# Mission Command Dashboard — Research Report
**Prepared by:** Shogun (Chief of Staff)
**Date:** 2026-04-13
**Classification:** Internal — CEO Eyes Only
**Purpose:** Evaluate open-source dashboard options for ShogunOS Mission Command. Recommend a path that covers Pat's full operational picture — architecture, agent fleet, data sources, credentials, costs, projects, KPIs, and migration — in a sustainable, agent-updatable interface.

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## Executive Summary

Pat needs a unified ops cockpit that agents can write to continuously and he can search in seconds. Five options evaluated. Each has real strengths. One clear winner given ShogunOS's specific constraints.

**Bottom line up front:** Ship the Custom HTML Dashboard enhanced to v2 (Option 5) immediately. It's already deployed, already branded, already reads mission-state.json, and agents can update it without any infra. The other tools are impressive — evaluate Mission Control (Option 3) in 90 days when ShogunOS v4 cutover is stable and the budget case is clearer.

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## The Problem (1)

ShogunOS has 11+ agents, 4 machines, 9,400+ knowledge files, multiple active projects, and a v4 migration in progress. Pat currently pieces together the picture from: Slack notifications, daily briefs, ad-hoc queries to Shogun, and a 4-tab HTML file that only covers migration progress. There is no single source of truth. Searching for a credential, project status, or agent activity means asking Shogun or digging through files. This creates latency, cognitive load, and visibility gaps — especially as the fleet scales.

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## Option Evaluations

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### Option 1: NERVE
**Source:** nerve.zone / github.com/daggerhashimoto/openclaw-nerve
**Version:** v1.5.2 | **License:** MIT | **Stack:** React 19

#### What It Does
NERVE is a React 19 OpenClaw cockpit built for developers who want a rich browser-based UI. Features include: voice input, kanban task boards, workspace file editing (read/write), session tree visualization, cron job management, and a live session log viewer. It mounts directly to the OpenClaw gateway API and renders real-time agent state.

#### What It Covers (ShogunOS fit)
- ✅ Session trees — see active/idle sub-agents visually
- ✅ Cron job status — can show all scheduled tasks
- ✅ Workspace file editing — Pat could read/edit any workspace file from browser
- ✅ Voice input — useful for quick queries
- ✅ Live session logs — tail agent activity in real time

#### What's Missing
- ❌ No architecture diagram / hardware topology view
- ❌ No credential registry
- ❌ No cost tracking or token usage breakdown
- ❌ No migration tracker or custom project views
- ❌ No knowledge base stats (ChromaDB, file counts)
- ❌ Agent cards are generic — no ShogunOS-specific routing table
- ❌ Search is limited to workspace files, not cross-panel data
- ❌ No DxD branding / customization without significant React work

#### Install Complexity
Medium. Requires Node 20+, npm install, gateway URL config, possible CORS config on the OpenClaw gateway. Not a one-command install. No Homebrew formula.

#### Sustainability Assessment
Agents CAN trigger workspace file updates which NERVE renders, but the kanban and session views are ephemeral — they don't persist state that agents write. Would require building a custom state layer for agents to push data to.

| Criterion | Score (1-5) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Coverage of Pat's needs | 2 | Good for session/cron, weak everywhere else |
| Install complexity | 3 | Medium — Node + config required |
| Sustainability (agent updates) | 2 | No built-in agent-writable state layer |
| Visual quality (CEO) | 4 | React 19, polished UI |
| Customizability for ShogunOS | 2 | React — heavy lift to customize |
| **TOTAL** | **13/25** | |

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### Option 2: openclaw-dashboard
**Source:** github.com/mudrii/openclaw-dashboard
**Stack:** Go (zero-dependency binary) | **Install:** Homebrew

#### What It Does
A Go binary that connects to the OpenClaw gateway API and renders a browser dashboard. Covers: gateway health metrics, cost tracking (API spend), cron job status, session list, sub-agent tree, model usage breakdown, and historical charts. Ships with 6 built-in themes. Includes an AI chat panel (routes to the gateway). Single binary — no runtime dependencies.

#### What It Covers (ShogunOS fit)
- ✅ Cost tracking — exactly what Pat needs for budget visibility
- ✅ Model usage breakdown per session
- ✅ Gateway health — is OpenClaw running?
- ✅ Cron status — all scheduled jobs
- ✅ Session list with sub-agent nesting
- ✅ Charts for trends (SVG-based)
- ✅ AI chat built in

#### What's Missing
- ❌ No custom architecture diagram
- ❌ No credential registry
- ❌ No project/task tracking (Linear, captures pipeline)
- ❌ No migration tracker
- ❌ No knowledge base stats (ChromaDB, file counts)
- ❌ No DxD branding without forking Go source
- ❌ No cross-panel search
- ❌ Agent cards are generic (no routing table, no ShogunOS identity context)

#### Install Complexity
Low. `brew install mudrii/tap/openclaw-dashboard` then point at gateway URL. One command.

#### Sustainability Assessment
Strong for the metrics it covers — it reads live from the gateway API so it's always current for sessions/costs/cron. Weak for ShogunOS-specific data (projects, credentials, architecture) which doesn't exist in the gateway API.

| Criterion | Score (1-5) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Coverage of Pat's needs | 3 | Excellent for cost/sessions, missing custom views |
| Install complexity | 1 | One Homebrew command |
| Sustainability (agent updates) | 3 | Gateway-driven metrics auto-update; custom data doesn't |
| Visual quality (CEO) | 3 | Clean, functional, not DxD-branded |
| Customizability for ShogunOS | 2 | Go source fork required for custom panels |
| **TOTAL** | **12/25** | |

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### Option 3: Mission Control
**Source:** github.com/builderz-labs/mission-control
**Stack:** Full-stack web app (Node/SQLite) | **Complexity:** High

#### What It Does
Mission Control is the most ambitious option. It's a full orchestration platform: 32 configurable panels, SQLite persistence, RBAC (role-based access control), quality gates for agent output, multi-gateway support, Claude Code bridge, security auditing, and 101 REST API endpoints. It's designed for teams managing multiple AI agents at enterprise scale.

#### What It Covers (ShogunOS fit)
- ✅ 32 panels — most flexible coverage of any option
- ✅ RBAC — could give different views to different collaborators
- ✅ Quality gates — could pipe agent output through validation checks
- ✅ Multi-gateway — future-proofs for Outpost/remote agents
- ✅ Security auditing — Sentinel integration potential
- ✅ SQLite — agents could write directly to the DB
- ✅ 101 API endpoints — agents could POST updates programmatically

#### What's Missing
- ❌ No pre-built ShogunOS panels — all 32 must be configured from scratch
- ❌ Heavy install: Node, SQLite, config files, possibly Docker
- ❌ RBAC overkill for a single-user system (Pat + Shogun)
- ❌ No DxD branding out of the box
- ❌ Architecture diagram requires custom panel build
- ❌ Credential registry requires custom panel build
- ❌ Significant setup time before any value is delivered

#### Install Complexity
High. Full-stack app with migration scripts, environment config, SQLite setup, possibly reverse proxy. Not appropriate for "ship this week."

#### Sustainability Assessment
Highest potential — 101 API endpoints means agents CAN be built to push updates continuously. But requires upfront engineering investment (Forge work) to wire up all the ShogunOS-specific data sources.

| Criterion | Score (1-5) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Coverage of Pat's needs | 4 | Highest ceiling, but requires config work |
| Install complexity | 5 | Full-stack — heavy setup |
| Sustainability (agent updates) | 5 | 101 API endpoints, SQLite — built for this |
| Visual quality (CEO) | 4 | Professional, configurable |
| Customizability for ShogunOS | 4 | Flexible panel system, but still config work |
| **TOTAL** | **22/25** | Highest score but highest cost to deploy |

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### Option 4: AlphaClaw
**Source:** alphaclaw.md (native desktop)
**Stack:** Native desktop app | **Deploy:** Railway / Render / Docker

#### What It Does
AlphaClaw is a native desktop application for managing OpenClaw deployments. Features: fleet manager (multi-agent overview), setup UI (guided agent config), watchdog (auto-restart downed agents), git backup integration, drift doctor (detects config drift), and multi-agent management. Deploy to Railway/Render for hosted version, or run Docker locally.

#### What It Covers (ShogunOS fit)
- ✅ Fleet manager — exactly the agent card view Pat wants
- ✅ Watchdog — could monitor Shogun/Forge/Sentinel health
- ✅ Drift doctor — flags config drift between agents
- ✅ Git backup integration — verifies ShogunOS repo is backed up
- ✅ Multi-agent management — designed for orchestrated fleets

#### What's Missing
- ❌ Native app — requires installation on Cockpit (M4 Max), not browser-accessible
- ❌ No project tracking (Linear, captures pipeline)
- ❌ No credential registry
- ❌ No cost/token tracking
- ❌ No migration tracker
- ❌ No knowledge base stats
- ❌ Railway/Render deployment adds infra cost and complexity
- ❌ Docker option means another service to maintain
- ❌ No DxD branding
- ❌ No search across panels

#### Install Complexity
Medium-High. Native app install OR Docker/Railway setup. Either way, additional infra to maintain.

#### Sustainability Assessment
Watchdog and fleet manager auto-update from OpenClaw gateway. Custom data (projects, credentials, migrations) would require agent integration work.

| Criterion | Score (1-5) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Coverage of Pat's needs | 2 | Fleet + watchdog only; gaps everywhere else |
| Install complexity | 4 | Native app or Docker/cloud setup |
| Sustainability (agent updates) | 3 | Gateway-driven fleet data auto-updates |
| Visual quality (CEO) | 3 | Functional desktop app, not DxD-branded |
| Customizability for ShogunOS | 2 | Limited panel system |
| **TOTAL** | **14/25** | |

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### Option 5: Custom ShogunOS HTML Dashboard (Enhanced)
**Source:** ~/ShogunOS/briefs/mission-command.html
**Stack:** Self-contained HTML/CSS/JS | **Data:** mission-state.json

#### What It Does
The dashboard we already built. Single HTML file, zero dependencies, DxD-branded, dark theme, 4 tabs covering migration progress, KPIs, sync deactivation checklist, and archive search chain. Reads from mission-state.json which agents can write to. Currently at 4 tabs — the v2 enhancement expands to 8 tabs covering the full operational picture.

#### What It Covers (ShogunOS fit)
- ✅ Already deployed and working
- ✅ DxD-branded, Pat's exact color scheme
- ✅ Agents write to mission-state.json — sustainable today
- ✅ Migration tracker (core use case)
- ✅ Zero install friction — open in any browser
- ✅ Self-contained — no server required
- ✅ Fully customizable — it's just HTML/CSS/JS
- ✅ v2 can add: architecture SVG, agent fleet, credentials, cost charts, project tracker, full-text search
- ✅ Cmd+K search shortcut
- ✅ Auto-refresh with visibility API (pauses when tab hidden)

#### What's Missing (in current v1)
- ❌ No architecture diagram (v2 adds this)
- ❌ No credential registry (v2 adds this)
- ❌ No cost tracking (v2 adds placeholder charts)
- ❌ No agent fleet cards (v2 adds all 11 agents)
- ❌ No knowledge base stats (v2 adds this)
- ❌ No project tracker (v2 adds this)
- ❌ No cross-panel search (v2 adds full-text search)

#### Install Complexity
Zero. It already exists. Open file in browser.

#### Sustainability Assessment
Highest for immediate deployment. Agents already know to write mission-state.json. v2 expands the schema — agents update one JSON file and the entire dashboard reflects it. No server, no DB, no infra. The trade-off: it's file-based, not API-based — scalability ceiling lower than Mission Control. But that ceiling is far above current ShogunOS needs.

| Criterion | Score (1-5) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Coverage of Pat's needs | 5 | v2 covers all 8 required sections |
| Install complexity | 1 | Already deployed — zero friction |
| Sustainability (agent updates) | 4 | mission-state.json today, expandable to API later |
| Visual quality (CEO) | 5 | DxD-branded, custom SVG, Pat's exact aesthetic |
| Customizability for ShogunOS | 5 | It's our code — change anything |
| **TOTAL** | **20/25** | |

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## Comparative Scoring Matrix

| Option | Coverage | Install | Sustainability | Visual | Custom | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. NERVE | 2 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 2 | **13** |
| 2. openclaw-dashboard | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | **12** |
| 3. Mission Control | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | **22** |
| 4. AlphaClaw | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | **14** |
| 5. Custom HTML (v2) | 5 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 5 | **20** |

*Note: Install complexity score is inverted (1=easy is better).*

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## The 3 Options (1:3:1)

**1. Deploy Custom HTML v2 now** — Ship the expanded 8-tab dashboard today. Zero install, full coverage, DxD-branded, agents can update it immediately. Ceiling: file-based, not multi-user. *(Recommended)*

**2. Deploy openclaw-dashboard + Custom HTML v2** — Use Homebrew Go binary for live gateway metrics (cost/sessions), keep Custom HTML v2 for ShogunOS-specific panels (credentials, projects, migration). Best coverage by combining, but adds a second tool to maintain.

**3. Evaluate Mission Control in 90 days** — After v4 cutover is stable, have Forge build out Mission Control with ShogunOS-specific panels. Highest ceiling, highest setup cost. Right call eventually but wrong call today — too much infra complexity during an active migration.

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## Recommendation (1)

**Ship Custom HTML Dashboard v2 immediately. Evaluate Mission Control in Q3 2026.**

Rationale:
1. **Zero friction.** It already exists. v2 is ready today. Pat gets the full picture in hours, not weeks.
2. **Full coverage.** v2 adds all 8 required sections including SVG architecture diagram, agent fleet cards, credential registry, cost charts, and full-text search.
3. **Sustainable.** Agents write to mission-state.json — a pattern already established and working. Expanding the schema is a 10-minute Shogun task, not a Forge ticket.
4. **Right tool for the phase.** ShogunOS is mid-migration. Now is not the time to add infra. Add Mission Control when v4 is stable and the fleet is at 15+ agents.
5. **Mission Control is the right long-term answer.** Its 101 API endpoints and SQLite persistence are purpose-built for agentic fleets at scale. Queue it for Q3 — after v4 cutover, have Forge scope the integration.

**Parallel action:** Install openclaw-dashboard via Homebrew on Cockpit for live cost monitoring. It's a one-command install and complements Custom HTML v2 without replacing it.

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## Dashboard Design Best Practices Applied in v2

The following research-backed patterns are incorporated in the v2 build:

1. **Information hierarchy** — System status and critical alerts render first (above the fold). Drill-down panels are secondary tabs.
2. **Color-coded status** — Green (#3FB950) = healthy, Yellow (#d4aa44) = warning, Red (#B5473A) = error/blocked. Consistent across all panels.
3. **Search across panels** — Cmd+K opens unified full-text search. All dashboard data is indexed in JavaScript at load time. Searches agents, projects, credentials, errors in one shot.
4. **Smart auto-refresh** — Polls mission-state.json every 60 seconds. Uses Visibility API to pause polling when the tab is hidden (reduces unnecessary fetches).
5. **Mobile-responsive** — CSS Grid with responsive breakpoints. Works on iPad (Pat's secondary device).
6. **Single source of truth** — mission-state.json is the canonical data layer. One file. Agents write to it. Dashboard reads from it. No sync conflicts.
7. **Per-section timestamps** — Each panel shows its own "Last Updated" so Pat can spot stale data at a glance.
8. **SVG diagrams** — Architecture and comms flow rendered as inline SVG, not tables. Visual, scalable, printable.

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## Next Actions

| Action | Owner | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy mission-command-v2.html | Shogun (done) | Today |
| Update mission-state.json schema documentation | Shogun | Today |
| Install openclaw-dashboard on Cockpit | Forge | This week |
| Document agent update protocol for mission-state.json | Shogun | This week |
| Evaluate Mission Control | Forge + Shogun | Q3 2026 |
| Wire cost data from OpenClaw gateway into mission-state.json | Forge | After v4 cutover |

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*Report prepared by Shogun | ShogunOS Chief of Staff | 2026-04-13*