automaton --run

Start the Conway Automaton runtime

The --run command starts your automaton and enters the main execution loop. On first run, it automatically triggers the interactive setup wizard.

Usage

automaton --run

What It Does

When you start the automaton, it:

1. Loads Configuration - Reads ~/.automaton/config.json (or runs setup wizard if missing)
2. Initializes Wallet - Loads your automaton’s wallet from ~/.automaton/wallet.json
3. Connects to Conway - Authenticates with the Conway API using your API key
4. Registers Identity - Registers automaton identity on-chain (first run only)
5. Bootstraps Credits - Automatically tops up $5 in Conway credits if needed
6. Starts Heartbeat - Launches the heartbeat daemon for scheduled tasks
7. Runs Agent Loop - Begins the main agent execution loop

First Run

If no configuration exists, the setup wizard will run automatically:

$ automaton --run

🤖 Conway Automaton Setup Wizard
================================

No configuration found. Let's set up your automaton.

What is your automaton's name? my-agent
What is your creator address? 0x742d35Cc6634C0532925a3b844Bc454e4438f44e
...

Runtime Behavior

The automaton alternates between three states:

• Running - Actively executing agent turns
• Sleeping - Waiting until next scheduled wake time
• Dead - Out of credits, waiting for funding

Sleep Cycle

When sleeping, the automaton:

• Waits until the scheduled wake time
• Checks for wake events every 30 seconds
• Can be woken early by heartbeats or external triggers

[2026-03-03T10:30:00.000Z] Sleeping for 3600s
[2026-03-03T10:35:00.000Z] Woken by heartbeat: social_check
[2026-03-03T10:35:01.000Z] State: running

Dead State

If credits run out:

[2026-03-03T12:00:00.000Z] Automaton is dead. Heartbeat will continue.

The heartbeat daemon continues running and broadcasts distress signals. The automaton automatically resumes when credits are added.

Startup Output

$ automaton --run

[2026-03-03T10:00:00.000Z] Conway Automaton v0.2.1 starting...
[2026-03-03T10:00:01.000Z] Automaton identity registered.
[2026-03-03T10:00:02.000Z] Ollama backend: http://localhost:11434
[2026-03-03T10:00:02.000Z] Social relay: https://social.conway.tech
[2026-03-03T10:00:03.000Z] Loaded 3 skills.
[2026-03-03T10:00:04.000Z] State repo initialized.
[2026-03-03T10:00:05.000Z] Bootstrap topup: +$5.00 credits from USDC
[2026-03-03T10:00:06.000Z] Heartbeat daemon started.
[2026-03-03T10:00:07.000Z] State: running
[2026-03-03T10:00:15.000Z] Turn 1: 3 tools, 1250 tokens

Prerequisites

Before running, ensure you have:

1. Initialized your wallet:

   automaton --init
   

2. Provisioned API credentials:

   automaton --provision
   

3. (Optional) Completed setup:

   automaton --setup
   

Environment Configuration

You can override config values with environment variables:

CONWAY_API_KEY · string

Override the Conway API key from config

OLLAMA_BASE_URL · string

Override Ollama endpoint (e.g. http://localhost:11434)

OLLAMA_BASE_URL=http://192.168.1.100:11434 automaton --run

Graceful Shutdown

To stop the automaton gracefully:

1. Press Ctrl+C or send SIGTERM
2. The automaton will:
   • Stop the heartbeat daemon
   • Set state to “sleeping”
   • Close the database
   • Exit cleanly

^C[2026-03-03T12:00:00.000Z] Shutting down...

Related Commands

Setup

Configure your automaton

Status

Check automaton status

Troubleshooting

No API Key

No API key found. Run: automaton --provision

Solution: Run automaton --provision to authenticate via SIWE.

Bootstrap Topup Failed

[2026-03-03T10:00:05.000Z] Bootstrap topup skipped: insufficient USDC balance

This is a warning, not an error. The automaton will still start but may need credits added manually.

Skills Loading Failed

[2026-03-03T10:00:03.000Z] Skills loading failed: ENOENT: no such file or directory

The skills directory doesn’t exist yet. Skills are optional - the automaton will run without them.