prose-contracts/pi-approval-architecture.prose.md

kind, name, description, agent, version

kind	name	description	agent	version
pattern	pi-approval-architecture	Documents pi's approval model vs Hermes, what commands are available, and the architectural constraints that prevent mid-turn tool approval in pi. Updated with /approve and /deny stub commands for cross-agent UX consistency.	abiba	1.0.0

Pi Approval Architecture

TL;DR

Feature	Hermes	Pi (Abiba)
/approve command	✅ Full — unblocks agent	✅ Stub — acknowledges, no blocking
/deny command	✅ Full — blocks agent	✅ Stub — acknowledges, no blocking
Dangerous command detection	✅ 40+ patterns + Tirith	❌ None (LLM judgment only)
Mid-turn tool approval	✅ Agent thread blocks on Event	❌ No hook in agent loop
Smart approval (aux LLM)	✅ approvals.mode: smart	❌ N/A
Yolo mode	✅ /yolo, approvals.mode: off	❌ N/A
Permanent allowlist	✅ command_allowlist + shell-hooks	❌ N/A
Session-scoped approval	✅ approve_session()	❌ N/A
Approval timeout	✅ 60s default, configurable	❌ N/A

Why Pi Can't Do Mid-Turn Approval

Pi's agent loop is 418 lines of TypeScript. It's deliberately minimal:

LLM decides → calls tool → tool executes immediately → output goes to LLM → repeats

There is no middleware between "LLM decides to call bash" and "bash executes." The extension system (injectIntoSession) feeds messages IN but doesn't intercept tool calls mid-turn.

Hermes has a full approval pipeline:

LLM decides → check_all_command_guards() → if dangerous → notify_cb → block thread
→ user responds /approve → resolve_gateway_approval() → Event.set() → unblock

This pipeline is deeply integrated into Hermes' gateway, tool executor, and session management. Replicating it in pi would require rewriting the core agent loop — violating pi's design constraint of minimal core.

What Pi HAS: /approve and /deny Stubs

Added to prevent /approve and /deny from being forwarded to the LLM as garbled input. When a user types these commands to Abiba:

• /approve → "Pi doesn't have pending approvals. Commands execute immediately."
• /approve session → Same response
• /deny → Same response + "For Hermes agents (Tanko, Mumuni), these work with their built-in approval system."

This keeps the UX consistent across agents — users can type /approve anywhere without getting confused by LLM responses.

Pi's Full Command Set (Hermes Parity)

Command	Handler	Description	Hermes Equivalent
/status	System	PM2 processes, containers, session info	/status
/retry	Session	Re-injects last user message	/retry
/continue	Session	Continues truncated response	/continue
/new [topic]	Session	Clears conversation context	/new
/stop	Control	Interrupts current LLM processing	/stop
/model [name]	Info	Show current model, list available	/model
/compact	Session	Requests context compaction	/compact
/yolo	Stub	Pi has no approval system — accepted for UX	/yolo
/verbose	Stub	Verbosity controlled by prompt, not toggle	/verbose
/approve	Stub	Pi executes immediately — no approvals	/approve
/deny	Stub	Pi executes immediately — no approvals	/deny
/help [cmd]	Info	Shows command help	/help

What Pi COULD Add (Without Core Changes)

These would work within pi's current architecture:

1. Pre-message dangerous command scan: Before forwarding an agent response to Zulip, scan the text for dangerous bash commands and add a warning banner. Doesn't prevent execution but alerts user.

2. User-facing approval prompt injection: When user asks pi to do something dangerous (detected via regex on user input), pi could respond with a confirmation request before proceeding. This works because it's at the message level, not mid-turn.

3. Response rate-limiting: If pi generates many bash commands rapidly, throttle and ask for confirmation. Works within the extension's send path.

Files

File	Purpose
/root/.pi/agent/extensions/zulip/index.js	Pi Zulip extension with command system
/root/prose-contracts/zulip-approval-fix.prose.md	Hermes Zulip approval fix
/root/prose-contracts/pi-approval-architecture.prose.md	This document

Related

• Hermes tools/approval.py — Full approval pipeline (dangerous patterns, Tirith, smart mode)
• Hermes gateway/slash_commands.py:_handle_approve_command — Slash command handler
• Hermes Zulip adapter fix — HTML stripping for command detection