htalk

Exchange messages between existing Codex, Claude Code and OpenCode sessions. htalk saves requests and replies in a shared SQLite inbox and can notify the recipient through its client. Either participant can ask, answer now or return later.

For Linux and mutually trusted sessions under one OS account. Peer names identify routes, not authenticated users. The package name is harness-talk; the command is htalk.

Install and share a database

With uv:

uv tool install harness-talk
export HTALK_DB=/absolute/shared/directory/mail.sqlite3

Or install with python -m pip install harness-talk (Python 3.11+). Version 0.5 is a Rust executable, distributed through the same package name. Linux wheels for x86-64 and ARM64 with glibc 2.28+ include the compiled executable and SQLite; installing a matching wheel needs no Rust compiler. The installed htalk runs without Python. Source installs require Rust 1.88+, a C compiler and a linker; see development.

Set the same HTALK_DB in both sessions. Both must be able to run htalk and write the database directory. Only peer add creates the file; other commands report database_not_found for a wrong path. --db PATH overrides the environment; storage defaults are documented separately.

Before opening an existing database with 0.3, upgrade every participant. The first storage command migrates it to schema 2; older clients cannot open that file.

Version 0.5 keeps the 0.4 CLI, JSON fields and schema 2 database. Retiring a peer remains effective only for clients 0.4 and newer; an older 0.3 client ignores retirement. Internal Python imports and python -m harness_talk are replaced by the htalk command. Fixed htalk error codes remain stable; uncoded OS/SQLite error wording and JSON whitespace may differ from the Python version. Parse JSON fields and fixed codes rather than exception prose.

Find and register the participants

htalk peer discover

Use the exact session IDs and workspaces in its JSON result. Discovery only finds addresses; it does not register peers, open the inbox or start clients. Check sources before treating an empty result as absence. See client setup for discovery coverage and connection details.

For example, register a Codex builder and a Claude reviewer:

htalk peer add builder --harness codex --session CODEX_UUID \
  --workspace /absolute/builder
htalk peer add reviewer --harness claude --session CLAUDE_UUID \
  --workspace /absolute/reviewer
htalk peer list

Replace those IDs and paths with the discovered addresses. For an app-server address, keep its --socket PATH. For OpenCode, follow the server setup.

When a registered session is no longer used, htalk peer retire NAME hides it from peer list and refuses new requests to or from it. Its saved questions can still be answered.

Ask, answer and recover

From the builder's session, check the recipient in the same execution scope that will send:

htalk peer check reviewer
htalk --as builder send reviewer --message 'Which case needs another test?' --wait 45

From the reviewer's session, read the request, acknowledge it and answer. Use the request ID returned by inbox. A registered Claude Code session such as this reviewer may also omit --as; see peer selection.

htalk --as reviewer inbox
htalk --as reviewer ack REQUEST_UUID
htalk --as reviewer reply REQUEST_UUID --message 'Test recovery after interruption.'

The builder can retrieve a delayed answer and then acknowledge its separate ID:

htalk --as builder show REQUEST_UUID
htalk --as builder ack REPLY_UUID

An acknowledgment records reading and removes that message's pending Codex notice when possible. A question stays open until answered. When the builder's wait records an answer before the final notification check, htalk skips that notice. An already accepted notice may still arrive. Sending a notification does not prove that the recipient read it. The result includes submission and copyable recovery commands.

After interrupted or uncertain delivery, use show, wait, inbox or sent. sent lists your newest outgoing messages first, 20 at a time with summarized texts; recovery.next_page continues the list. Never send the same question again under a new ID to retry a notification. For automation, supply a saved UUID with send --id; an identical retry returns the existing message without another notification. Use --no-notify when the recipient will poll its inbox.

Help and details

htalk --help
htalk peer add --help
htalk send --help

• Reference: message states, recovery, database selection and exit codes.
• Codex and Claude adapters, including tested versions and discovery limits.
• OpenCode setup, including how a notification can start a turn in an existing session.

htalk does not launch interactive clients or create sessions. Incoming peer messages do not grant permission to act.

Report bugs and suggestions through GitHub issues, with versions, command, expected result and actual result. Remove private conversation text and credentials. See contributing, releases and the MIT license.