bug: cobot crashes without loop plugin — cannot run headless/archive-only mode #227

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opened 2026-03-08 07:19:07 +00:00 by Zeus · 0 comments

Zeus commented

2026-03-08 07:19:07 +00:00

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Problem

Cobot requires a loop plugin and an LLM provider even when the use case is pure archival (no LLM interaction needed).

Without loop in enabled plugins:

Error: No loop plugins registered

Without an LLM provider:

Error: PPQ_API_KEY not set

Context

The telegram_lurker plugin is a silent chat archiver — it hooks into telegram.on_message, writes JSONL, and commits to git. It never needs an LLM call. But cobot forces it to have one configured.

Expected Behavior

Cobot should support a headless mode where:

No loop plugin is required (just poll for messages and run hooks)
No LLM provider is required
Plugins that only consume extension points (like lurker) can run standalone

Suggested Fix

Either:

Allow loop to be optional — if no loop plugin, just run a polling-only event loop that dispatches to hooks
Or add a headless: true config option that skips the LLM requirement
Or create a minimal noop-loop plugin that polls but never calls LLM

Workaround

Currently using ollama as a dummy LLM provider with the loop plugin enabled. The lurker receives messages, logs them, but also sends unwanted LLM responses to the group.

PR #208 (telegram-lurker plugin)
Live test on olymp with dedicated lurker user + @OlympLurker_bot

## Problem Cobot requires a `loop` plugin and an LLM provider even when the use case is pure archival (no LLM interaction needed). Without `loop` in enabled plugins: ``` Error: No loop plugins registered ``` Without an LLM provider: ``` Error: PPQ_API_KEY not set ``` ## Context The `telegram_lurker` plugin is a silent chat archiver — it hooks into `telegram.on_message`, writes JSONL, and commits to git. It never needs an LLM call. But cobot forces it to have one configured. ## Expected Behavior Cobot should support a **headless mode** where: 1. No loop plugin is required (just poll for messages and run hooks) 2. No LLM provider is required 3. Plugins that only consume extension points (like lurker) can run standalone ## Suggested Fix Either: - Allow `loop` to be optional — if no loop plugin, just run a polling-only event loop that dispatches to hooks - Or add a `headless: true` config option that skips the LLM requirement - Or create a minimal `noop-loop` plugin that polls but never calls LLM ## Workaround Currently using ollama as a dummy LLM provider with the loop plugin enabled. The lurker receives messages, logs them, but also sends unwanted LLM responses to the group. ## Related - PR #208 (telegram-lurker plugin) - Live test on olymp with dedicated `lurker` user + `@OlympLurker_bot`