    } finally {
-      harness.dispose();
-    }
-  });
-
   test("director aborts after 3 idle cycles", async () => {
     const harness = setupHarness();
     try {
       const director = createCodingDirector(
         buildSystemPrompt(),
         [submitOutputDefinition],
-        10,
       );
 
       const capabilities = createCapabilities();
@@ -271,7 +194,6 @@ describe("agent loop", () => {
       const director = createCodingDirector(
         buildSystemPrompt(),
         [submitPlanDefinition, submitOutputDefinition],
-        10,
       );
 
       const capabilities = createCapabilities();
@@ -335,7 +257,6 @@ describe("agent loop", () => {
       const director = createCodingDirector(
         buildSystemPrompt(),
         [submitPlanDefinition, submitOutputDefinition],
-        10,
       );
 
       const capabilities = createCapabilities();

src/config.test.ts

@@ -60,27 +60,19 @@ describe("loadConfig", () => {
       expect(config.baseURL).toBe("https://api.fireworks.ai/inference");
       expect(config.model).toBe("accounts/fireworks/routers/kimi-k2p6-turbo");
       expect(config.providerName).toBe("fireworks");
-      expect(config.maxTurns).toBe(30);
       expect(config.cwd).toBe(process.cwd());
       expect(config.force).toBe(false);
     } finally {
       restoreEnv(stash);
     }
   });
 
-  test("parses --cwd and --max-turns", () => {
+  test("parses --cwd", () => {
     const stash = stashEnv();
     try {
       setRequiredEnv();
-      const config = loadConfig([
-        "--cwd",
-        "/tmp/test",
-        "--max-turns",
-        "15",
-        "fix bug",
-      ]);
+      const config = loadConfig(["--cwd", "/tmp/test", "fix bug"]);
       expect(config.cwd).toBe("/tmp/test");
-      expect(config.maxTurns).toBe(15);
       expect(config.task).toBe("fix bug");
       expect(config.force).toBe(false);
     } finally {

src/config.ts

@@ -6,14 +6,11 @@ export type Config = {
   model: string;
   providerName: string;
   cwd: string;
-  maxTurns: number;
   task: string;
   force: boolean;
   headless: boolean;
 };
 
-const DEFAULT_MAX_TURNS = 30;
-
 function requireEnv(name: string): string {
   const value = process.env[name];
   if (value === undefined || value.length === 0) {
@@ -26,7 +23,6 @@ export function loadConfig(argv: readonly string[]): Config {
   const args = [...argv];
 
   let cwd = process.cwd();
-  let maxTurns = DEFAULT_MAX_TURNS;
   let force = false;
   let headless = false;
   const positional: string[] = [];
@@ -42,18 +38,6 @@ export function loadConfig(argv: readonly string[]): Config {
       cwd = resolve(next);
       continue;
     }
-    if (arg === "--max-turns") {
-      const next = args[++i];
-      if (next === undefined) {
-        throw new Error("--max-turns requires a number");
-      }
-      const parsed = Number(next);
-      if (!Number.isFinite(parsed) || parsed < 1) {
-        throw new Error(`invalid --max-turns: ${next}`);
-      }
-      maxTurns = parsed;
-      continue;
-    }
     if (arg === "--force") {
       force = true;
       continue;
@@ -81,7 +65,6 @@ export function loadConfig(argv: readonly string[]): Config {
     model,
     providerName,
     cwd,
-    maxTurns,
     task,
     force,
     headless,

src/director.test.ts

@@ -49,28 +49,28 @@ function actionsArray(result: ReactorAction | ReactorAction[]): ReactorAction[]
 
 describe("CL-820: filesRead tracking", () => {
   test("filesRead starts empty on new director", () => {
-    const director = createCodingDirector("", [], 30);
+    const director = createCodingDirector("", []);
     expect(director.getState().filesRead).toEqual([]);
   });
 
   test("reading a file adds its path to filesRead", async () => {
-    const director = createCodingDirector("", [], 30);
+    const director = createCodingDirector("", []);
     const callId = "call-r1";
     await director.decide(makeInferenceDoneEvent([{ id: callId, name: "read_file", args: { path: "src/foo.ts" } }]), mockState, mockCapabilities);
     await director.decide(makeToolDoneEvent(callId), mockState, mockCapabilities);
     expect(director.getState().filesRead!.some((e) => e.path === "src/foo.ts")).toBe(true);
   });
 
   test("list_dir does not add to filesRead", async () => {
-    const director = createCodingDirector("", [], 30);
+    const director = createCodingDirector("", []);
     const callId = "call-ld";
     await director.decide(makeInferenceDoneEvent([{ id: callId, name: "list_dir", args: { path: "src/" } }]), mockState, mockCapabilities);
     await director.decide(makeToolDoneEvent(callId), mockState, mockCapabilities);
     expect(director.getState().filesRead).toEqual([]);
   });
 
   test("filesRead is restored on setState (simulates resume)", () => {
-    const director = createCodingDirector("", [], 30);
+    const director = createCodingDirector("", []);
     director.setState({
       turnsUsed: 2,
       submitCalled: false,
@@ -84,12 +84,12 @@ describe("CL-820: filesRead tracking", () => {
   });
 
   test("filesRead is empty on fresh director (not restored from prior state)", () => {
-    const director = createCodingDirector("", [], 30);
+    const director = createCodingDirector("", []);
     expect(director.getState().filesRead).toEqual([]);
   });
 
   test("getFilesReadAtTurn exposes path-to-turn map", async () => {
-    const director = createCodingDirector("", [], 30);
+    const director = createCodingDirector("", []);
     const callId = "call-r2";
     await director.decide(makeInferenceDoneEvent([{ id: callId, name: "read_file", args: { path: "src/bar.ts" } }]), mockState, mockCapabilities);
     await director.decide(makeToolDoneEvent(callId), mockState, mockCapabilities);
@@ -99,13 +99,13 @@ describe("CL-820: filesRead tracking", () => {
 
 describe("CL-822: consecutive-reads cap removed", () => {
   test("consecutiveReads field is absent from persisted state", () => {
-    const director = createCodingDirector("", [], 30);
+    const director = createCodingDirector("", []);
     const state = director.getState();
     expect("consecutiveReads" in state).toBe(false);
   });
 
   test("director does not abort after 8 consecutive read_file calls", async () => {
-    const director = createCodingDirector("", [], 30);
+    const director = createCodingDirector("", []);
 
     for (let i = 1; i <= 8; i++) {
       const callId = `call-${i}`;

src/director.ts

@@ -81,7 +81,6 @@ function isValidPlanArgs(args: unknown): args is { steps: PlanStep[] } {
 class CodingDirectorImpl extends DefaultDirector implements CodingDirector {
   private submitCalled = false;
   private _turnsUsed = 0;
-  private readonly maxTurns: number;
   private readonly callIdToName = new Map<string, string>();
   private readonly callIdToArgs = new Map<string, unknown>();
   private readonly filesReadAtTurn = new Map<string, number>();
@@ -92,11 +91,9 @@ class CodingDirectorImpl extends DefaultDirector implements CodingDirector {
   constructor(
     systemPrompt: string,
     toolDefinitions: ToolDefinition[],
-    maxTurns: number,
     initialState?: DirectorPersistedState,
   ) {
     super(systemPrompt, toolDefinitions, {});
-    this.maxTurns = maxTurns;
     if (initialState !== undefined) {
       this.setState(initialState);
     }
@@ -149,12 +146,6 @@ class CodingDirectorImpl extends DefaultDirector implements CodingDirector {
         ];
       }
 
-      if (this._turnsUsed >= this.maxTurns) {
-        return [
-          capabilities.checkpoint("max-turns"),
-          capabilities.reply(`Max turns (${this.maxTurns}) reached.`),
-        ];
-      }
     }
 
     if (event.type === "tool.done") {
@@ -220,10 +211,9 @@ class CodingDirectorImpl extends DefaultDirector implements CodingDirector {
 export function createCodingDirector(
   systemPrompt: string,
   toolDefinitions: ToolDefinition[],
-  maxTurns: number,
   initialState?: DirectorPersistedState,
 ): CodingDirector {
-  return new CodingDirectorImpl(systemPrompt, toolDefinitions, maxTurns, initialState);
+  return new CodingDirectorImpl(systemPrompt, toolDefinitions, initialState);
 }
 
 export function createChatDirector(

src/index.ts

@@ -37,7 +37,6 @@ function printHelp(): void {
   console.log("Options:");
   console.log("  --headless, -h     Run in headless CLI mode (default: TUI)");
   console.log("  --cwd <dir>        Working directory (default: current directory)");
-  console.log("  --max-turns <n>    Maximum agent turns (default: 30)");
   console.log("  --force            Override an existing run state");
   console.log("  --help             Show this help message");
   console.log("");

src/plugins/path-escape-plugin.ts

@@ -5,6 +5,13 @@ import type { ToolCall, ToolResult } from "@intx/types/runtime";
 export function pathEscapePlugin(cwd: string): ToolPlugin {
   return {
     middleware: (next) => async (call, signal) => {
+      if ("_raw" in call.arguments) {
+        return {
+          callId: call.id,
+          content: "Tool call arguments were malformed JSON (likely truncated). Retry with a smaller payload.",
+          isError: true,
+        };
+      }
       let escaped: Record<string, unknown>;
       try {
         escaped = escapeArgs(call.arguments, cwd);

src/prompts.ts

@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ export function buildSystemPrompt(): string {
     "4. You MUST call submit_output when the task is fully complete. No other action signals completion.",
     "5. If tests are failing, you MUST NOT submit. Fix the tests first.",
     "6. Do not re-read a file you already read. The tool will return an error if you try.",
+    "7. Never write large files in a single write_file call. If a file exceeds ~200 lines, write it in sections using run_shell (printf or cat heredoc) or break the work into edit_file calls on an existing scaffold.",
     "",
     "Available tools: read_file, write_file, edit_file, run_shell, search_files, grep, list_dir, submit_plan, submit_output.",
     "",