create-task

Guide the user through creating a new Harbor task end-to-end. Don't just dump commands — walk them through each decision, especially around the verifier (which is usually the hardest part).

Step 1: Scaffold the task

harbor task init "<org>/<task-name>"

Useful flags:

• --description "..."
• --author "Jane Doe <[email protected]>" (repeat for multiple authors)
• --no-pytest — skip the pytest test template (use if planning Reward Kit or custom verifier)
• --no-solution — skip solution/ directory
• --metadata-template path.toml — pre-populate task.toml

Produces:

<task-name>/
├── instruction.md         # Task prompt for the agent
├── task.toml              # Config and metadata
├── environment/Dockerfile # Container definition
├── solution/solve.sh      # Reference solution (optional)
└── tests/test.sh          # Verifier script

If the user wants a multi-step task (ordered steps with per-step instructions, tests, and early stopping against a shared container), scaffold the single-step layout first, then convert to the steps/ layout described in the Multi-step tasks section below.

Step 2: Write instruction.md

This is the prompt the agent receives. Help the user write it clearly:

• State the goal concretely — what file to create, what behavior to produce
• Specify expected outputs — paths, formats, content
• Include constraints — language, tools, approach
• Don't leak the tests — describe what "done" looks like, not how you'll check it

Example (from the ssh-key-pair tutorial):

# SSH Key Pair Generation

Generate an SSH key pair in the files `~/.ssh/id_rsa` and `~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub`.

Don't make them password protected.

Step 3: Build the environment

Edit environment/Dockerfile to install dependencies the task needs. The agent works inside this container.

FROM ubuntu:24.04
WORKDIR /app

# Install what the task requires — NOT the solution
RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y openssh-client && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*