> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.charmos.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Daemon Agent Template

Daemon agents are always-on or long-lived agents. They are used when a task should keep running beyond a single request, maintain state between events, or respond to external triggers.

There is **no** `charm init --template daemon` starter. Use a daemon-oriented scaffold such as `slack-bot` or `customer-support-agent`, or start from `openclaw` and set `runtime.lifecycle: daemon` as required.

## Use Case

Use this lifecycle for agents that need persistent background execution, scheduled behavior, or long-lived state.

## Prerequisites

* Charm CLI.
* A daemon-capable adapter such as OpenClaw.
* Production runner configured with Fly.io daemon settings.

## Configuration Surface

Document these fields:

* `runtime.lifecycle: daemon`
* `runtime.adapter.type`
* `policies`

Example:

```yaml theme={"theme":{"light":"min-light","dark":"min-dark"}}
runtime:
  adapter:
    type: "openclaw"
  lifecycle: "daemon"
```

## How Daemon Runs Work

1. The runner receives a daemon lifecycle request.
2. The runner prepares the agent bundle and environment variables.
3. A machine is created or reused in the configured Fly.io app.
4. The daemon process starts and continues running until paused, restarted, or terminated.

## Auto-Recovery & Persistence

**Fault Tolerance:** Daemon machines deployed on the cloud runner are equipped with automatic recovery capabilities. If the underlying Fly.io machine goes `offline` or is `stopped` due to infrastructure scaling or resource reassignment, the runner detects this state upon the next interaction and automatically issues a `restart` command to resurrect the container.

**Important:** Because daemon machines may restart automatically, you must pair them with an external `runtime.memory.provider` (such as Supabase or Redis) to persist state. When state is safely externalized, auto-restarts remain entirely transparent to the end user.

## Production Requirements

The production runner must be configured with:

* `FLY_API_TOKEN`
* `FLY_APP_NAME`
* optional `FLY_REGION`

The Fly app acts as the machine pool for daemon agents. Individual daemon machines are created by the runner through the Fly Machines API.

## Run and Publish

```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"min-light","dark":"min-dark"}}
charm validate .
charm push
```

## Operational Notes

* Daemon agents can cost more than serverless agents because machines may stay alive.
* Always test pause, restart, and terminate behavior.
* Avoid hardcoded local paths.
* Keep secrets in platform-managed environment variables, not source code.