- Added attribution to Paul Gauthier as creator of the Ralph technique
- Documented new 5-hour API limit detection and handling feature
- Added documentation for --verbose and --timeout options
- Included complete Ralph Loop Options reference section
- Updated Features section with new capabilities
- Enhanced troubleshooting section with API limit and timeout guidance
- Corrected command examples to match actual implementation
- Changed from 'npx @anthropic-ai/claude-code' to 'claude'
- This assumes Claude Code is installed globally with npm install -g
- Updated ralph_loop.sh, ralph_import.sh, and README.md
- Much cleaner and faster execution without npx overhead
- Updated from @anthropic/claude-code to @anthropic-ai/claude-code
- This was causing npm 404 errors when trying to execute Claude Code
- Fixed in ralph_loop.sh, ralph_import.sh, install.sh, and README.md
- Ralph should now be able to successfully execute Claude Code commands
🚀 New Feature: ralph-import
- Converts existing PRDs/specs to Ralph format using Claude Code intelligence
- Supports multiple formats: Markdown, text, JSON, Word docs, PDFs
- Creates complete Ralph project with PROMPT.md, @fix_plan.md, specs/
- Leverages Claude Code for intelligent requirement parsing and conversion
🔧 Implementation:
- ralph_import.sh: Core conversion script with Claude Code integration
- Global installation: ralph-import command available system-wide
- Smart conversion prompt that extracts goals, priorities, and technical specs
- Auto-generates proper Ralph project structure from any source format
📚 Enhanced Documentation:
- New "Importing Existing Requirements" section in README
- Option A (import PRD) vs Option B (manual setup) in Quick Start
- Comprehensive format support and usage examples
- Command reference updated with ralph-import
🎯 Benefits:
- Eliminates manual conversion from PRDs to Ralph format
- Leverages Claude Code's intelligence for requirement interpretation
- Dramatically reduces onboarding friction for existing projects
- Maintains all original requirement context while making it actionable
Sample PRD included for testing and demonstration purposes.
- Add clear distinction between one-time installation and per-project setup
- Include visual workflow diagram showing install once → use many times
- Separate Phase 1 (Install Ralph) and Phase 2 (Initialize Projects)
- Add dedicated "Ongoing Usage" section for daily workflow
- Include comprehensive Command Reference section
- Reorganize Quick Start for better user understanding
- Emphasize "Install once, use everywhere" concept
This addresses confusion about when to run installation commands vs
when to run project setup commands, making the user journey much clearer.
Major architectural change to make Ralph available as global commands:
🌟 New Global Installation System:
- Add install.sh script for global installation to ~/.local/bin
- Creates ralph, ralph-monitor, ralph-setup global commands
- Installs templates and scripts to ~/.ralph/ directory
- Automatic dependency checking and PATH configuration
🚀 Enhanced User Experience:
- ralph-setup my-project (run from anywhere, no directory constraints)
- ralph --monitor (start from any project directory)
- ralph-monitor (global monitoring command)
- No more ../ralph_loop.sh relative path requirements
🔧 Improved Architecture:
- Global template system in ~/.ralph/templates/
- Smart path detection (global commands vs local scripts)
- Maintains backward compatibility during transition
- Clean separation of installation vs project files
📚 Updated Documentation:
- All examples now use global commands (ralph vs ../ralph_loop.sh)
- Clear installation instructions with ./install.sh
- Global command reference in CLAUDE.md
- Streamlined Quick Start workflow
This makes Ralph much more professional and user-friendly by eliminating
directory structure requirements and providing standard Unix command experience.
- Add --monitor flag to ralph_loop.sh for integrated tmux monitoring
- Automatically creates split-pane session with Ralph loop and monitor
- Include tmux availability check with installation instructions
- Update documentation to recommend tmux workflow
- Add tmux session management commands and controls
- Preserve all existing functionality for users without tmux
New workflow:
../ralph_loop.sh --monitor # Creates split session automatically
Traditional workflow still supported:
../ralph_loop.sh # Terminal 1
../ralph_monitor.sh # Terminal 2
System requirements updated to include tmux (recommended).
- Create professional README.md with complete feature overview, quick start guide,
configuration options, best practices, and troubleshooting
- Add CLAUDE.md for future Claude Code instances with architectural guidance,
key commands, and operational knowledge
- Transform minimal README into comprehensive project documentation
- Include visual hierarchy, code examples, and clear user journey
Documentation now covers the complete Ralph for Claude Code autonomous
development loop system for both end users and future AI agents.
