DevAgentRadar → Claude Code

You are helping me adopt a real coding-assistant change. Work only from the facts below. Do not invent features.

Context

Assistant: Claude Code Proposal: Set autoCompactWindow on subagents so they compact earlier than the parent Summary: v2.1.296 lets subagents auto-compact earlier than the parent via autoCompactWindow in frontmatter and --agents, pin all workflow agents to one model with CLAUDE_CODE_WORKFLOW_SUBAGENT_MODEL, apply cli-like gateway policies in Desktop's Code tab with managed.policies[].code, and raise 529 retry backoff. Primary source: https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/releases/tag/v2.1.296

Why it matters

Subagents previously compacted on the same window as the main conversation, so a long-running worker could keep a huge context until the parent compacted. autoCompactWindow on subagent frontmatter and --agents definitions lets that worker auto-compact earlier. Teams that want every workflow agent on one model without changing other subagents can set CLAUDE_CODE_WORKFLOW_SUBAGENT_MODEL. Gateway admins can add a code key to managed.policies[] with the same settings as cli so they also apply in Claude Desktop's Code tab; beside desktop, it turns on Desktop gateway mode. Overloaded 529 retries can use a longer maximum backoff via CLAUDE_CODE_OVERLOADED_RETRY_MAX_DELAY_MS. When Claude needs a whole oversized text file in one Read and context has room, allow_large avoids splitting. Duplicate-named plugins now surface in /plugin when their hooks are left out. This uses only the listed 2.1.296 changes, not the 40 omitted items.

Suggested actions

1. Add autoCompactWindow to each long-running subagent's YAML frontmatter and to the matching --agents definition, choosing a window earlier than the main conversation so that subagent auto-compacts first.
2. export CLAUDE_CODE_WORKFLOW_SUBAGENT_MODEL=<model-id> before launching Claude Code so every workflow agent uses that one model while other subagents keep theirs.
3. In Claude apps gateway managed.policies[], add a code key with the same settings as cli so those policies apply in Claude Desktop's Code tab; add desktop beside it to turn on Claude Desktop gateway mode.
4. export CLAUDE_CODE_OVERLOADED_RETRY_MAX_DELAY_MS=<milliseconds> to raise the maximum backoff delay when retrying an overloaded (529) request.
5. When Claude needs the entire contents of a text file past the usual Read size limits and the context has room, instruct it to call Read with allow_large in one call instead of chunking the file.

Config surfaces this release may change

• settings files (high confidence) — check your repo before applying
• hooks (high confidence) — check your repo before applying
• context and compaction settings — check your repo before applying
• subagent definitions — check your repo before applying
• skills — check your repo before applying
• MCP servers — check your repo before applying
• background and headless runs — check your repo before applying
• permission rules — check your repo before applying

After you finish

Do not report this as applied to DevAgentRadar. You cannot write the visitor's loop.

Tell the human: open https://devagentradar.com/proposals/claude-code-v2-1-296-set-autocompactwindow-on-subagents-so-they-compact- and mark Applied, Skipped, or Failed. Proposal id: 87bf0f68-5677-48bc-8699-6e1732b53820

Your job

1. Restate the change in one sentence.
2. Propose a minimal plan for my repo (or a throwaway pilot).
3. Implement only what I approve; prefer small diffs and tests.
4. Call out risks (permissions, breaking APIs, cost).

Start by confirming you understood the proposal.