rename agents/main→assistant, role-based default entry agent

crates/skald-core/src/agents.rs

@@ -8,6 +8,13 @@ use core_api::provider::LlmStrength;
 
 const AGENTS_DIR: &str = "agents";
 
+/// The neutral, instance-wide fallback chat agent (§0.1: a stable technical id,
+/// never surfaced to the user — the display name lives in its `meta.json`). Used
+/// as the last-resort default when a role carries no `attrs.chat_agent` (or its
+/// attrs are unreadable). The per-user entry agent is normally resolved from the
+/// caller's role — see `db::roles::default_chat_agent_for_user`.
+pub const DEFAULT_CHAT_AGENT: &str = "assistant";
+
 /// The role an agent plays, declared by the required `type` field in `meta.json`.
 ///
 /// - `Chat`: a conversational entry-point the user talks to directly (e.g. `main`,

crates/skald-core/src/approval/mod.rs

@@ -1185,7 +1185,7 @@ mod tests {
 
         // Gate decisions through the real check() path.
         async fn decide(mgr: &ApprovalManager, tool: &str, path: &str) -> GateResult {
-            mgr.check(1, None, "main", "web", tool, &json!({ "path": path }), Some("default")).await
+            mgr.check(1, None, "assistant", "web", tool, &json!({ "path": path }), Some("default")).await
         }
         // user-memory auto-allows reads and writes; the old `memory/*` no longer matches.
         assert!(matches!(decide(&mgr, "write_file", "user-memory/notes.md").await,    GateResult::Allow));
@@ -1209,7 +1209,7 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(matches!(decide(&mgr, "write_file", "src/main.rs").await,     GateResult::Require));
         // Non-filesystem tool: unaffected by @fs_* rules, gated by catch-all.
         let cmd = mgr
-            .check(1, None, "main", "web", "execute_cmd", &json!({ "command": "ls" }), Some("default"))
+            .check(1, None, "assistant", "web", "execute_cmd", &json!({ "command": "ls" }), Some("default"))
             .await;
         assert!(matches!(cmd, GateResult::Require));
 

crates/skald-core/src/chat_hub/mod.rs

@@ -78,6 +78,14 @@ pub struct ChatHub {
     /// model name). When absent the caller AUTO-resolves. In-memory only: a
     /// server restart clears all pins (intentional for the MVP).
     selected_clients: Mutex<HashMap<String, String>>,
+    /// The entry agent used when a source has no session yet and the caller did
+    /// not specify one. Resolved once, at login, from the owner's role
+    /// (`attrs.chat_agent`, else `DEFAULT_CHAT_AGENT`) — this hub is owner-bound,
+    /// so its default is the owner's default. Every lazy `get_or_create_session`
+    /// path (WS connect, notify, synthetic turns) routes through it, so a member's
+    /// role-assigned assistant is honored regardless of which path creates the
+    /// first session.
+    default_agent: String,
 }
 
 impl ChatHub {
@@ -87,6 +95,7 @@ impl ChatHub {
         approval:    Arc<ApprovalManager>,
         global_tx:   broadcast::Sender<GlobalEvent>,
         shutdown:    CancellationToken,
+        default_agent: String,
     ) -> Arc<Self> {
         let (notify_tx, notify_rx) = mpsc::channel::<Notification>(NOTIFY_CAPACITY);
 
@@ -101,6 +110,7 @@ impl ChatHub {
             me:       OnceLock::new(),
             shutdown: shutdown.clone(),
             selected_clients: Mutex::new(HashMap::new()),
+            default_agent,
         });
         // Store a weak self-reference for lazily-spawned source consumers.
         let _ = hub.me.set(Arc::downgrade(&hub));
@@ -179,7 +189,7 @@ impl ChatHub {
         // was busy. `None` for synthetic turns, which never inject.
         pending_input: Option<Arc<dyn PendingUserInput>>,
     ) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
-        let agent_id = opts.agent_id.as_deref().unwrap_or("main");
+        let agent_id = opts.agent_id.as_deref().unwrap_or(&self.default_agent);
         let session_id = self.get_or_create_session(source_id, agent_id).await?;
         let source_tag = source_id.to_string();
 
@@ -220,7 +230,7 @@ impl ChatHub {
 
     /// Returns the session handler for the source's active session, creating one lazily if needed.
     pub async fn session_handler(&self, source_id: &str) -> anyhow::Result<Arc<ChatSessionHandler>> {
-        let session_id = self.get_or_create_session(source_id, "main").await?;
+        let session_id = self.get_or_create_session(source_id, &self.default_agent).await?;
         self.session_mgr.get_or_create_handler(session_id).await
     }
 
@@ -273,10 +283,10 @@ impl ChatHub {
     }
 
     /// Create a new session for the source, discarding the previous one.
-    /// Thin wrapper over `provision_session` preserving the default `main` agent
+    /// Thin wrapper over `provision_session` using the owner's default entry agent
     /// (kept for the `ChatHubApi` trait and generic callers).
     pub async fn clear(&self, source_id: &str) -> anyhow::Result<i64> {
-        self.provision_session(source_id, "main", None, true).await
+        self.provision_session(source_id, &self.default_agent, None, true).await
     }
 
     /// Subscribe to the global event bus. The `source_id` parameter is accepted
@@ -308,7 +318,7 @@ impl ChatHub {
     /// Returns `(input_tokens, output_tokens)` — both are `None` when no
     /// messages exist or the provider did not report usage.
     pub async fn context_info(&self, source_id: &str) -> anyhow::Result<(Option<i64>, Option<i64>)> {
-        let session_id = self.get_or_create_session(source_id, "main").await?;
+        let session_id = self.get_or_create_session(source_id, &self.default_agent).await?;
         let stack = match chat_sessions_stack::active_for_session(&self.db, session_id).await? {
             Some(s) => s,
             None => return Ok((None, None)),
@@ -321,7 +331,7 @@ impl ChatHub {
     /// sub-agent frames and excluding asynchronous tasks (which run in their own
     /// session). `None` when no provider reported a cost.
     pub async fn cost_info(&self, source_id: &str) -> anyhow::Result<Option<f64>> {
-        let session_id = self.get_or_create_session(source_id, "main").await?;
+        let session_id = self.get_or_create_session(source_id, &self.default_agent).await?;
         chat_history::total_cost_for_session(&self.db, session_id).await
     }
 
@@ -414,7 +424,7 @@ impl ChatHub {
     /// Revoke all session-scoped MCP grants for a source's active session.
     /// The next LLM turn will start with no MCP servers activated.
     pub async fn reset_mcp(&self, source_id: &str) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
-        let session_id = self.get_or_create_session(source_id, "main").await?;
+        let session_id = self.get_or_create_session(source_id, &self.default_agent).await?;
         crate::db::session_mcp_grants::revoke_all(&self.db, session_id).await?;
         info!(source_id, session_id, "ChatHub: MCP grants reset");
         Ok(())
@@ -695,7 +705,7 @@ impl ChatHub {
             // the last assistant message and runs the LLM loop so the agent can respond.
             let result_json = serde_json::to_string(&notes).unwrap_or_else(|_| "[]".to_string());
 
-            let session_id = match hub.get_or_create_session(&home, "main").await {
+            let session_id = match hub.get_or_create_session(&home, &hub.default_agent).await {
                 Ok(sid) => sid,
                 Err(e) => { error!(error = %e, "notification consumer: get_or_create_session failed"); continue; }
             };

crates/skald-core/src/db/chat_sessions_stack.rs

@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ mod tests {
         sqlx::query("INSERT INTO chat_sessions (id) VALUES (?)")
             .bind(sid).execute(&pool).await.unwrap();
 
-        create(&pool, sid, "main", None,      0, None).await.unwrap();
+        create(&pool, sid, "assistant", None,      0, None).await.unwrap();
         let a = create(&pool, sid, "task", Some("A"), 1, Some(101)).await.unwrap();
         create(&pool, sid, "task", Some("B"), 1, Some(102)).await.unwrap();
 

crates/skald-core/src/db/roles.rs

@@ -54,6 +54,12 @@ pub struct RoleAttrs {
     /// to its default `permission_group`. The default is always implicitly allowed; the
     /// effective set is `unique({permission_group} ∪ permission_groups)`.
     pub permission_groups: Vec<String>,
+    /// The entry (`type:chat`) agent members of this role talk to by default — e.g.
+    /// `children` → `kid` (Companion), `member`/`admin` → `assistant`. Resolved into the
+    /// per-user runtime at login (see [`default_chat_agent_for_user`]). `None` (or absent
+    /// attrs) falls back to [`crate::agents::DEFAULT_CHAT_AGENT`]. Data-driven, not an
+    /// enum (§0.1): a future per-user override layers on top of this.
+    pub chat_agent: Option<String>,
 }
 
 impl RoleAttrs {
@@ -83,6 +89,23 @@ impl Role {
     }
 }
 
+/// The entry chat agent for a user: their role's `attrs.chat_agent`, else the neutral
+/// [`crate::agents::DEFAULT_CHAT_AGENT`]. The single resolver behind the per-user hub
+/// default and `provisioning_for_source`, so every session-creation path agrees on which
+/// agent a member lands on. Tolerant by construction — a missing user, missing role, or
+/// unset `chat_agent` all collapse to the default rather than erroring (a chat must open).
+///
+/// A future per-user override would slot in here, checked before the role default.
+pub async fn default_chat_agent_for_user(pool: &SqlitePool, user_id: &str) -> String {
+    let role_agent = async {
+        let user = super::users::get(pool, user_id).await.ok()??;
+        let role = get(pool, &user.role_id).await.ok()??;
+        role.attrs_parsed().chat_agent.filter(|s| !s.trim().is_empty())
+    }
+    .await;
+    role_agent.unwrap_or_else(|| crate::agents::DEFAULT_CHAT_AGENT.to_string())
+}
+
 /// Whether a role may use `group_id` as its session security-group. `admin` holds
 /// every group by construction; a missing role allows nothing.
 pub async fn role_allows_group(pool: &SqlitePool, role_id: &str, group_id: &str) -> Result<bool> {
@@ -189,9 +212,11 @@ pub async fn user_count(pool: &SqlitePool, role_id: &str) -> Result<i64> {
 
 /// Inserts the built-in `admin` role. Idempotent.
 pub async fn seed_admin(pool: &SqlitePool) -> Result<()> {
+    // `chat_agent` is explicit so the role editor shows admin's default rather than an
+    // empty pill; the fallback in `default_chat_agent_for_user` would resolve the same.
     sqlx::query(
-        "INSERT OR IGNORE INTO roles (id, label, permission_group)
-         VALUES ('admin', 'Administrator', 'default')",
+        r#"INSERT OR IGNORE INTO roles (id, label, permission_group, attrs)
+         VALUES ('admin', 'Administrator', 'default', '{"chat_agent":"assistant"}')"#,
     )
     .execute(pool)
     .await?;
@@ -224,13 +249,15 @@ mod tests {
         let a = RoleAttrs::from_opt(&None);
         assert_eq!(a.ui_mode, UiMode::Full);
         assert!(a.permission_groups.is_empty());
+        assert!(a.chat_agent.is_none());
 
         // Populated.
         let a = RoleAttrs::from_opt(&Some(
-            r#"{"ui_mode":"simple","permission_groups":["ops","research"]}"#.into(),
+            r#"{"ui_mode":"simple","permission_groups":["ops","research"],"chat_agent":"kid"}"#.into(),
         ));
         assert_eq!(a.ui_mode, UiMode::Simple);
         assert_eq!(a.permission_groups, vec!["ops", "research"]);
+        assert_eq!(a.chat_agent.as_deref(), Some("kid"));
 
         // Malformed JSON → defaults, never an error.
         let a = RoleAttrs::from_opt(&Some("not json".into()));
@@ -265,4 +292,27 @@ mod tests {
         // An unknown role allows nothing.
         assert!(!role_allows_group(&pool, "ghost", "default").await.unwrap());
     }
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn default_chat_agent_resolves_role_then_falls_back() {
+        let pool = crate::db::init_system_pool(&tmp_db("chatagent")).await.unwrap();
+
+        // A role with an explicit chat_agent, and one without.
+        insert(&pool, "children", "Children", "default", Some(r#"{"chat_agent":"kid"}"#))
+            .await.unwrap();
+        insert(&pool, "member", "Member", "default", Some(r#"{"ui_mode":"full"}"#))
+            .await.unwrap();
+
+        // Minimal cleartext user rows (encrypted=0, no credentials) — bypasses Argon2.
+        for (id, uname, role) in [("u_kid", "kid1", "children"), ("u_adult", "adult1", "member")] {
+            sqlx::query("INSERT INTO users (id, username, role_id, encrypted) VALUES (?, ?, ?, 0)")
+                .bind(id).bind(uname).bind(role).execute(&pool).await.unwrap();
+        }
+
+        // Role's chat_agent wins; a role without one falls back to the neutral default;
+        // an unknown user also falls back (never errors — a chat must be able to open).
+        assert_eq!(default_chat_agent_for_user(&pool, "u_kid").await, "kid");
+        assert_eq!(default_chat_agent_for_user(&pool, "u_adult").await, crate::agents::DEFAULT_CHAT_AGENT);
+        assert_eq!(default_chat_agent_for_user(&pool, "ghost").await, crate::agents::DEFAULT_CHAT_AGENT);
+    }
 }

crates/skald-core/src/session/handler/mod.rs

@@ -585,7 +585,9 @@ impl ChatSessionHandler {
         let stack = match chat_sessions_stack::active_for_session(pool, self.session_id).await? {
             Some(s) => s,
             None    => {
-                chat_sessions_stack::create(pool, self.session_id, "main", None, 0, None).await?
+                // Lazy root frame: run this session's own entry agent (the same id
+                // `build_agent_config` resolves the prompt from), never a hardcoded default.
+                chat_sessions_stack::create(pool, self.session_id, &self.agent_id, None, 0, None).await?
             }
         };
 

crates/skald-core/src/session/manager.rs

@@ -132,8 +132,12 @@ impl ChatSessionManager {
         if let Some(rc) = run_context {
             chat_sessions::set_run_context(&self.db, session.id, Some(&rc.to_db())).await?;
         }
+        // The root stack frame runs the session's own entry agent — not a hardcoded
+        // default. Using the wrong id here would silently run that agent's prompt
+        // regardless of what the session was created with (llm_loop resolves the
+        // prompt from `config.agent_id`, which comes from the stack frame).
         let stack   = chat_sessions_stack::create(
-            &self.db, session.id, "main", None, 0, None,
+            &self.db, session.id, agent_id, None, 0, None,
         ).await?;
         Ok((session.id, stack.id))
     }

crates/skald-core/src/setup/mod.rs

@@ -45,13 +45,14 @@ pub fn seed_profiles() -> Vec<SeedProfile> {
                 id:               "member",
                 label:            "Member",
                 permission_group: "default",
-                attrs:            Some(r#"{"ui_mode":"full"}"#),
+                attrs:            Some(r#"{"ui_mode":"full","chat_agent":"assistant"}"#),
             },
             RoleSeed {
                 id:               "children",
                 label:            "Children",
                 permission_group: "default",
-                attrs:            Some(r#"{"ui_mode":"simple"}"#),
+                // `kid` = the Companion agent (its display name is copy, §0.1).
+                attrs:            Some(r#"{"ui_mode":"simple","chat_agent":"kid"}"#),
             },
         ],
     }]

crates/skald-core/src/skald/bundles.rs

@@ -379,6 +379,9 @@ impl Conversation {
             Arc::clone(&interaction.approval),
             rt.global_tx.clone(),
             rt.shutdown_token.clone(),
+            // Inert ownerless bundle (§19): no owner to resolve a role default from, so
+            // the neutral fallback. Nothing consumes this hub's sessions.
+            crate::agents::DEFAULT_CHAT_AGENT.to_string(),
         );
         chat_hub.register("web").await;
         chat_hub.register("talk").await;

crates/skald-core/src/skald/user_context.rs

@@ -293,12 +293,20 @@ impl UserContextFactory {
             Arc::new(ToolDiscovery::new(Arc::clone(&self.registry_pool))),
         ));
 
+        // The owner's default entry agent, snapshotted at login from their role
+        // (like fs membership / MCP access above): every lazy session-creation path
+        // on this owner-bound hub routes through it, so a member's role-assigned
+        // assistant is honored no matter which path opens their first session.
+        let default_agent =
+            crate::db::roles::default_chat_agent_for_user(&self.registry_pool, user_id).await;
+
         let chat_hub = ChatHub::new(
             Arc::clone(&pool),
             Arc::clone(&manager),
             Arc::clone(&approval),
             global_tx.clone(),
             self.shutdown_token.clone(),
+            default_agent,
         );
         chat_hub.register("web").await;
         chat_hub.register("talk").await;