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docs: compare goal modes and propose Pi-native continuation - #897

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testikun wants to merge 2 commits into
openpi-dev:mainfrom
testikun:codex/goal-mode-research
Draft

testikun wants to merge 2 commits into
openpi-dev:mainfrom
testikun:codex/goal-mode-research

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@testikun

@testikun testikun commented Oct 23, 2026 •

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Problem

Goal mode is absent from current main after #880, while the requested experience is an explicit objective that persists until completion or a bounded stop. The historical implementation and #192 do not establish how the current OpenCode, Kimi Code, Claude Code, Codex and DeepSeek Harness implementations compare.

Value

Provide a source-pinned basis for choosing OpenPI's Goal design, with clear separation between observed implementation, recommendations and unexecuted evaluation protocols.

Approach

Add a research record and index entry. Compare the five products, distinguish OpenCode core from third-party Ralph and current Kimi Code from the archived Python CLI, and identify Pi 1.2.0's native settlement hooks. Recommend a single-Session Goal with explicit user activation, one model status tool, native continuation and bounded lifecycle authority. Include static design ablation, source receipts and a proposed evaluation protocol. This is a draft recommendation, not an adopted Decision.

Related: #192, #43, #879.

Validation

Using Bun 1.3.14, Node 24.20.0 and frozen-lockfile dependencies:

  • bun run check: passed.
  • VITEST_MAX_WORKERS=1 bun run test: failed in the Node phase; 2,415 passed, eight skipped, six failed out of 2,429. The six failures are in the unchanged file-mutation renderer, native child renderer and custom footer tests. The same six failures reproduce across the same three files in a pristine archive of main 31b2d045 with the same dependencies (five passed, six failed). Their underlying cause is not diagnosed by this docs PR.
  • VITEST_MAX_WORKERS=1 bun run test:ui: independently passed all 1,640 tests across 107 files, since the failed Node phase prevented the full runner from reaching UI.
  • All 15 pinned GitHub paths exist in captured commit trees; all 184 source-file SHA-256 receipts match. Markdown reference definitions and git diff --check passed.

The first attempt under the host's default Node 20 could not start strip-types tests; the supported Node 24 runs above are the reported evidence. No test expectations were changed or skipped by this PR.

No competitive runtime, live model comparison, benchmark or installed-runtime smoke was performed.

Impact

Documentation only. User-visible behavior, model-facing tools/context, runtime/lifecycle and persisted config/data are unchanged. The research records the Pi compatibility boundary and unresolved evaluation questions; it does not restore the deleted Goal implementation.

@github-actions github-actions Bot added the documentation Improvements or additions to documentation label Oct 23, 2026

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