Timer Build Monitor

Set, list, and cancel one-shot async timers specialized for build monitoring using subagents to track and report task status without cron dependencies.

Timer Skill — Build Monitor

A minimal timer skill for one-shot async checks (build monitoring, long-running tasks). Wraps sessions_spawn with named timer tracking and status reporting.

Usage

bash

# Set a timer
$timer "check eas build in 20 minutes" --name eas-build-v018

# Check active timers
$timer list

# Cancel a timer
$timer cancel eas-build-v018

Architecture

text

User sets timer → Parse intent → Spawn subagent (isolated, timeout) 
  → Subagent sleeps → Checks status → Reports back via message
  → If success: update state, notify user
  → If timeout: update state, notify user "timer expired"

Files

• SKILL.md — This file. Usage + workflow.
• scripts/timer.sh — CLI wrapper. Parses $timer commands, spawns subagents.
• scripts/state.sh — CRUD timer state (JSON file in ~/.openclaw/timers/).

Why BYO Instead of NervTimer

NervTimer	This Skill
General purpose (any reminder)	Specialized for build monitoring
Nagging every 5 min (annoying)	Single check + report back
Requires cron tool + state files	Subagent spawn (already works)
Needs intent parsing/validation	Simple: "check build in N min"
Escalation logic	No escalation needed

Trade-off: Subagent pattern is simpler but doesn't survive session restarts. For persistent timers across restarts, use OpenClaw native cron tool or install NervTimer.

Why BYO Instead of NervTimer

NervTimer	This Skill
General purpose (any reminder)	Specialized for build monitoring
Nagging every 5 min (annoying)	Single check + report back
Requires cron tool + state files	Subagent spawn (already works)
Needs intent parsing/validation	Simple: "check build in N min"
Escalation logic	No escalation needed

Trade-off: Subagent pattern is simpler but doesn't survive session restarts. For persistent timers across restarts, use OpenClaw native cron tool or install NervTimer.

State Format

json

{
  "timers": {
    "eas-build-v018": {
      "id": "eas-build-v018",
      "status": "running",
      "createdAt": "2026-05-18T04:35:00Z",
      "expiresAt": "2026-05-18T04:55:00Z",
      "task": "check eas build status",
      "sessionKey": "agent:main:subagent:xxx",
      "result": null
    }
  }
}

Commands

$timer <description>

Spawn a subagent to execute the described task after the implied delay. If no delay is stated, ask the user for clarification.

$timer list

Show all active timers with status and time remaining.

$timer cancel <name>

Kill the subagent session and mark timer as cancelled.

Implementation Notes

• Uses sessions_spawn with mode="run" and runTimeoutSeconds
• Subagent receives the full task description + current context
• Subagent reports back via sessions_send or completion event
• No cron dependency — pure subagent-based
• State file is human-readable JSON for debugging