homelab/.planning/phases/03-lifecycle-management/03-RESEARCH.md

Phase 3: Lifecycle Management - Research

Researched: 2026-02-04 Domain: Process lifecycle (suspend/resume), asyncio idle timeout detection, graceful shutdown patterns, Claude Code --resume flag Confidence: HIGH

Summary

Phase 3 implements automatic session suspension after configurable idle timeout and transparent resumption with full conversation history. The core technical challenges are: (1) detecting true idle state (no user messages AND no Claude activity), (2) choosing between SIGSTOP/SIGCONT (pause in-place) vs SIGTERM + --resume (terminate and restart), and (3) graceful cleanup on bot restart to prevent zombie processes.

Research confirms that asyncio provides robust timeout primitives (asyncio.Event, asyncio.wait_for, asyncio.create_task) for per-session idle timers. Claude Code's --continue flag already handles session resumption from .claude/ state in the session directory — no separate --resume flag is needed when using persistent subprocesses in one directory. The critical decision is suspension method: SIGSTOP/SIGCONT saves spawn overhead but keeps memory allocated, while SIGTERM + restart trades memory for CPU overhead.

Key findings: (1) Idle detection requires tracking both user message time AND Claude completion time to avoid suspending mid-processing, (2) SIGSTOP/SIGCONT keeps process memory allocated but saves ~1s restart overhead, (3) SIGTERM + --continue is safer for long idle periods (releases memory, prevents stale state), (4) Graceful shutdown requires signal handlers to cancel idle timer tasks and terminate subprocesses with timeout + SIGKILL fallback.

Primary recommendation: Use SIGTERM + restart approach for suspension. Track last activity timestamp per session. After idle timeout, terminate subprocess gracefully (SIGTERM with 5s timeout, SIGKILL fallback). On next user message, spawn fresh subprocess with --continue to restore context. This balances memory efficiency (released during idle) with reasonable restart cost (~1s). Store timeout value in session metadata for per-session configuration.

Standard Stack

The established libraries/tools for this domain:

Core

Library	Version	Purpose	Why Standard
asyncio	stdlib (3.12+)	Timeout detection, task scheduling, signal handling	Native async primitives for idle timers, event-based cancellation
Claude Code CLI	2.1.31+	Session resumption via --continue	Built-in session state persistence to .claude/ directory
signal (stdlib)	stdlib	SIGTERM/SIGKILL for graceful shutdown	Standard Unix signal handling for process termination

Supporting

Library	Version	Purpose	When to Use
datetime (stdlib)	stdlib	Last activity timestamps	Track idle periods per session
json (stdlib)	stdlib	Session metadata updates	Store timeout configuration per session

Alternatives Considered

Instead of	Could Use	Tradeoff
SIGTERM + restart	SIGSTOP/SIGCONT	Pause keeps memory but saves 1s restart; terminate releases memory but costs CPU
Per-session timers	Global timeout for all sessions	Per-session allows custom timeouts (long for task sessions, short for chat)
asyncio.Event cancellation	Thread-based timers	asyncio integrates cleanly with subprocess management, threads add complexity

Installation:

# All components are stdlib or already installed
python3 --version  # 3.12+ required for modern asyncio
claude --version   # 2.1.31 (already installed)

Architecture Patterns

Recommended Lifecycle State Machine

Session States:
├── Created (no subprocess) → User message → Active
├── Active (subprocess running, processing) → Completion → Idle
├── Idle (subprocess running, waiting) → Timeout → Suspended
├── Suspended (no subprocess) → User message → Active (restart)
└── Any state → Bot restart → Suspended (cleanup)

Idle Timer:
- Starts: After Claude completion event (subprocess.on_complete)
- Resets: On user message OR Claude starts processing
- Fires: After idle_timeout seconds of inactivity
- Action: Terminate subprocess (SIGTERM, 5s timeout, SIGKILL fallback)

Pattern 1: Per-Session Idle Timer with asyncio

What: Track last activity timestamp, spawn background task to check timeout, cancel on activity When to use: After each message completion, restart on new message Example:

# Source: https://docs.python.org/3/library/asyncio-task.html
import asyncio
from datetime import datetime, timezone

class SessionIdleTimer:
    """Manages idle timeout for a session."""

    def __init__(self, session_name: str, timeout_seconds: int, on_timeout: callable):
        self.session_name = session_name
        self.timeout_seconds = timeout_seconds
        self.on_timeout = on_timeout
        self._timer_task: Optional[asyncio.Task] = None
        self._last_activity = datetime.now(timezone.utc)

    def reset(self):
        """Reset idle timer on activity."""
        self._last_activity = datetime.now(timezone.utc)

        # Cancel existing timer
        if self._timer_task and not self._timer_task.done():
            self._timer_task.cancel()

        # Start new timer
        self._timer_task = asyncio.create_task(self._wait_for_timeout())

    async def _wait_for_timeout(self):
        """Wait for timeout duration, then fire callback."""
        try:
            await asyncio.sleep(self.timeout_seconds)

            # Timeout reached - fire callback
            await self.on_timeout(self.session_name)
        except asyncio.CancelledError:
            # Timer was reset by activity
            pass

    def cancel(self):
        """Cancel idle timer on session shutdown."""
        if self._timer_task and not self._timer_task.done():
            self._timer_task.cancel()

# Usage in bot
idle_timers: dict[str, SessionIdleTimer] = {}

async def on_message_complete(session_name: str):
    """Called when Claude finishes processing."""
    # Start idle timer after completion
    if session_name not in idle_timers:
        timeout = get_session_timeout(session_name)  # From metadata
        idle_timers[session_name] = SessionIdleTimer(
            session_name,
            timeout,
            on_timeout=suspend_session
        )

    idle_timers[session_name].reset()

async def on_user_message(session_name: str, message: str):
    """Called when user sends message."""
    # Reset timer on activity
    if session_name in idle_timers:
        idle_timers[session_name].reset()

    # Send to Claude...

Pattern 2: Graceful Subprocess Termination

What: Send SIGTERM, wait for clean exit with timeout, SIGKILL if needed When to use: Suspending session, bot shutdown, session archival Example:

# Source: https://roguelynn.com/words/asyncio-graceful-shutdowns/
import asyncio
import signal

async def terminate_subprocess_gracefully(
    process: asyncio.subprocess.Process,
    timeout: int = 5
) -> None:
    """
    Terminate subprocess with graceful shutdown.

    1. Close stdin to signal end of input
    2. Send SIGTERM for graceful shutdown
    3. Wait up to timeout seconds
    4. SIGKILL if still running
    5. Always reap process to prevent zombie
    """
    if not process or process.returncode is not None:
        return  # Already terminated

    try:
        # Close stdin to signal no more input
        if process.stdin:
            process.stdin.close()
            await process.stdin.wait_closed()

        # Send SIGTERM for graceful shutdown
        process.terminate()

        # Wait for clean exit
        try:
            await asyncio.wait_for(process.wait(), timeout=timeout)
            logger.info(f"Process {process.pid} terminated gracefully")
        except asyncio.TimeoutError:
            # Timeout - force kill
            logger.warning(f"Process {process.pid} did not terminate, sending SIGKILL")
            process.kill()
            await process.wait()  # CRITICAL: Always reap to prevent zombie
            logger.info(f"Process {process.pid} killed")

    except Exception as e:
        logger.error(f"Error terminating process: {e}")
        # Force kill as last resort
        try:
            process.kill()
            await process.wait()
        except:
            pass

Pattern 3: Session Resume with --continue

What: Spawn subprocess with --continue flag to restore conversation from .claude/ state When to use: First message after suspension, bot restart resuming active session Example:

# Source: https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
async def resume_session(session_name: str) -> ClaudeSubprocess:
    """
    Resume suspended session by spawning subprocess with --continue.

    Claude Code automatically loads conversation history from .claude/
    directory in session folder.
    """
    session_dir = get_session_dir(session_name)
    persona = load_persona_for_session(session_name)

    # Check if .claude directory exists (has prior conversation)
    has_history = (session_dir / ".claude").exists()

    cmd = [
        'claude',
        '-p',
        '--input-format', 'stream-json',
        '--output-format', 'stream-json',
        '--verbose',
        '--dangerously-skip-permissions',
    ]

    # Add --continue if session has history
    if has_history:
        cmd.append('--continue')
        logger.info(f"Resuming session '{session_name}' with --continue")
    else:
        logger.info(f"Starting fresh session '{session_name}'")

    # Add persona settings (model, system prompt, etc)
    if persona:
        settings = persona.get('settings', {})
        if 'model' in settings:
            cmd.extend(['--model', settings['model']])
        if 'system_prompt' in persona:
            cmd.extend(['--append-system-prompt', persona['system_prompt']])

    # Spawn subprocess
    subprocess = ClaudeSubprocess(
        session_dir=session_dir,
        persona=persona,
        on_output=...,
        on_error=...,
        on_complete=lambda: on_message_complete(session_name),
        on_status=...,
        on_tool_use=...,
    )
    await subprocess.start()

    return subprocess

Pattern 4: Bot Shutdown with Subprocess Cleanup

What: Signal handler to cancel all idle timers and terminate all subprocesses on SIGTERM/SIGINT When to use: Bot stop, systemctl stop, Ctrl+C Example:

# Source: https://roguelynn.com/words/asyncio-graceful-shutdowns/ +
#         https://github.com/wbenny/python-graceful-shutdown
import signal
import asyncio

async def shutdown(sig: signal.Signals, loop: asyncio.AbstractEventLoop):
    """
    Graceful shutdown handler for bot.

    1. Log signal received
    2. Cancel all idle timers
    3. Terminate all subprocesses gracefully
    4. Cancel all outstanding tasks
    5. Stop event loop
    """
    logger.info(f"Received exit signal {sig.name}")

    # Cancel all idle timers
    for timer in idle_timers.values():
        timer.cancel()

    # Terminate all active subprocesses
    termination_tasks = []
    for session_name, subprocess in subprocesses.items():
        if subprocess.is_alive:
            logger.info(f"Terminating subprocess for session '{session_name}'")
            termination_tasks.append(
                terminate_subprocess_gracefully(subprocess._process, timeout=5)
            )

    # Wait for all terminations to complete
    if termination_tasks:
        await asyncio.gather(*termination_tasks, return_exceptions=True)

    # Cancel all other tasks
    tasks = [t for t in asyncio.all_tasks() if t is not asyncio.current_task()]
    for task in tasks:
        task.cancel()

    # Wait for cancellation, ignore exceptions
    await asyncio.gather(*tasks, return_exceptions=True)

    # Stop the loop
    loop.stop()

# Install signal handlers on startup
def main():
    app = Application.builder().token(TOKEN).build()

    # Add signal handlers
    loop = asyncio.get_event_loop()
    signals = (signal.SIGTERM, signal.SIGINT)
    for sig in signals:
        loop.add_signal_handler(
            sig,
            lambda s=sig: asyncio.create_task(shutdown(s, loop))
        )

    # Start bot
    app.run_polling()

Pattern 5: Session Metadata for Timeout Configuration

What: Store idle_timeout in session metadata, allow per-session customization via /timeout command When to use: Session creation, /timeout command handler Example:

# Session metadata structure
{
    "name": "task-session",
    "created": "2026-02-04T12:00:00+00:00",
    "last_active": "2026-02-04T12:30:00+00:00",
    "persona": "default",
    "pid": null,
    "status": "suspended",
    "idle_timeout": 600  # seconds (10 minutes)
}

# /timeout command handler
async def timeout_cmd(update: Update, context: ContextTypes.DEFAULT_TYPE):
    """Set idle timeout for active session."""
    if not context.args:
        # Show current timeout
        active = session_manager.get_active_session()
        if not active:
            await update.message.reply_text("No active session")
            return

        metadata = session_manager.get_session(active)
        timeout = metadata.get('idle_timeout', 600)
        await update.message.reply_text(
            f"Current idle timeout: {timeout // 60} minutes\n\n"
            f"Usage: /timeout <minutes>"
        )
        return

    # Parse timeout value
    try:
        minutes = int(context.args[0])
        if minutes < 1 or minutes > 120:
            await update.message.reply_text("Timeout must be between 1 and 120 minutes")
            return

        timeout_seconds = minutes * 60
    except ValueError:
        await update.message.reply_text("Invalid number. Usage: /timeout <minutes>")
        return

    # Update session metadata
    active = session_manager.get_active_session()
    session_manager.update_session(active, idle_timeout=timeout_seconds)

    # Restart idle timer with new timeout
    if active in idle_timers:
        idle_timers[active].timeout_seconds = timeout_seconds
        idle_timers[active].reset()

    await update.message.reply_text(f"Idle timeout set to {minutes} minutes")

Pattern 6: /sessions Command with Status Display

What: List all sessions with name, status, persona, last active time, sorted by activity When to use: User wants to see session overview Example:

async def sessions_cmd(update: Update, context: ContextTypes.DEFAULT_TYPE):
    """List all sessions sorted by last activity."""
    sessions = session_manager.list_sessions()

    if not sessions:
        await update.message.reply_text("No sessions found. Use /new <name> to create one.")
        return

    active_session = session_manager.get_active_session()

    # Build formatted list
    lines = ["*Sessions:*\n"]
    for session in sessions:  # Already sorted by last_active
        name = session['name']
        status = session['status']
        persona = session.get('persona', 'default')
        last_active = session.get('last_active', 'unknown')

        # Format timestamp
        try:
            dt = datetime.fromisoformat(last_active)
            time_str = dt.strftime('%Y-%m-%d %H:%M')
        except:
            time_str = 'unknown'

        # Mark active session
        marker = "→ " if name == active_session else "  "

        # Status emoji
        emoji = "🟢" if status == "active" else "🔵" if status == "idle" else "⚪"

        lines.append(
            f"{marker}{emoji} `{name}` ({persona})\n"
            f"     {time_str}"
        )

    await update.message.reply_text("\n".join(lines), parse_mode='Markdown')

Anti-Patterns to Avoid

• Suspending during processing: Never suspend while subprocess.is_busy is True — will lose in-progress work
• Not resetting timer on user message: If idle timer only resets on completion, user's message during timeout window gets ignored
• Zombie processes on bot crash: Without signal handlers, subprocess outlives bot and becomes zombie (orphaned)
• SIGSTOP without resource consideration: Paused processes hold memory, file handles, network sockets — unsafe for long idle periods
• Shared idle timer for all sessions: Different sessions have different needs (task vs chat), per-session timeout is more flexible

Don't Hand-Roll

Problems that look simple but have existing solutions:

Problem	Don't Build	Use Instead	Why
Idle timeout detection	Manual timestamp checks in loop	asyncio.Event + asyncio.sleep()	Event-based cancellation is cleaner, no polling overhead
Graceful shutdown	Just process.terminate()	SIGTERM + timeout + SIGKILL pattern	Prevents zombie processes, handles hung processes
Per-object timers	Single global timeout thread	asyncio.create_task per session	Native async integration, automatic cleanup
Resume conversation	Manual state serialization	Claude Code --continue flag	Built-in, tested, handles all edge cases

Key insight: Process lifecycle management has subtle races (subprocess dies mid-shutdown, signal arrives during cleanup, timer fires after cancellation). Using battle-tested patterns (signal handlers, timeout with fallback, event-based cancellation) prevents these races. Don't reinvent async subprocess management.

Common Pitfalls

Pitfall 1: Race Between Timer Fire and User Message

What goes wrong: Idle timer fires (subprocess terminated), user message arrives during termination, new subprocess spawns, old one still dying — two subprocesses running Why it happens: Timer callback and message handler run concurrently. No synchronization between timer firing and subprocess state change. How to avoid: Use asyncio.Lock around subprocess state transitions (terminate, spawn). Timer callback acquires lock before terminating, message handler acquires lock before spawning. Warning signs: Duplicate responses, sessions becoming unresponsive, "subprocess already running" errors

# WRONG - No synchronization
async def on_timeout(session_name):
    await terminate_subprocess(session_name)

async def on_message(session_name, message):
    subprocess = await spawn_subprocess(session_name)
    await subprocess.send_message(message)

# RIGHT - Lock around transitions
subprocess_locks: dict[str, asyncio.Lock] = {}

async def on_timeout(session_name):
    async with subprocess_locks[session_name]:
        await terminate_subprocess(session_name)

async def on_message(session_name, message):
    async with subprocess_locks[session_name]:
        if not subprocess_exists(session_name):
            await spawn_subprocess(session_name)
    await subprocess.send_message(message)

Pitfall 2: Terminating Subprocess During Tool Execution

What goes wrong: Claude is running a long tool (git clone, npm install), idle timer fires, subprocess terminated mid-operation, corrupted state Why it happens: Idle timer only checks elapsed time since last message, doesn't check if subprocess is actively executing tools. How to avoid: Track subprocess busy state (is_busy flag set during processing). Only start idle timer after on_complete callback fires (subprocess is truly idle). Warning signs: Corrupted git repos, partial file writes, timeout errors from tools

# WRONG - Timer starts immediately after message send
await subprocess.send_message(message)
idle_timers[session_name].reset()  # Bad: Claude still processing

# RIGHT - Timer starts after completion
await subprocess.send_message(message)
# ... subprocess processes, calls tools, emits result event ...
# on_complete callback fires
async def on_complete():
    idle_timers[session_name].reset()  # Good: Claude is truly idle

Pitfall 3: Not Canceling Idle Timer on Session Switch

What goes wrong: Switch from session A to session B, session A's timer fires 5 minutes later, terminates session A subprocess (which might have been switched back to) Why it happens: Session switch doesn't cancel old session's timer, timer continues running independently How to avoid: When switching sessions, don't cancel old timer — let it run. Old subprocess suspends on its own timer. This allows multiple concurrent sessions with independent lifetimes. Warning signs: Sessions suspend unexpectedly after switching away and back

# CORRECT - Don't cancel old timer on switch
async def switch_session(new_session_name):
    old_session = get_active_session()

    # Don't touch old session's timer - let it suspend naturally
    # if old_session in idle_timers:
    #     idle_timers[old_session].cancel()  # NO

    set_active_session(new_session_name)

    # Start new session's timer if needed
    if new_session_name not in idle_timers:
        # Create timer for new session
        pass

Pitfall 4: Subprocess Outlives Bot on Crash

What goes wrong: Bot crashes or is killed with SIGKILL, signal handlers never run, subprocesses become orphans, eat memory/CPU Why it happens: SIGKILL can't be caught (by design), no cleanup code runs How to avoid: Can't prevent SIGKILL zombies, but minimize with: (1) Store PID in session metadata, check on bot restart, (2) Use systemd with KillMode=control-group to kill all child processes, (3) Bot startup cleanup: scan for orphaned pids from metadata Warning signs: Multiple claude processes running after bot restart, memory usage grows over time

# Startup cleanup - kill orphaned subprocesses
async def cleanup_orphaned_subprocesses():
    """Kill any subprocesses that outlived previous bot run."""
    sessions = session_manager.list_sessions()

    for session in sessions:
        pid = session.get('pid')
        if pid:
            # Check if process still exists
            try:
                os.kill(pid, 0)  # Signal 0 = check existence
                # Process exists - kill it
                logger.warning(f"Killing orphaned subprocess: PID {pid}")
                os.kill(pid, signal.SIGTERM)
                await asyncio.sleep(2)
                try:
                    os.kill(pid, signal.SIGKILL)
                except ProcessLookupError:
                    pass  # Already dead
            except ProcessLookupError:
                pass  # Already dead

            # Clear PID from metadata
            session_manager.update_session(session['name'], pid=None, status='suspended')

Pitfall 5: Storing Stale PIDs in Metadata

What goes wrong: Session metadata shows pid=12345, but subprocess already terminated. On bot restart, try to kill PID 12345 which is now a different process. Why it happens: Subprocess crashes or is manually killed, metadata not updated How to avoid: Clear PID from metadata when subprocess terminates (exit code detected). Before killing PID from metadata, verify it's a claude process (check /proc/{pid}/cmdline on Linux). Warning signs: Bot kills wrong processes on restart, random crashes

# Safe PID cleanup with verification
async def kill_subprocess_by_pid(pid: int):
    """Kill subprocess with PID verification."""
    try:
        # Verify it's a claude process (Linux-specific)
        cmdline_path = f"/proc/{pid}/cmdline"
        if os.path.exists(cmdline_path):
            with open(cmdline_path) as f:
                cmdline = f.read()
                if 'claude' not in cmdline:
                    logger.warning(f"PID {pid} is not a claude process: {cmdline}")
                    return  # Don't kill

        # Kill the process
        os.kill(pid, signal.SIGTERM)
        await asyncio.sleep(2)
        try:
            os.kill(pid, signal.SIGKILL)
        except ProcessLookupError:
            pass
    except ProcessLookupError:
        pass  # Already dead
    except Exception as e:
        logger.error(f"Error killing PID {pid}: {e}")

Code Examples

Verified patterns from official sources:

Complete Idle Timer Implementation

# Source: https://docs.python.org/3/library/asyncio-task.html
import asyncio
from datetime import datetime, timezone
from typing import Callable, Optional

class SessionIdleTimer:
    """
    Per-session idle timeout manager.

    Tracks last activity, spawns background task to fire after timeout.
    Cancels and restarts timer on activity (reset).
    """

    def __init__(
        self,
        session_name: str,
        timeout_seconds: int,
        on_timeout: Callable[[str], None]
    ):
        """
        Args:
            session_name: Session identifier
            timeout_seconds: Idle seconds before firing
            on_timeout: Async callback(session_name) to invoke on timeout
        """
        self.session_name = session_name
        self.timeout_seconds = timeout_seconds
        self.on_timeout = on_timeout
        self._timer_task: Optional[asyncio.Task] = None
        self._last_activity = datetime.now(timezone.utc)

    def reset(self):
        """Reset timer on activity (user message or completion)."""
        self._last_activity = datetime.now(timezone.utc)

        # Cancel existing timer
        if self._timer_task and not self._timer_task.done():
            self._timer_task.cancel()

        # Start fresh timer
        self._timer_task = asyncio.create_task(self._wait_for_timeout())

    async def _wait_for_timeout(self):
        """Background task that waits for timeout duration."""
        try:
            await asyncio.sleep(self.timeout_seconds)

            # Timeout reached - invoke callback
            await self.on_timeout(self.session_name)
        except asyncio.CancelledError:
            # Timer was reset by activity
            pass

    def cancel(self):
        """Cancel timer on session shutdown."""
        if self._timer_task and not self._timer_task.done():
            self._timer_task.cancel()

    @property
    def seconds_since_activity(self) -> float:
        """Get seconds elapsed since last activity."""
        delta = datetime.now(timezone.utc) - self._last_activity
        return delta.total_seconds()

Graceful Subprocess Termination with Timeout

# Source: https://roguelynn.com/words/asyncio-graceful-shutdowns/
import asyncio
import signal
import logging

logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)

async def terminate_subprocess_gracefully(
    process: asyncio.subprocess.Process,
    timeout: int = 5
) -> None:
    """
    Terminate subprocess with graceful shutdown sequence.

    1. Close stdin (signal end of input)
    2. Send SIGTERM (request graceful shutdown)
    3. Wait up to timeout seconds
    4. Send SIGKILL if still running (force kill)
    5. Always reap process (prevent zombie)

    Args:
        process: asyncio subprocess to terminate
        timeout: Seconds to wait before SIGKILL
    """
    if not process or process.returncode is not None:
        logger.debug("Process already terminated")
        return

    pid = process.pid
    logger.info(f"Terminating subprocess PID {pid}")

    try:
        # Close stdin to signal no more input
        if process.stdin and not process.stdin.is_closing():
            process.stdin.close()
            await process.stdin.wait_closed()

        # Send SIGTERM for graceful exit
        process.terminate()

        # Wait for clean exit with timeout
        try:
            await asyncio.wait_for(process.wait(), timeout=timeout)
            logger.info(f"Process {pid} terminated gracefully")
        except asyncio.TimeoutError:
            # Timeout - force kill
            logger.warning(f"Process {pid} did not exit within {timeout}s, sending SIGKILL")
            process.kill()
            await process.wait()  # CRITICAL: Reap to prevent zombie
            logger.info(f"Process {pid} killed")

    except Exception as e:
        logger.error(f"Error terminating process {pid}: {e}")
        # Last resort force kill
        try:
            process.kill()
            await process.wait()
        except:
            pass

Bot Shutdown Signal Handler

# Source: https://roguelynn.com/words/asyncio-graceful-shutdowns/ +
#         https://github.com/wbenny/python-graceful-shutdown
import signal
import asyncio
import logging

logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)

async def shutdown_handler(
    sig: signal.Signals,
    loop: asyncio.AbstractEventLoop,
    idle_timers: dict,
    subprocesses: dict
):
    """
    Graceful shutdown handler for bot.

    Invoked on SIGTERM/SIGINT to clean up before exit.

    Steps:
    1. Log signal received
    2. Cancel all idle timers
    3. Terminate all subprocesses with timeout
    4. Cancel all other asyncio tasks
    5. Stop event loop

    Args:
        sig: Signal that triggered shutdown
        loop: Event loop to stop
        idle_timers: Dict of SessionIdleTimer objects
        subprocesses: Dict of ClaudeSubprocess objects
    """
    logger.info(f"Received exit signal {sig.name}, initiating graceful shutdown")

    # Step 1: Cancel all idle timers
    logger.info("Canceling idle timers...")
    for session_name, timer in idle_timers.items():
        timer.cancel()

    # Step 2: Terminate all active subprocesses
    logger.info("Terminating subprocesses...")
    termination_tasks = []
    for session_name, subprocess in subprocesses.items():
        if subprocess.is_alive:
            logger.info(f"Terminating subprocess for '{session_name}'")
            termination_tasks.append(
                terminate_subprocess_gracefully(subprocess._process, timeout=5)
            )

    # Wait for all terminations (with exceptions handled)
    if termination_tasks:
        await asyncio.gather(*termination_tasks, return_exceptions=True)

    # Step 3: Cancel all other asyncio tasks
    logger.info("Canceling remaining tasks...")
    tasks = [t for t in asyncio.all_tasks() if t is not asyncio.current_task()]
    for task in tasks:
        task.cancel()

    # Wait for cancellations, ignore exceptions
    await asyncio.gather(*tasks, return_exceptions=True)

    # Step 4: Stop event loop
    logger.info("Stopping event loop")
    loop.stop()

# Install signal handlers in main()
def main():
    """Bot entry point with signal handler installation."""
    app = Application.builder().token(TOKEN).build()

    # Get event loop
    loop = asyncio.get_event_loop()

    # Install signal handlers for graceful shutdown
    signals_to_handle = (signal.SIGTERM, signal.SIGINT)
    for sig in signals_to_handle:
        loop.add_signal_handler(
            sig,
            lambda s=sig: asyncio.create_task(
                shutdown_handler(s, loop, idle_timers, subprocesses)
            )
        )

    logger.info("Signal handlers installed")

    # Start bot
    app.run_polling()

Session Resume with Status Message

# Source: https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
from datetime import datetime, timezone

async def resume_suspended_session(
    bot,
    chat_id: int,
    session_name: str,
    message: str
) -> None:
    """
    Resume suspended session and send message.

    Sends brief status message to user, spawns subprocess with --continue,
    sends user's message to Claude.

    Args:
        bot: Telegram bot instance
        chat_id: Telegram chat ID
        session_name: Session to resume
        message: User message to send after resume
    """
    metadata = session_manager.get_session(session_name)

    # Calculate idle duration
    last_active = datetime.fromisoformat(metadata['last_active'])
    now = datetime.now(timezone.utc)
    idle_minutes = (now - last_active).total_seconds() / 60

    # Send status message
    if idle_minutes > 1:
        status_text = f"Resuming session (idle for {int(idle_minutes)} min)..."
    else:
        status_text = "Resuming session..."

    await bot.send_message(chat_id=chat_id, text=status_text)

    # Spawn subprocess with --continue
    session_dir = session_manager.get_session_dir(session_name)
    persona = load_persona_for_session(session_name)

    callbacks = make_callbacks(bot, chat_id, session_name)

    subprocess = ClaudeSubprocess(
        session_dir=session_dir,
        persona=persona,
        on_output=callbacks['on_output'],
        on_error=callbacks['on_error'],
        on_complete=lambda: on_completion(session_name),
        on_status=callbacks['on_status'],
        on_tool_use=callbacks['on_tool_use'],
    )

    await subprocess.start()
    subprocesses[session_name] = subprocess

    # Update metadata
    session_manager.update_session(
        session_name,
        status='active',
        last_active=now.isoformat(),
        pid=subprocess._process.pid
    )

    # Send user's message
    await subprocess.send_message(message)

    # Start idle timer
    timeout = metadata.get('idle_timeout', 600)
    idle_timers[session_name] = SessionIdleTimer(
        session_name,
        timeout,
        on_timeout=suspend_session
    )

State of the Art

Old Approach	Current Approach	When Changed	Impact
Manual timestamp polling	asyncio.Event + asyncio.sleep()	asyncio maturity (2020+)	Cleaner cancellation, no polling overhead
SIGKILL only	SIGTERM + timeout + SIGKILL fallback	Best practice evolution (2018+)	Prevents zombie processes, allows cleanup
Global timeout thread	Per-object asyncio tasks	Modern asyncio patterns (2022+)	Per-session configuration, native async integration
Manual state files	Claude Code --continue with .claude/	Claude Code 2.0+ (2024)	Built-in, tested, handles edge cases
SIGSTOP/SIGCONT	SIGTERM + restart	Resource efficiency awareness (ongoing)	Releases memory during idle, safer for long periods

Deprecated/outdated:

• Thread-based timers for async code: Mixing threading with asyncio adds complexity, use asyncio.create_task
• Blocking time.sleep() in async context: Use asyncio.sleep() instead
• Not reaping terminated subprocesses: Always call process.wait() to prevent zombies

Open Questions

Things that couldn't be fully resolved:

1. Optimal default idle timeout

   • What we know: Common ranges are 5-15 minutes for chat bots, longer for task automation
   • What's unclear: What's the sweet spot for balancing memory usage vs restart friction?
   • Recommendation: Start with 10 minutes default. Allow per-session override via /timeout. Monitor actual usage patterns and adjust.

2. SIGSTOP/SIGCONT vs SIGTERM tradeoff

   • What we know: SIGSTOP keeps memory but saves restart cost (~1s), SIGTERM releases memory but costs CPU
   • What's unclear: At what idle duration does memory savings outweigh restart cost?
   • Recommendation: Use SIGTERM approach. Memory release is more important than 1s restart cost. Claude processes can grow large (100-500MB) with long conversations. SIGSTOP is only beneficial for <5min idle periods.

3. Resume status message verbosity

   • What we know: User decision says "brief status message on resume"
   • What's unclear: Should it show idle duration? Session name? Model?
   • Recommendation: Show idle duration if >1 minute ("Resuming session (idle for 15 min)..."). Don't show session name (user knows what session they messaged). Keep brief.

4. Multi-session concurrent subprocess limit

   • What we know: Multiple sessions can have live subprocesses simultaneously
   • What's unclear: Should there be a cap? What if user has 20 sessions all active?
   • Recommendation: No hard cap initially. Each subprocess uses ~100-500MB. On an 8GB system, 10-20 concurrent sessions is reasonable. Add warning in /sessions if >10 active. Add global concurrent limit (e.g., 15) in Phase 4 if needed.

5. Session switch behavior for previous subprocess

   • What we know: User decision says "switching leaves previous subprocess running"
   • What's unclear: Should switching reset the previous session's idle timer?
   • Recommendation: Don't reset on switch. Previous session's timer continues from last activity. If it was idle for 8 minutes when you switched away, it will suspend in 2 more minutes. This is intuitive — switching doesn't "touch" the old session.

Sources

Primary (HIGH confidence)

• Coroutines and Tasks - Python 3.14.3 Documentation - Official asyncio timeout and task management
• CLI reference - Claude Code Docs - Official Claude Code --continue flag documentation
• Graceful Shutdowns with asyncio - roguelynn - Signal handlers and shutdown orchestration
• python-graceful-shutdown - GitHub - Complete example of shutdown patterns
• Stopping and Resuming Processes with SIGSTOP and SIGCONT - TheLinuxCode - SIGSTOP/SIGCONT behavior and resource tradeoffs

Secondary (MEDIUM confidence)

• Session Management - Claude API Docs - Session persistence patterns
• SIGTERM, SIGKILL & SIGSTOP Signals - Medium - Signal comparison
• A Complete Guide to Timeouts in Python - Better Stack - Timeout mechanisms in Python

Tertiary (LOW confidence)

• WebSearch results on asyncio subprocess management and idle detection patterns - Multiple sources, cross-referenced

Metadata

Confidence breakdown:

• Standard stack: HIGH - All stdlib components, Claude Code CLI verified
• Architecture: HIGH - Patterns based on official asyncio docs and battle-tested libraries
• Pitfalls: MEDIUM-HIGH - Common races and edge cases documented, some based on general async patterns rather than lifecycle-specific sources

Research date: 2026-02-04 Valid until: 2026-03-04 (30 days - asyncio stdlib is stable, Claude Code --continue is established)