---
title: CTO Case Agent Protocol Blocker
status: draft
lifecycle_classification: sot
owner: jp
created: 2026-06-01
last_reviewed: 2026-06-01
core_promotion_status: not-promoted
route: cto
---

# CTO Case Agent Protocol Blocker

Local planning SOT only. Not a Core Protocol. Not active Core authority.

## CTO-WORK-028 - Case Agent Result Protocol Blocker

Status: blocked.

Record the first admitted real Case Stage 2 run after OpenAI Codex model admission.
The run proves that provider/model admission now reaches Case execution, but does
not prove Stage 2. Case failed before producing a workspace diff because its
implementer agent result did not satisfy the Case result-envelope contract.

Acceptance:

- Real Case Stage 2 remains blocked until Case produces a Harness Evidence Interface pass report.
- The admitted provider/model pair remains `openai-codex` / `gpt-5.5`.
- The admission file remains `.sot/03-PROTOCOLS/CTO-CASE-MODEL-PROVIDER-ADMISSION.openai-codex-gpt-5.5.json`.
- Evidence must show `case_process_started: true` before this blocker is accepted as the current blocker.
- Evidence must show `case_model_admission_status: admitted`.
- Evidence must show no target repository path was inspected or copied.
- Evidence must show no workspace patch was produced.
- Evidence must show tests did not pass.
- The next implementation route must happen through the Hermes CTO harness seam, a Case-compatible provider adapter seam, or an external compatibility layer.
- The next implementation route must not mutate Cortex Core, vendor Case source, or external developer repositories.
- No real-repo, copied-repo, sandbox-repo, owned-repo, default-candidate, or Core promotion stage may use this failed run as pass evidence.

## Evidence - 2026-06-01

- Harness command class: real Case Stage 2 artificial fixture.
- Run artifact directory: `/home/svrnty/.hermes/profiles/cto-planb/harness-runs/20260601T013918Z-r1-string-slugify-2381028`.
- Case binary path used by harness: `/tmp/workos-case/dist/ca`.
- Case source pin for the built binary: `7959ac917cdeb0983b4aaa20bb9f42021747fed8`.
- Report status: `fail`.
- Backend: `case`.
- Backend exit code: `1`.
- Case process started: `true`.
- Case model provider: `openai-codex`.
- Case model: `gpt-5.5`.
- Case model admission status: `admitted`.
- Source admission status: `not_admitted`.
- No target inspection proof: `stage2-no-target-inspection.json`.
- Changed files: none.
- Patch artifact: `patch.diff`.
- Patch digest: `e3b0c44298fc1c149afbf4c8996fb92427ae41e4649b934ca495991b7852b855`.
- Tests command: `python3 -m pytest -q`.
- Tests passed: `false`.
- Required events passed: `false`.
- Report blocker: `case engine failed with exit code 1`.
- Case stderr evidence: implementer failed with `AGENT_RESULT start delimiter not found`.
- Case stderr evidence: retry classified the failure as `agent-protocol-error`.
- Case stdout evidence: unattended mode auto-selected `Abort`.
- Result: Stage 2 is still blocked.

## Current Interpretation

This is a protocol compatibility blocker, not a provider approval blocker.

The admitted provider/model reached Case. Case then failed because the implementer
agent did not return output framed by the Case `AGENT_RESULT` delimiter contract.
The evidence does not prove whether the defect is Case provider configuration,
provider adapter behavior, Codex output framing, or harness invocation shape.

## Required Next Route

The next useful route is a small Case agent protocol compatibility investigation.
It should answer only this question:

```text
What minimal non-vendor seam makes admitted Case execution return the required
AGENT_RESULT envelope and produce a Stage 2 artificial fixture diff?
```

Allowed next actions:

- Inspect Case provider adapter behavior read-only.
- Inspect Hermes CTO Case invocation behavior.
- Add fail-closed classification in Hermes CTO harness if needed.
- Add a compatibility shim only outside vendor Case source.
- Re-run real Case Stage 2 only after a specific protocol compatibility change exists.

Forbidden next actions:

- Do not edit `/tmp/workos-case` as the durable solution.
- Do not mark Stage 2 validated from this run.
- Do not promote Case to copied repo, sandbox repo, owned repo, or default candidate.
- Do not write provider secrets to SOT, argv, task files, backend logs, reports, traces, or commits.