advisor ref-mode returns docker exit 125 through the dispatch broker (TTY/attach in non-interactive host-forward context) #605

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opened 2026-07-04 09:11:56 +00:00 by coilysiren · 1 comment

coilysiren commented

2026-07-04 09:11:56 +00:00

Owner

Symptom

ward agent advisor <owner/repo#N> "<prompt>" in ref mode, launched through the dispatch broker from a warded director (read-only) surface, fails every time with:

ward: dispatch broker: ward agent advisor --driver claude: research coilyco-flight-deck/agentic-os#<N>: exit status 125

Docker exit 125 is a pre-start container-create/run rejection (the daemon refused the container before the entrypoint ran), classically "the input device is not a TTY" when a docker run -it/attach is issued in a non-interactive context.

Reproduced 2026-07-04

Firing 16 advisor ref-mode runs across the aos backlog from a warded director surface session (broker at $WARD_DISPATCH_BROKER_ADDR), every one returned exit status 125. Constant across issues (#298 #291 #282 #268 #237 #235 #231 #228 #225 #300 #269 #252 ...). Not issue-specific.

What works vs what fails (the tell)

engineer ref runs from the same session, same broker, same moment: all forwarded and detached cleanly (ward dispatch broker: forwarded ... to host ward). The detached-launch path is healthy.
advisor --print (renders plan, launches nothing): forwards fine. So ref resolution + prompt render + broker forward are all healthy.
advisor real run: 125 at container launch, every time.
--no-tailnet does not help (rules out the live-observe tailnet/~/.aws mount as the cause).

The discriminator: engineer forwards-and-detaches (host ward launches the container natively, later, no TTY expectation). Advisor ref-mode runs its research container synchronously through the broker and waits on it, and that synchronous launch is what 125s in the non-interactive, TTY-less host-forward context.

Likely cause

The advisor research container is started with an interactive/TTY attach (-it or equivalent) even in ref mode. Ref mode is documented as "researches the issue and posts the answer as a comment" - non-interactive by nature - and the help even advertises a no-TTY one-shot (--oneshot) for the freeform path. Ref mode should launch detached / non-TTY the same way the engineer surface does, or at minimum drop -t when no terminal is attached ([ -t 0 ]).

Impact

The advisor surface is unusable through the dispatch broker from a director surface - exactly the seat the doctrine steers design/research work toward ("prefer a sibling dispatch ... warded advisor #N to design or research"). Every consult/design issue routed to advisor from a director session silently fails to launch, so the research never happens and no comment is posted. 16 intended advisor dispatches were lost to this in one session.

Fix direction

In the advisor ref-mode launch path (ward cmd/ward/ agent/advisor container assembly), do not request a TTY/attach when stdin/stdout is not a terminal - gate the -t/-i on [ -t 0 ], or make ref mode forward-and-detach like the engineer path and post its comment on completion.
Confirm against the host-side dispatch log (C:\Users\firem\.ward\agent-logs\dispatch\*-advisor-*.log) which docker invocation returns 125; that log carries the exact docker: Error response from daemon / the input device is not a TTY line this container cannot see.

Repro one-liner

ward agent advisor coilyco-flight-deck/agentic-os#269 "research this and comment" --no-tailnet
# -> ward: dispatch broker: ... research ...#269: exit status 125

Filed from a warded director read-only surface (capture-and-dispatch).

## Symptom `ward agent advisor <owner/repo#N> "<prompt>"` in **ref mode**, launched through the dispatch broker from a warded director (read-only) surface, fails **every time** with: ``` ward: dispatch broker: ward agent advisor --driver claude: research coilyco-flight-deck/agentic-os#<N>: exit status 125 ``` Docker exit **125** is a pre-start container-create/run rejection (the daemon refused the container before the entrypoint ran), classically "the input device is not a TTY" when a `docker run -it`/attach is issued in a non-interactive context. ## Reproduced 2026-07-04 Firing 16 advisor ref-mode runs across the aos backlog from a `warded director` surface session (broker at `$WARD_DISPATCH_BROKER_ADDR`), every one returned `exit status 125`. Constant across issues (#298 #291 #282 #268 #237 #235 #231 #228 #225 #300 #269 #252 ...). Not issue-specific. ## What works vs what fails (the tell) - **engineer** ref runs from the same session, same broker, same moment: **all forwarded and detached cleanly** (`ward dispatch broker: forwarded ... to host ward`). The detached-launch path is healthy. - **advisor `--print`** (renders plan, launches nothing): **forwards fine**. So ref resolution + prompt render + broker forward are all healthy. - **advisor real run**: **125 at container launch**, every time. - `--no-tailnet` does **not** help (rules out the live-observe tailnet/`~/.aws` mount as the cause). The discriminator: engineer **forwards-and-detaches** (host ward launches the container natively, later, no TTY expectation). Advisor ref-mode runs its research container **synchronously** through the broker and waits on it, and that synchronous launch is what 125s in the non-interactive, TTY-less host-forward context. ## Likely cause The advisor research container is started with an interactive/TTY attach (`-it` or equivalent) even in ref mode. Ref mode is documented as "researches the issue and posts the answer as a comment" - non-interactive by nature - and the help even advertises a no-TTY one-shot (`--oneshot`) for the freeform path. Ref mode should launch **detached / non-TTY** the same way the engineer surface does, or at minimum drop `-t` when no terminal is attached (`[ -t 0 ]`). ## Impact The advisor surface is unusable through the dispatch broker from a director surface - exactly the seat the doctrine steers design/research work toward ("prefer a sibling dispatch ... `warded advisor #N` to design or research"). Every consult/design issue routed to advisor from a director session silently fails to launch, so the research never happens and no comment is posted. 16 intended advisor dispatches were lost to this in one session. ## Fix direction - In the advisor ref-mode launch path (ward `cmd/ward/` agent/advisor container assembly), do not request a TTY/attach when stdin/stdout is not a terminal - gate the `-t`/`-i` on `[ -t 0 ]`, or make ref mode forward-and-detach like the engineer path and post its comment on completion. - Confirm against the host-side dispatch log (`C:\Users\firem\.ward\agent-logs\dispatch\*-advisor-*.log`) which docker invocation returns 125; that log carries the exact `docker: Error response from daemon` / `the input device is not a TTY` line this container cannot see. ## Repro one-liner ``` ward agent advisor coilyco-flight-deck/agentic-os#269 "research this and comment" --no-tailnet # -> ward: dispatch broker: ... research ...#269: exit status 125 ``` Filed from a warded director read-only surface (capture-and-dispatch).

coilyco-ops added the

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2026-07-04 17:24:09 +00:00

coilysiren commented

2026-07-06 18:58:25 +00:00

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Closing: same advisor exit-125 cause as #604, fixed by ward#597 (4cf59d5); the #597 work explicitly examined this issue's '--no-tailnet still 125s' evidence and found the TTY theory a red herring. Live verification pending - reopen if it recurs. Re-triage 2026-07-06.

Closing: same advisor exit-125 cause as #604, fixed by ward#597 (4cf59d5); the #597 work explicitly examined this issue's '--no-tailnet still 125s' evidence and found the TTY theory a red herring. Live verification pending - reopen if it recurs. Re-triage 2026-07-06.

coilysiren closed this issue

2026-07-06 18:58:25 +00:00