fix(compaction): don't halve context_length on output-cap-too-large errors

When the API returns "max_tokens too large given prompt" (input tokens
are within the context window, but input + requested output > window),
the old code incorrectly routed through the same handler as "prompt too
long" errors, calling get_next_probe_tier() and permanently halving
context_length. This made things worse: the window was fine, only the
requested output size needed trimming for that one call.

Two distinct error classes now handled separately:

  Prompt too long  — input itself exceeds context window.
    Fix: compress history + halve context_length (existing behaviour,
    unchanged).

  Output cap too large — input OK, but input + max_tokens > window.
    Fix: parse available_tokens from the error message, set a one-shot
    _ephemeral_max_output_tokens override for the retry, and leave
    context_length completely untouched.

Changes:
- agent/model_metadata.py: add parse_available_output_tokens_from_error()
  that detects Anthropic's "available_tokens: N" error format and returns
  the available output budget, or None for all other error types.
- run_agent.py: call the new parser first in the is_context_length_error
  block; if it fires, set _ephemeral_max_output_tokens (with a 64-token
  safety margin) and break to retry without touching context_length.
  _build_api_kwargs consumes the ephemeral value exactly once then clears
  it so subsequent calls use self.max_tokens normally.
- agent/anthropic_adapter.py: expand build_anthropic_kwargs docstring to
  clearly document the max_tokens (output cap) vs context_length (total
  window) distinction, which is a persistent source of confusion due to
  the OpenAI-inherited "max_tokens" name.
- cli-config.yaml.example: add inline comments explaining both keys side
  by side where users are most likely to look.
- website/docs/integrations/providers.md: add a callout box at the top
  of "Context Length Detection" and clarify the troubleshooting entry.
- tests/test_ctx_halving_fix.py: 24 tests across four classes covering
  the parser, build_anthropic_kwargs clamping, ephemeral one-shot
  consumption, and the invariant that context_length is never mutated
  on output-cap errors.

agent/anthropic_adapter.py

@@ -1238,10 +1238,27 @@ def build_anthropic_kwargs(
 ) -> Dict[str, Any]:
     """Build kwargs for anthropic.messages.create().
 
-    When *max_tokens* is None, the model's native output limit is used
-    (e.g. 128K for Opus 4.6, 64K for Sonnet 4.6).  If *context_length*
-    is provided, the effective limit is clamped so it doesn't exceed
-    the context window.
+    Naming note — two distinct concepts, easily confused:
+      max_tokens     = OUTPUT token cap for a single response.
+                       Anthropic's API calls this "max_tokens" but it only
+                       limits the *output*.  Anthropic's own native SDK
+                       renamed it "max_output_tokens" for clarity.
+      context_length = TOTAL context window (input tokens + output tokens).
+                       The API enforces: input_tokens + max_tokens ≤ context_length.
+                       Stored on the ContextCompressor; reduced on overflow errors.
+
+    When *max_tokens* is None the model's native output ceiling is used
+    (e.g. 128K for Opus 4.6, 64K for Sonnet 4.6).
+
+    When *context_length* is provided and the model's native output ceiling
+    exceeds it (e.g. a local endpoint with an 8K window), the output cap is
+    clamped to context_length − 1.  This only kicks in for unusually small
+    context windows; for full-size models the native output cap is always
+    smaller than the context window so no clamping happens.
+    NOTE: this clamping does not account for prompt size — if the prompt is
+    large, Anthropic may still reject the request.  The caller must detect
+    "max_tokens too large given prompt" errors and retry with a smaller cap
+    (see parse_available_output_tokens_from_error + _ephemeral_max_output_tokens).
 
     When *is_oauth* is True, applies Claude Code compatibility transforms:
     system prompt prefix, tool name prefixing, and prompt sanitization.
@@ -1256,10 +1273,14 @@ def build_anthropic_kwargs(
     anthropic_tools = convert_tools_to_anthropic(tools) if tools else []
 
     model = normalize_model_name(model, preserve_dots=preserve_dots)
+    # effective_max_tokens = output cap for this call (≠ total context window)
     effective_max_tokens = max_tokens or _get_anthropic_max_output(model)
 
-    # Clamp to context window if the user set a lower context_length
-    # (e.g. custom endpoint with limited capacity).
+    # Clamp output cap to fit inside the total context window.
+    # Only matters for small custom endpoints where context_length < native
+    # output ceiling.  For standard Anthropic models context_length (e.g.
+    # 200K) is always larger than the output ceiling (e.g. 128K), so this
+    # branch is not taken.
     if context_length and effective_max_tokens > context_length:
         effective_max_tokens = max(context_length - 1, 1)
 

agent/model_metadata.py

@@ -603,6 +603,49 @@ def parse_context_limit_from_error(error_msg: str) -> Optional[int]:
     return None
 
 
+def parse_available_output_tokens_from_error(error_msg: str) -> Optional[int]:
+    """Detect an "output cap too large" error and return how many output tokens are available.
+
+    Background — two distinct context errors exist:
+      1. "Prompt too long"  — the INPUT itself exceeds the context window.
+           Fix: compress history and/or halve context_length.
+      2. "max_tokens too large" — input is fine, but input + requested_output > window.
+           Fix: reduce max_tokens (the output cap) for this call.
+           Do NOT touch context_length — the window hasn't shrunk.
+
+    Anthropic's API returns errors like:
+      "max_tokens: 32768 > context_window: 200000 - input_tokens: 190000 = available_tokens: 10000"
+
+    Returns the number of output tokens that would fit (e.g. 10000 above), or None if
+    the error does not look like a max_tokens-too-large error.
+    """
+    error_lower = error_msg.lower()
+
+    # Must look like an output-cap error, not a prompt-length error.
+    is_output_cap_error = (
+        "max_tokens" in error_lower
+        and ("available_tokens" in error_lower or "available tokens" in error_lower)
+    )
+    if not is_output_cap_error:
+        return None
+
+    # Extract the available_tokens figure.
+    # Anthropic format: "… = available_tokens: 10000"
+    patterns = [
+        r'available_tokens[:\s]+(\d+)',
+        r'available\s+tokens[:\s]+(\d+)',
+        # fallback: last number after "=" in expressions like "200000 - 190000 = 10000"
+        r'=\s*(\d+)\s*$',
+    ]
+    for pattern in patterns:
+        match = re.search(pattern, error_lower)
+        if match:
+            tokens = int(match.group(1))
+            if tokens >= 1:
+                return tokens
+    return None
+
+
 def _model_id_matches(candidate_id: str, lookup_model: str) -> bool:
     """Return True if *candidate_id* (from server) matches *lookup_model* (configured).