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GRPO/RL Training with TRL · openlair | DecimalAI

AI/MLby openlair

GRPO/RL Training with TRL

Expert guidance for GRPO/RL fine-tuning with TRL for reasoning and task-specific model training

Never made a case worse

SkillScore

SkillScore100/100

Test results 100

Safety

3/3 safety checks passed

Code scan
Intent
Content

What it changes

95%100%of test cases passed +5 pts

Without skill21 of 22

With skill22 of 22

1 fixed21 passed either way0 still failing0 broke

Measured on gemini-3.6-flash8/7/2026v1

Track record

Agent runs: 0; All time

See one task, with and without the skill

One test taskWhen setting up `GRPOConfig` for fine-tuning a 1.5B to 7B language model, what typical learning rate range is recommended for stable convergence?

Without the skillMissed

With the skillPassed

Same model, same task. Answers are capped and redacted.

Use this skill

Your agent runs on

Adds every file the skill has, pinned so you can update it. No account needed.

pip install "decimalai>=0.15"
decimalai skills add openlair-grpo-rl-training
claude --plugin-dir "$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel 2>/dev/null || pwd)/.agents"

The same install from Python, for a notebook or a setup script.

Install

pip install "decimalai>=0.15"

Add the skill

from decimalai import skillpkg

# Writes .agents/skills and .decimal/skills.toml. Safe to run twice.
result = skillpkg.add("openlair-grpo-rl-training")
if result.exit_code:
    raise SystemExit(result.problems)

print("Added. Start Claude Code with the command below.")

Start Claude Code with it

claude --plugin-dir "$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel 2>/dev/null || pwd)/.agents"

Type these in a Claude Code session. No account or API key. It writes the skill and any files it bundles, and asks first when its safety rating isn't Passed.

Add the DecimalAI plugin, once

/plugin marketplace add decimal-labs/decimalai-claude-plugins
/plugin install decimalai@decimalai

Install this skill

/decimalai:install openlair-grpo-rl-training

The plugin needs python3 and curl on your machine.

No Python or account. Claude Code picks it up in its next session.

Save it into your project

curl -fsSL --create-dirs -o .claude/skills/openlair-grpo-rl-training/SKILL.md https://app.decimal.ai/s/openlair-grpo-rl-training/SKILL.md

Copy SKILL.md

Save it in your project, as

.claude/skills/openlair-grpo-rl-training/SKILL.md

This gets SKILL.md only. The skill's 1 other file is not included.

Other ways to add it

Claude Code docs

agent_config() hands your agent the skill. With no DecimalAI key it reads your project's files and sends nothing. Needs SDK 0.27 or newer.

Install

pip install "decimalai[claude-agent-sdk]"
decimalai skills add openlair-grpo-rl-training

Add it to your agent

import asyncio

from claude_agent_sdk import ClaudeAgentOptions
from decimalai.claude_agent_sdk import agent_config

# With no DECIMAL_API_KEY this reads the skills your project lists, from disk.
support = agent_config("support", fallback="You are a helpful agent.")

async def main():
    question = "Hello!"
    async with support.run(question) as run:  # one user message, one run
        async for message in run.query(options=ClaudeAgentOptions(max_turns=6)):
            print(message)

# In a notebook or async code: await main()
asyncio.run(main())

Prefer its own loader? ClaudeAgentOptions(plugins=[skills_plugin()], skills="all") reads the same folder. Use one or the other: a skill delivered both ways reaches the prompt twice.

The same install from Python, for a notebook or a setup script. agent_config() hands your agent the skill. With no DecimalAI key it reads your project's files and sends nothing. Needs SDK 0.27 or newer.

Install

pip install "decimalai[claude-agent-sdk]"

Add it to your agent

from decimalai import skillpkg

# Writes .agents/skills and .decimal/skills.toml. Safe to run twice.
result = skillpkg.add("openlair-grpo-rl-training")
if result.exit_code:
    raise SystemExit(result.problems)

import asyncio

from claude_agent_sdk import ClaudeAgentOptions
from decimalai.claude_agent_sdk import agent_config

# With no DECIMAL_API_KEY this reads the skills your project lists, from disk.
support = agent_config("support", fallback="You are a helpful agent.")

async def main():
    question = "Hello!"
    async with support.run(question) as run:  # one user message, one run
        async for message in run.query(options=ClaudeAgentOptions(max_turns=6)):
            print(message)

# In a notebook or async code: await main()
asyncio.run(main())

Prefer its own loader? ClaudeAgentOptions(plugins=[skills_plugin()], skills="all") reads the same folder. Use one or the other: a skill delivered both ways reaches the prompt twice.

No DecimalAI package. The whole skill goes in every prompt, and nothing pins or updates it.

Copy SKILL.md

Save it in your project, as

.agents/skills/openlair-grpo-rl-training/SKILL.md

Give it to your agent

import asyncio
from pathlib import Path
from claude_agent_sdk import ClaudeAgentOptions, query

skill = Path(".agents/skills/openlair-grpo-rl-training/SKILL.md").read_text()
options = ClaudeAgentOptions(system_prompt=f"You are a helpful agent.\n\n{skill}", max_turns=6)

async def main():
    async for message in query(prompt="Hello!", options=options):
        print(message)

# In a notebook or async code: await main()
asyncio.run(main())

This gets SKILL.md only. The skill's 1 other file is not included.

Other ways to add it

Claude Agent SDK docs

agent_config() hands your agent the skill. With no DecimalAI key it reads your project's files and sends nothing. Needs SDK 0.27 or newer.

Install

pip install "decimalai[openai-agents]"
decimalai skills add openlair-grpo-rl-training

Add it to your agent

from agents import Agent, Runner
from decimalai.openai_agents import agent_config

# With no DECIMAL_API_KEY this reads the skills your project lists, from disk.
support = agent_config("support", fallback="You are a helpful agent.")

agent = Agent(
    name=support.name,
    instructions=support.instructions,  # your prompt, then the skill list
    tools=[*support.tools],             # your tools, then load_skill
)
# In a notebook or async code: result = await Runner.run(agent, "Hello!")
result = Runner.run_sync(agent, "Hello!")

Using SandboxAgent? capabilities=[Shell(), decimalai.openai_agents.sandbox_skills()] points its own loader at the same folder.

Install

pip install "decimalai[openai-agents]"

Add it to your agent

from decimalai import skillpkg

# Writes .agents/skills and .decimal/skills.toml. Safe to run twice.
result = skillpkg.add("openlair-grpo-rl-training")
if result.exit_code:
    raise SystemExit(result.problems)

from agents import Agent, Runner
from decimalai.openai_agents import agent_config

# With no DECIMAL_API_KEY this reads the skills your project lists, from disk.
support = agent_config("support", fallback="You are a helpful agent.")

agent = Agent(
    name=support.name,
    instructions=support.instructions,  # your prompt, then the skill list
    tools=[*support.tools],             # your tools, then load_skill
)
# In a notebook or async code: result = await Runner.run(agent, "Hello!")
result = Runner.run_sync(agent, "Hello!")

Using SandboxAgent? capabilities=[Shell(), decimalai.openai_agents.sandbox_skills()] points its own loader at the same folder.

No DecimalAI package. The whole skill goes in every prompt, and nothing pins or updates it.

Copy SKILL.md

Save it in your project, as

.agents/skills/openlair-grpo-rl-training/SKILL.md

Give it to your agent

from pathlib import Path
from agents import Agent, Runner

skill = Path(".agents/skills/openlair-grpo-rl-training/SKILL.md").read_text()
agent = Agent(name="support", instructions=f"You are a helpful agent.\n\n{skill}")
# In a notebook or async code: result = await Runner.run(agent, "Hello!")
result = Runner.run_sync(agent, "Hello!")

This gets SKILL.md only. The skill's 1 other file is not included.

Other ways to add it

OpenAI Agents docs

agent_config() hands your agent the skill. With no DecimalAI key it reads your project's files and sends nothing. Needs SDK 0.27 or newer.

Install

pip install "decimalai[openai]"
decimalai skills add openlair-grpo-rl-training

Add it to your agent

import json

from openai import OpenAI
from decimalai.openai import agent_config

client = OpenAI()
# With no DECIMAL_API_KEY this reads the skills your project lists, from disk.
support = agent_config("support", fallback="You are a helpful agent.")


def lookup_order(order_id: str) -> str:
    return f"Order {order_id} shipped yesterday."


# Your tools, as Chat Completions takes them, and what answers each.
TOOLS = [{"type": "function", "function": {
    "name": "lookup_order",
    "description": "Look up the status of an order.",
    "parameters": {"type": "object", "properties": {"order_id": {"type": "string"}},
                   "required": ["order_id"]},
}}]
FUNCTIONS = {"lookup_order": lookup_order}

question = "Where is order A1001?"
with support.run(question) as run:  # one user message, one run
    # run.system is your prompt, then the skill list.
    messages = [{"role": "system", "content": run.system}, run.message]
    while True:
        reply = client.chat.completions.create(
            model="gpt-5.4-mini",
            messages=messages,
            tools=[*TOOLS, *run.tools],  # your tools, then load_skill
        ).choices[0].message
        messages.append(reply)
        if not reply.tool_calls:
            break
        for call in reply.tool_calls:
            # load_skill is answered by the run; your own tools by FUNCTIONS.
            function = FUNCTIONS.get(call.function.name)
            messages.append(run.tool_result(call) or {
                "role": "tool", "tool_call_id": call.id,
                "content": function(**json.loads(call.function.arguments)) if function
                else f"There is no tool named {call.function.name!r}.",
            })
print(reply.content)

# The Responses API takes run.response_tools instead of run.tools.

Install

pip install "decimalai[openai]"

Add it to your agent

from decimalai import skillpkg

# Writes .agents/skills and .decimal/skills.toml. Safe to run twice.
result = skillpkg.add("openlair-grpo-rl-training")
if result.exit_code:
    raise SystemExit(result.problems)

import json

from openai import OpenAI
from decimalai.openai import agent_config

client = OpenAI()
# With no DECIMAL_API_KEY this reads the skills your project lists, from disk.
support = agent_config("support", fallback="You are a helpful agent.")


def lookup_order(order_id: str) -> str:
    return f"Order {order_id} shipped yesterday."


# Your tools, as Chat Completions takes them, and what answers each.
TOOLS = [{"type": "function", "function": {
    "name": "lookup_order",
    "description": "Look up the status of an order.",
    "parameters": {"type": "object", "properties": {"order_id": {"type": "string"}},
                   "required": ["order_id"]},
}}]
FUNCTIONS = {"lookup_order": lookup_order}

question = "Where is order A1001?"
with support.run(question) as run:  # one user message, one run
    # run.system is your prompt, then the skill list.
    messages = [{"role": "system", "content": run.system}, run.message]
    while True:
        reply = client.chat.completions.create(
            model="gpt-5.4-mini",
            messages=messages,
            tools=[*TOOLS, *run.tools],  # your tools, then load_skill
        ).choices[0].message
        messages.append(reply)
        if not reply.tool_calls:
            break
        for call in reply.tool_calls:
            # load_skill is answered by the run; your own tools by FUNCTIONS.
            function = FUNCTIONS.get(call.function.name)
            messages.append(run.tool_result(call) or {
                "role": "tool", "tool_call_id": call.id,
                "content": function(**json.loads(call.function.arguments)) if function
                else f"There is no tool named {call.function.name!r}.",
            })
print(reply.content)

# The Responses API takes run.response_tools instead of run.tools.

No DecimalAI package. The whole skill goes in every prompt, and nothing pins or updates it.

Copy SKILL.md

Save it in your project, as

.agents/skills/openlair-grpo-rl-training/SKILL.md

Give it to your agent

from pathlib import Path
from openai import OpenAI

client = OpenAI()
skill = Path(".agents/skills/openlair-grpo-rl-training/SKILL.md").read_text()
reply = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="gpt-5.4-mini",
    messages=[
        {"role": "system", "content": f"You are a helpful agent.\n\n{skill}"},
        {"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"},
    ],
).choices[0].message

This gets SKILL.md only. The skill's 1 other file is not included.

Other ways to add it

OpenAI SDK docs

agent_config() hands your agent the skill. With no DecimalAI key it reads your project's files and sends nothing. Needs SDK 0.27 or newer.

Install

pip install "decimalai[anthropic]"
decimalai skills add openlair-grpo-rl-training

Add it to your agent

import anthropic
from decimalai.anthropic import agent_config

client = anthropic.Anthropic()
# With no DECIMAL_API_KEY this reads the skills your project lists, from disk.
support = agent_config("support", fallback="You are a helpful agent.")

question = "Hello!"
with support.run(question) as run:  # one user message, one run
    answer = client.beta.messages.tool_runner(
        model="claude-haiku-5-5",
        max_tokens=4096,
        system=run.system,     # your prompt, then the skill list
        tools=[*run.tools],    # your tools, then load_skill
        messages=[{"role": "user", "content": question}],
    ).until_done()

Install

pip install "decimalai[anthropic]"

Add it to your agent

from decimalai import skillpkg

# Writes .agents/skills and .decimal/skills.toml. Safe to run twice.
result = skillpkg.add("openlair-grpo-rl-training")
if result.exit_code:
    raise SystemExit(result.problems)

import anthropic
from decimalai.anthropic import agent_config

client = anthropic.Anthropic()
# With no DECIMAL_API_KEY this reads the skills your project lists, from disk.
support = agent_config("support", fallback="You are a helpful agent.")

question = "Hello!"
with support.run(question) as run:  # one user message, one run
    answer = client.beta.messages.tool_runner(
        model="claude-haiku-5-5",
        max_tokens=4096,
        system=run.system,     # your prompt, then the skill list
        tools=[*run.tools],    # your tools, then load_skill
        messages=[{"role": "user", "content": question}],
    ).until_done()

No DecimalAI package. The whole skill goes in every prompt, and nothing pins or updates it.

Copy SKILL.md

Save it in your project, as

.agents/skills/openlair-grpo-rl-training/SKILL.md

Give it to your agent

from pathlib import Path
import anthropic

client = anthropic.Anthropic()
skill = Path(".agents/skills/openlair-grpo-rl-training/SKILL.md").read_text()
reply = client.messages.create(
    model="claude-haiku-5-5",
    max_tokens=4096,
    system=f"You are a helpful agent.\n\n{skill}",
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"}],
)

This gets SKILL.md only. The skill's 1 other file is not included.

Other ways to add it

Anthropic docs

agent_config() hands your agent the skill. With no DecimalAI key it reads your project's files and sends nothing. Needs SDK 0.27 or newer.

Install

pip install "decimalai[google-genai]"
decimalai skills add openlair-grpo-rl-training

Add it to your agent

from google import genai
from google.genai import types
from decimalai.google_genai import agent_config

client = genai.Client()
# With no DECIMAL_API_KEY this reads the skills your project lists, from disk.
support = agent_config("support", fallback="You are a helpful agent.")


def lookup_order(order_id: str) -> str:
    return f"Order {order_id} shipped yesterday."


# Your functions, as declarations for the model, and what answers each.
TOOLS = [{"function_declarations": [{
    "name": "lookup_order",
    "description": "Look up the status of an order.",
    "parameters_json_schema": {"type": "object", "properties": {"order_id": {"type": "string"}},
                               "required": ["order_id"]},
}]}]
FUNCTIONS = {"lookup_order": lookup_order}

question = "Where is order A1001?"
with support.run(question) as run:  # one user message, one run
    config = types.GenerateContentConfig(
        system_instruction=run.system,     # your prompt, then the skill list
        tools=[*TOOLS, *run.tool_params],  # your functions, then load_skill
    )
    contents = [{"role": "user", "parts": [{"text": run.message}]}]
    while True:
        response = client.models.generate_content(
            model="gemini-3.5-flash", contents=contents, config=config,
        )
        if not response.function_calls:
            break
        contents.append(response.candidates[0].content)
        parts = []
        for call in response.function_calls:
            # load_skill is answered by the run; your own functions by FUNCTIONS.
            # A loop of your own rather than automatic function calling, which
            # raises KeyError when the model asks for a function you did not pass.
            function = FUNCTIONS.get(call.name)
            parts.append(run.tool_result(call) or {"function_response": {
                "name": call.name, "id": call.id,
                "response": {"result": function(**(call.args or {})) if function
                             else f"There is no function named {call.name!r}."},
            }})
        contents.append({"role": "user", "parts": parts})
print(response.text)

Install

pip install "decimalai[google-genai]"

Add it to your agent

from decimalai import skillpkg

# Writes .agents/skills and .decimal/skills.toml. Safe to run twice.
result = skillpkg.add("openlair-grpo-rl-training")
if result.exit_code:
    raise SystemExit(result.problems)

from google import genai
from google.genai import types
from decimalai.google_genai import agent_config

client = genai.Client()
# With no DECIMAL_API_KEY this reads the skills your project lists, from disk.
support = agent_config("support", fallback="You are a helpful agent.")


def lookup_order(order_id: str) -> str:
    return f"Order {order_id} shipped yesterday."


# Your functions, as declarations for the model, and what answers each.
TOOLS = [{"function_declarations": [{
    "name": "lookup_order",
    "description": "Look up the status of an order.",
    "parameters_json_schema": {"type": "object", "properties": {"order_id": {"type": "string"}},
                               "required": ["order_id"]},
}]}]
FUNCTIONS = {"lookup_order": lookup_order}

question = "Where is order A1001?"
with support.run(question) as run:  # one user message, one run
    config = types.GenerateContentConfig(
        system_instruction=run.system,     # your prompt, then the skill list
        tools=[*TOOLS, *run.tool_params],  # your functions, then load_skill
    )
    contents = [{"role": "user", "parts": [{"text": run.message}]}]
    while True:
        response = client.models.generate_content(
            model="gemini-3.5-flash", contents=contents, config=config,
        )
        if not response.function_calls:
            break
        contents.append(response.candidates[0].content)
        parts = []
        for call in response.function_calls:
            # load_skill is answered by the run; your own functions by FUNCTIONS.
            # A loop of your own rather than automatic function calling, which
            # raises KeyError when the model asks for a function you did not pass.
            function = FUNCTIONS.get(call.name)
            parts.append(run.tool_result(call) or {"function_response": {
                "name": call.name, "id": call.id,
                "response": {"result": function(**(call.args or {})) if function
                             else f"There is no function named {call.name!r}."},
            }})
        contents.append({"role": "user", "parts": parts})
print(response.text)

No DecimalAI package. The whole skill goes in every prompt, and nothing pins or updates it.

Copy SKILL.md

Save it in your project, as

.agents/skills/openlair-grpo-rl-training/SKILL.md

Give it to your agent

from pathlib import Path
from google import genai
from google.genai import types

client = genai.Client()
skill = Path(".agents/skills/openlair-grpo-rl-training/SKILL.md").read_text()
response = client.models.generate_content(
    model="gemini-3.5-flash",
    contents="Hello!",
    config=types.GenerateContentConfig(system_instruction=f"You are a helpful agent.\n\n{skill}"),
)

This gets SKILL.md only. The skill's 1 other file is not included.

Other ways to add it

Gemini API docs

agent_config() hands your agent the skill. With no DecimalAI key it reads your project's files and sends nothing. Needs SDK 0.27 or newer.

Install

pip install "decimalai[langchain]" langchain-openai
decimalai skills add openlair-grpo-rl-training

Add it to your agent

from langchain.agents import create_agent
from decimalai.langchain import agent_config

# With no DECIMAL_API_KEY this reads the skills your project lists, from disk.
support = agent_config("support", fallback="You are a helpful agent.")

agent = create_agent(
    "openai:gpt-5.4-mini",
    tools=[],                         # your tools; the middleware adds load_skill
    middleware=[support.middleware],  # your prompt, the skill list and load_skill
)
result = agent.invoke({"messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"}]})

Install

pip install "decimalai[langchain]" langchain-openai

Add it to your agent

from decimalai import skillpkg

# Writes .agents/skills and .decimal/skills.toml. Safe to run twice.
result = skillpkg.add("openlair-grpo-rl-training")
if result.exit_code:
    raise SystemExit(result.problems)

from langchain.agents import create_agent
from decimalai.langchain import agent_config

# With no DECIMAL_API_KEY this reads the skills your project lists, from disk.
support = agent_config("support", fallback="You are a helpful agent.")

agent = create_agent(
    "openai:gpt-5.4-mini",
    tools=[],                         # your tools; the middleware adds load_skill
    middleware=[support.middleware],  # your prompt, the skill list and load_skill
)
result = agent.invoke({"messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"}]})

No DecimalAI package. The whole skill goes in every prompt, and nothing pins or updates it.

Copy SKILL.md

Save it in your project, as

.agents/skills/openlair-grpo-rl-training/SKILL.md

Give it to your agent

from pathlib import Path
from langchain.agents import create_agent

skill = Path(".agents/skills/openlair-grpo-rl-training/SKILL.md").read_text()
agent = create_agent("openai:gpt-5.4-mini", tools=[], system_prompt=f"You are a helpful agent.\n\n{skill}")
result = agent.invoke({"messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"}]})

This gets SKILL.md only. The skill's 1 other file is not included.

Other ways to add it

LangChain docs

CrewAI's own skill loader reads the installed folder. No DecimalAI account needed.

Install

pip install "decimalai>=0.16" "crewai>=1.15.27"
decimalai skills add openlair-grpo-rl-training

Add it to your agent

import decimalai.crewai
from crewai import Agent, Crew, Task

agent = Agent(
    role="Support", goal="Help the customer", backstory="A support agent.",
    llm=llm,                               # your own CrewAI LLM
    skills=decimalai.crewai.skills(),      # the installed folder
    tools=decimalai.crewai.skill_tools(),  # reads a skill's files, runs its scripts
)
task = Task(description="Hello!", expected_output="an answer", agent=agent)
Crew(agents=[agent], tasks=[task]).kickoff()

The same install from Python, for a notebook or a setup script. CrewAI's own skill loader reads the installed folder. No DecimalAI account needed.

Install

pip install "decimalai>=0.16" "crewai>=1.15.27"

Add it to your agent

from decimalai import skillpkg

# Writes .agents/skills and .decimal/skills.toml. Safe to run twice.
result = skillpkg.add("openlair-grpo-rl-training")
if result.exit_code:
    raise SystemExit(result.problems)

import decimalai.crewai
from crewai import Agent, Crew, Task

agent = Agent(
    role="Support", goal="Help the customer", backstory="A support agent.",
    llm=llm,                               # your own CrewAI LLM
    skills=decimalai.crewai.skills(),      # the installed folder
    tools=decimalai.crewai.skill_tools(),  # reads a skill's files, runs its scripts
)
task = Task(description="Hello!", expected_output="an answer", agent=agent)
Crew(agents=[agent], tasks=[task]).kickoff()

No DecimalAI package. CrewAI's own loader reads the folder, and nothing pins or updates it.

Copy SKILL.md

Save it in your project, as

.agents/skills/openlair-grpo-rl-training/SKILL.md

Give it to your agent

from pathlib import Path
from crewai import Agent, Crew, Task

agent = Agent(
    role="Support", goal="Help the customer", backstory="A support agent.",
    llm=llm,                         # your own CrewAI LLM
    skills=[Path(".agents/skills")],
)
task = Task(description="Hello!", expected_output="an answer", agent=agent)
Crew(agents=[agent], tasks=[task]).kickoff()

This gets SKILL.md only. The skill's 1 other file is not included.

Other ways to add it

CrewAI docs

agent_config() hands your agent the skill. With no DecimalAI key it reads your project's files and sends nothing. Needs SDK 0.27 or newer.

Install

pip install "decimalai[adk]"
decimalai skills add openlair-grpo-rl-training

Add it to your agent

from decimalai.adk import DecimalAIPlugin, agent_config
from google.adk.agents import LlmAgent
from google.adk.apps import App

# With no DECIMAL_API_KEY this reads the skills your project lists, from disk.
support = agent_config("support", fallback="You are a helpful agent.")

agent = LlmAgent(
    name="support",          # ADK needs a Python identifier
    model="gemini-3.5-flash",
    instruction=support.instruction,  # your prompt, then the skill list
    tools=[*support.tools],           # your tools, then load_skill
)
# DecimalAIPlugin makes each invocation of runners built from this App one trace.
app = App(name="support", root_agent=agent, plugins=[DecimalAIPlugin()])

Prefer ADK's own loader? SkillToolset(skills=decimalai.adk.skills(), ...) reads the same folder. Use one or the other: a skill delivered both ways reaches the prompt twice.

Install

pip install "decimalai[adk]"

Add it to your agent

from decimalai import skillpkg

# Writes .agents/skills and .decimal/skills.toml. Safe to run twice.
result = skillpkg.add("openlair-grpo-rl-training")
if result.exit_code:
    raise SystemExit(result.problems)

from decimalai.adk import DecimalAIPlugin, agent_config
from google.adk.agents import LlmAgent
from google.adk.apps import App

# With no DECIMAL_API_KEY this reads the skills your project lists, from disk.
support = agent_config("support", fallback="You are a helpful agent.")

agent = LlmAgent(
    name="support",          # ADK needs a Python identifier
    model="gemini-3.5-flash",
    instruction=support.instruction,  # your prompt, then the skill list
    tools=[*support.tools],           # your tools, then load_skill
)
# DecimalAIPlugin makes each invocation of runners built from this App one trace.
app = App(name="support", root_agent=agent, plugins=[DecimalAIPlugin()])

Prefer ADK's own loader? SkillToolset(skills=decimalai.adk.skills(), ...) reads the same folder. Use one or the other: a skill delivered both ways reaches the prompt twice.

No DecimalAI package. The whole skill goes in every prompt, and nothing pins or updates it.

Copy SKILL.md

Save it in your project, as

.agents/skills/openlair-grpo-rl-training/SKILL.md

Give it to your agent

from pathlib import Path
from google.adk.agents import LlmAgent

skill = Path(".agents/skills/openlair-grpo-rl-training/SKILL.md").read_text()
agent = LlmAgent(
    name="support",
    model="gemini-3.5-flash",
    instruction=lambda context: f"You are a helpful agent.\n\n{skill}",
)

This gets SKILL.md only. The skill's 1 other file is not included.

Other ways to add it

Google ADK docs

agent_config() hands your agent the skill. With no DecimalAI key it reads your project's files and sends nothing. Needs SDK 0.27 or newer.

Install

pip install "decimalai[pydantic-ai]"
decimalai skills add openlair-grpo-rl-training

Add it to your agent

from pydantic_ai import Agent
from decimalai.pydantic_ai import agent_config

# With no DECIMAL_API_KEY this reads the skills your project lists, from disk.
support = agent_config("support", fallback="You are a helpful agent.")

agent = Agent(
    "openai:gpt-4o-mini",
    name=support.name,
    tools=[],                 # your tools; the capability adds load_skill
    capabilities=[support],   # your prompt, the skill list and load_skill
)
# In a notebook or async code: result = await agent.run("Hello!")
result = agent.run_sync("Hello!")

On the Pydantic AI harness, decimalai.pydantic_ai_harness.skills(project) uses its own loader instead.

Install

pip install "decimalai[pydantic-ai]"

Add it to your agent

from decimalai import skillpkg

# Writes .agents/skills and .decimal/skills.toml. Safe to run twice.
result = skillpkg.add("openlair-grpo-rl-training")
if result.exit_code:
    raise SystemExit(result.problems)

from pydantic_ai import Agent
from decimalai.pydantic_ai import agent_config

# With no DECIMAL_API_KEY this reads the skills your project lists, from disk.
support = agent_config("support", fallback="You are a helpful agent.")

agent = Agent(
    "openai:gpt-4o-mini",
    name=support.name,
    tools=[],                 # your tools; the capability adds load_skill
    capabilities=[support],   # your prompt, the skill list and load_skill
)
# In a notebook or async code: result = await agent.run("Hello!")
result = agent.run_sync("Hello!")

On the Pydantic AI harness, decimalai.pydantic_ai_harness.skills(project) uses its own loader instead.

No DecimalAI package. The whole skill goes in every prompt, and nothing pins or updates it.

Copy SKILL.md

Save it in your project, as

.agents/skills/openlair-grpo-rl-training/SKILL.md

Give it to your agent

from pathlib import Path
from pydantic_ai import Agent

skill = Path(".agents/skills/openlair-grpo-rl-training/SKILL.md").read_text()
agent = Agent("openai:gpt-4o-mini", instructions=f"You are a helpful agent.\n\n{skill}")
# In a notebook or async code: result = await agent.run("Hello!")
result = agent.run_sync("Hello!")

This gets SKILL.md only. The skill's 1 other file is not included.

Other ways to add it

Pydantic AI docs

Deep Agents' own skill loader reads the installed folder. No DecimalAI account needed.

Install

pip install "decimalai>=0.16" deepagents
decimalai skills add openlair-grpo-rl-training

Add it to your agent

import decimalai.deepagents
from deepagents import create_deep_agent

agent = create_deep_agent(model=model, **decimalai.deepagents.skills())
agent.invoke({"messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"}]})

The default backend reads files but has no shell. To run a skill's scripts, pass skills(backend=LocalShellBackend(...)).

The same install from Python, for a notebook or a setup script. Deep Agents' own skill loader reads the installed folder. No DecimalAI account needed.

Install

pip install "decimalai>=0.16" deepagents

Add it to your agent

from decimalai import skillpkg

# Writes .agents/skills and .decimal/skills.toml. Safe to run twice.
result = skillpkg.add("openlair-grpo-rl-training")
if result.exit_code:
    raise SystemExit(result.problems)

import decimalai.deepagents
from deepagents import create_deep_agent

agent = create_deep_agent(model=model, **decimalai.deepagents.skills())
agent.invoke({"messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"}]})

The default backend reads files but has no shell. To run a skill's scripts, pass skills(backend=LocalShellBackend(...)).

No DecimalAI package. The whole skill goes in every prompt, and nothing pins or updates it.

Copy SKILL.md

Save it in your project, as

.agents/skills/openlair-grpo-rl-training/SKILL.md

Give it to your agent

from pathlib import Path
from deepagents import create_deep_agent

skill = Path(".agents/skills/openlair-grpo-rl-training/SKILL.md").read_text()
agent = create_deep_agent(model=model, system_prompt=f"You are a helpful agent.\n\n{skill}")
agent.invoke({"messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"}]})

This gets SKILL.md only. The skill's 1 other file is not included.

Other ways to add it

Deep Agents docs

Its own skill loader reads the installed folder. No DecimalAI account needed.

Install

pip install "decimalai>=0.16" agent-framework
decimalai skills add openlair-grpo-rl-training

Add it to your agent

import asyncio

from agent_framework import Agent
from decimalai.agent_framework import skills

agent = Agent(client=client, instructions="You are a helpful agent.", context_providers=[skills()])
asyncio.run(agent.run("Hello!"))

It caches skills by default, so restart the process after decimalai skills update.

The same install from Python, for a notebook or a setup script. Its own skill loader reads the installed folder. No DecimalAI account needed.

Install

pip install "decimalai>=0.16" agent-framework

Add it to your agent

from decimalai import skillpkg

# Writes .agents/skills and .decimal/skills.toml. Safe to run twice.
result = skillpkg.add("openlair-grpo-rl-training")
if result.exit_code:
    raise SystemExit(result.problems)

import asyncio

from agent_framework import Agent
from decimalai.agent_framework import skills

agent = Agent(client=client, instructions="You are a helpful agent.", context_providers=[skills()])
asyncio.run(agent.run("Hello!"))

It caches skills by default, so restart the process after decimalai skills update.

No DecimalAI package. The whole skill goes in every prompt, and nothing pins or updates it.

Copy SKILL.md

Save it in your project, as

.agents/skills/openlair-grpo-rl-training/SKILL.md

Give it to your agent

import asyncio
from pathlib import Path
from agent_framework import Agent

skill = Path(".agents/skills/openlair-grpo-rl-training/SKILL.md").read_text()
agent = Agent(client=client, instructions=f"You are a helpful agent.\n\n{skill}")
asyncio.run(agent.run("Hello!"))

This gets SKILL.md only. The skill's 1 other file is not included.

Other ways to add it

Microsoft Agent Framework docs

Strands' own skill loader reads the installed folder. No DecimalAI account needed.

Install

pip install "decimalai>=0.16" strands-agents
decimalai skills add openlair-grpo-rl-training

Add it to your agent

from decimalai.strands import skills
from strands import Agent
from strands.vended_tools import file_editor, shell

agent = Agent(
    model=model,                # always pass one: the default is Amazon Bedrock
    system_prompt="You are a helpful agent.",
    tools=[file_editor, shell],
    plugins=[skills()],
)
agent("Hello!")

Strands loads an agent's skills once, so build the agent again after decimalai skills update.

The same install from Python, for a notebook or a setup script. Strands' own skill loader reads the installed folder. No DecimalAI account needed.

Install

pip install "decimalai>=0.16" strands-agents

Add it to your agent

from decimalai import skillpkg

# Writes .agents/skills and .decimal/skills.toml. Safe to run twice.
result = skillpkg.add("openlair-grpo-rl-training")
if result.exit_code:
    raise SystemExit(result.problems)

from decimalai.strands import skills
from strands import Agent
from strands.vended_tools import file_editor, shell

agent = Agent(
    model=model,                # always pass one: the default is Amazon Bedrock
    system_prompt="You are a helpful agent.",
    tools=[file_editor, shell],
    plugins=[skills()],
)
agent("Hello!")

Strands loads an agent's skills once, so build the agent again after decimalai skills update.

No DecimalAI package. The whole skill goes in every prompt, and nothing pins or updates it.

Copy SKILL.md

Save it in your project, as

.agents/skills/openlair-grpo-rl-training/SKILL.md

Give it to your agent

from pathlib import Path
from strands import Agent

skill = Path(".agents/skills/openlair-grpo-rl-training/SKILL.md").read_text()
agent = Agent(model=model, system_prompt=f"You are a helpful agent.\n\n{skill}")
agent("Hello!")

This gets SKILL.md only. The skill's 1 other file is not included.

Other ways to add it

Strands docs

Adds every file the skill has, pinned so you can update it. Cursor, Copilot, Cline and Warp read this folder by themselves.

pip install "decimalai>=0.15"
decimalai skills add openlair-grpo-rl-training

No Python or account. Cursor, Copilot, Cline and Warp read this folder by themselves.

Save it into your project

curl -fsSL --create-dirs -o .agents/skills/openlair-grpo-rl-training/SKILL.md https://app.decimal.ai/s/openlair-grpo-rl-training/SKILL.md

Copy SKILL.md

Save it in your project, as

.agents/skills/openlair-grpo-rl-training/SKILL.md

This gets SKILL.md only. The skill's 1 other file is not included.

Other ways to add it

Cursor and other editors docs

Fetch the file and give its text to your model as instructions. No account or package needed.

Get the file

curl -fsSL https://app.decimal.ai/s/openlair-grpo-rl-training/SKILL.md

Read the summary as JSON

curl -fsSL https://app.decimal.ai/s/openlair-grpo-rl-training.json

This gets SKILL.md only. The skill's 1 other file is not included.

Other ways to add it

Other setups docs

You don't need a DecimalAI account.

Version: v1, tested 8/7/2026
Source: OpenLAIR/dr-claw ↗
License: NOASSERTION

Manage it in DecimalAI

Saved prompts and skills, pinned versions, and traces of this skill in your runs. DecimalAI does not run your agent.

Claude Code reads files from your project, so DecimalAI config does not apply there.

On Claude Agent SDK: save the skill to an agent here, set DECIMAL_API_KEY, and the same code uses it with no command to run. Changes you save reach the next run with no redeploy.

On OpenAI Agents: save the skill to an agent here, set DECIMAL_API_KEY, and the same code uses it with no command to run. Changes you save reach the next run with no redeploy.

On OpenAI SDK: save the skill to an agent here, set DECIMAL_API_KEY, and the same code uses it with no command to run. Changes you save reach the next run with no redeploy.

On Anthropic: save the skill to an agent here, set DECIMAL_API_KEY, and the same code uses it with no command to run. Changes you save reach the next run with no redeploy.

On Gemini API: save the skill to an agent here, set DECIMAL_API_KEY, and the same code uses it with no command to run. Changes you save reach the next run with no redeploy.

On LangChain: save the skill to an agent here, set DECIMAL_API_KEY, and the same code uses it with no command to run. Changes you save reach the next run with no redeploy.

On CrewAI: set DECIMAL_API_KEY and add decimalai.init(crewai=True) to record runs and skill use. The skill version stays in your repo.

On Google ADK: save the skill to an agent here, set DECIMAL_API_KEY, and the same code uses it with no command to run. Changes you save reach the next run with no redeploy.

On Pydantic AI: save the skill to an agent here, set DECIMAL_API_KEY, and the same code uses it with no command to run. Changes you save reach the next run with no redeploy.

On Deep Agents: set DECIMAL_API_KEY and add decimalai.init(langchain=True) to record runs and skill use. The skill version stays in your repo.

On Microsoft Agent Framework: set DECIMAL_API_KEY and add decimalai.init(otel=True, agent_name="support") to record runs and skill use. The skill version stays in your repo.

On Strands: set DECIMAL_API_KEY and add decimalai.init(otel=True, agent_name="support") to record runs and skill use. The skill version stays in your repo.

Editors read files from your project, so DecimalAI config does not apply there.

Anywhere else: record a use with decimalai.log_skill_activation() inside a trace.

Use this skill

SKILL.md

GRPO/RL Training with TRL

Expert-level guidance for implementing Group Relative Policy Optimization (GRPO) using the Transformer Reinforcement Learning (TRL) library. This skill provides battle-tested patterns, critical insights, and production-ready workflows for fine-tuning language models with custom reward functions.

When to Use This Skill

Use GRPO training when you need to:

Enforce specific output formats (e.g., XML tags, JSON, structured reasoning)
Teach verifiable tasks with objective correctness metrics (math, coding, fact-checking)
Improve reasoning capabilities by rewarding chain-of-thought patterns
Align models to domain-specific behaviors without labeled preference data
Optimize for multiple objectives simultaneously (format + correctness + style)

Do NOT use GRPO for:

Simple supervised fine-tuning tasks (use SFT instead)
Tasks without clear reward signals
When you already have high-quality preference pairs (use DPO/PPO instead)

Core Concepts

1. GRPO Algorithm Fundamentals

Key Mechanism:

Generates multiple completions for each prompt (group size: 4-16)
Compares completions within each group using reward functions
Updates policy to favor higher-rewarded responses relative to the group

Critical Difference from PPO:

No separate reward model needed
More sample-efficient (learns from within-group comparisons)
Simpler to implement and debug

Mathematical Intuition:

For each prompt p:
  1. Generate N completions: {c₁, c₂, ..., cₙ}
  2. Compute rewards: {r₁, r₂, ..., rₙ}
  3. Learn to increase probability of high-reward completions
     relative to low-reward ones in the same group

2. Reward Function Design Philosophy

Golden Rules:

Compose multiple reward functions - Each handles one aspect (format, correctness, style)
Scale rewards appropriately - Higher weight = stronger signal
Use incremental rewards - Partial credit for partial compliance
Test rewards independently - Debug each reward function in isolation

Reward Function Types:

Type	Use Case	Example Weight
Correctness	Verifiable tasks (math, code)	2.0 (highest)
Format	Strict structure enforcement	0.5-1.0
Length	Encourage verbosity/conciseness	0.1-0.5
Style	Penalize unwanted patterns	-0.5 to 0.5

Implementation Workflow

Step 1: Dataset Preparation

Critical Requirements:

Prompts in chat format (list of dicts with 'role' and 'content')
Include system prompts to set expectations
For verifiable tasks, include ground truth answers as additional columns

Example Structure:

from datasets import load_dataset, Dataset

SYSTEM_PROMPT = """
Respond in the following format:
<reasoning>
[Your step-by-step thinking]
</reasoning>
<answer>
[Final answer]
</answer>
"""

def prepare_dataset(raw_data):
    """
    Transform raw data into GRPO-compatible format.

    Returns: Dataset with columns:
    - 'prompt': List[Dict] with role/content (system + user messages)
    - 'answer': str (ground truth, optional but recommended)
    """
    return raw_data.map(lambda x: {
        'prompt': [
            {'role': 'system', 'content': SYSTEM_PROMPT},
            {'role': 'user', 'content': x['question']}
        ],
        'answer': extract_answer(x['raw_answer'])
    })

Pro Tips:

Use one-shot or few-shot examples in system prompt for complex formats
Keep prompts concise (max_prompt_length: 256-512 tokens)
Validate data quality before training (garbage in = garbage out)

Step 2: Reward Function Implementation

Template Structure:

def reward_function_name(
    prompts,        # List[List[Dict]]: Original prompts
    completions,    # List[List[Dict]]: Model generations
    answer=None,    # Optional: Ground truth from dataset
    **kwargs        # Additional dataset columns
) -> list[float]:
    """
    Evaluate completions and return rewards.

    Returns: List of floats (one per completion)
    """
    # Extract completion text
    responses = [comp[0]['content'] for comp in completions]

    # Compute rewards
    rewards = []
    for response in responses:
        score = compute_score(response)
        rewards.append(score)

    return rewards

Example 1: Correctness Reward (Math/Coding)

def correctness_reward(prompts, completions, answer, **kwargs):
    """Reward correct answers with high score."""
    responses = [comp[0]['content'] for comp in completions]
    extracted = [extract_final_answer(r) for r in responses]
    return [2.0 if ans == gt else 0.0
            for ans, gt in zip(extracted, answer)]

Example 2: Format Reward (Structured Output)

import re

def format_reward(completions, **kwargs):
    """Reward XML-like structured format."""
    pattern = r'<reasoning>.*?</reasoning>\s*<answer>.*?</answer>'
    responses = [comp[0]['content'] for comp in completions]
    return [1.0 if re.search(pattern, r, re.DOTALL) else 0.0
            for r in responses]

Example 3: Incremental Format Reward (Partial Credit)

def incremental_format_reward(completions, **kwargs):
    """Award partial credit for format compliance."""
    responses = [comp[0]['content'] for comp in completions]
    rewards = []

    for r in responses:
        score = 0.0
        if '<reasoning>' in r:
            score += 0.25
        if '</reasoning>' in r:
            score += 0.25
        if '<answer>' in r:
            score += 0.25
        if '</answer>' in r:
            score += 0.25
        # Penalize extra text after closing tag
        if r.count('</answer>') == 1:
            extra_text = r.split('</answer>')[-1].strip()
            score -= len(extra_text) * 0.001
        rewards.append(score)

    return rewards

Critical Insight: Combine 3-5 reward functions for robust training. Order matters less than diversity of signals.

Step 3: Training Configuration

Memory-Optimized Config (Small GPU)

from trl import GRPOConfig

training_args = GRPOConfig(
    output_dir="outputs/grpo-model",

    # Learning rate
    learning_rate=5e-6,          # Lower = more stable
    adam_beta1=0.9,
    adam_beta2=0.99,
    weight_decay=0.1,
    warmup_ratio=0.1,
    lr_scheduler_type='cosine',

    # Batch settings
    per_device_train_batch_size=1,
    gradient_accumulation_steps=4,  # Effective batch = 4

    # GRPO-specific
    num_generations=8,            # Group size: 8-16 recommended
    max_prompt_length=256,
    max_completion_length=512,

    # Training duration
    num_train_epochs=1,
    max_steps=None,               # Or set fixed steps (e.g., 500)

    # Optimization
    bf16=True,                    # Faster on A100/H100
    optim="adamw_8bit",          # Memory-efficient optimizer
    max_grad_norm=0.1,

    # Logging
    logging_steps=1,
    save_steps=100,
    report_to="wandb",            # Or "none" for no logging
)

High-Performance Config (Large GPU)

training_args = GRPOConfig(
    output_dir="outputs/grpo-model",
    learning_rate=1e-5,
    per_device_train_batch_size=4,
    gradient_accumulation_steps=2,
    num_generations=16,           # Larger groups = better signal
    max_prompt_length=512,
    max_completion_length=1024,
    num_train_epochs=1,
    bf16=True,
    use_vllm=True,                # Fast generation with vLLM
    logging_steps=10,
)

Critical Hyperparameters:

Parameter	Impact	Tuning Advice
`num_generations`	Group size for comparison	Start with 8, increase to 16 if GPU allows
`learning_rate`	Convergence speed/stability	5e-6 (safe), 1e-5 (faster, riskier)
`max_completion_length`	Output verbosity	Match your task (512 for reasoning, 256 for short answers)
`gradient_accumulation_steps`	Effective batch size	Increase if GPU memory limited

Step 4: Model Setup and Training

Standard Setup (Transformers)

import torch
from transformers import AutoModelForCausalLM, AutoTokenizer
from peft import LoraConfig
from trl import GRPOTrainer

# Load model
model_name = "Qwen/Qwen2.5-1.5B-Instruct"
model = AutoModelForCausalLM.from_pretrained(
    model_name,
    torch_dtype=torch.bfloat16,
    attn_implementation="flash_attention_2",  # 2-3x faster
    device_map="auto"
)

tokenizer = AutoTokenizer.from_pretrained(model_name)
tokenizer.pad_token = tokenizer.eos_token

# Optional: LoRA for parameter-efficient training
peft_config = LoraConfig(
    r=16,                         # Rank (higher = more capacity)
    lora_alpha=32,               # Scaling factor (typically 2*r)
    target_modules=[
        "q_proj", "k_proj", "v_proj", "o_proj",
        "gate_proj", "up_proj", "down_proj"
    ],
    task_type="CAUSAL_LM",
    lora_dropout=0.05,
)

# Initialize trainer
trainer = GRPOTrainer(
    model=model,
    processing_class=tokenizer,
    reward_funcs=[
        incremental_format_reward,
        format_reward,
        correctness_reward,
    ],
    args=training_args,
    train_dataset=dataset,
    peft_config=peft_config,      # Remove for full fine-tuning
)

# Train
trainer.train()

# Save
trainer.save_model("final_model")

Unsloth Setup (2-3x Faster)

from unsloth import FastLanguageModel

model, tokenizer = FastLanguageModel.from_pretrained(
    model_name="google/gemma-3-1b-it",
    max_seq_length=1024,
    load_in_4bit=True,
    fast_inference=True,
    max_lora_rank=32,
)

model = FastLanguageModel.get_peft_model(
    model,
    r=32,
    target_modules=["q_proj", "k_proj", "v_proj", "o_proj",
                    "gate_proj", "up_proj", "down_proj"],
    lora_alpha=32,
    use_gradient_checkpointing="unsloth",
)

# Rest is identical to standard setup
trainer = GRPOTrainer(model=model, ...)
trainer.train()

Critical Training Insights

1. Loss Behavior (EXPECTED PATTERN)

Loss starts near 0 and INCREASES during training
This is CORRECT - loss measures KL divergence from initial policy
Model is learning (diverging from original behavior to optimize rewards)
Monitor reward metrics instead of loss for progress

2. Reward Tracking

Key metrics to watch:

reward: Average across all completions
reward_std: Diversity within groups (should remain > 0)
kl: KL divergence from reference (should grow moderately)

Healthy Training Pattern:

Step   Reward    Reward_Std   KL
100    0.5       0.3          0.02
200    0.8       0.25         0.05
300    1.2       0.2          0.08  ← Good progression
400    1.5       0.15         0.12

Warning Signs:

Reward std → 0 (model collapsing to single response)
KL exploding (> 0.5) (diverging too much, reduce LR)
Reward stuck (reward functions too harsh or model capacity issue)

3. Common Pitfalls and Solutions

Problem	Symptom	Solution
Mode collapse	All completions identical	Increase `num_generations`, add diversity penalty
No learning	Flat rewards	Check reward function logic, increase LR
OOM errors	GPU memory exceeded	Reduce `num_generations`, enable gradient checkpointing
Slow training	< 1 it/s	Enable `use_vllm=True`, use Unsloth, reduce seq length
Format ignored	Model doesn't follow structure	Increase format reward weight, add incremental rewards

Advanced Patterns

1. Multi-Stage Training

For complex tasks, train in stages:

# Stage 1: Format compliance (epochs=1)
trainer_stage1 = GRPOTrainer(
    model=model,
    reward_funcs=[incremental_format_reward, format_reward],
    ...
)
trainer_stage1.train()

# Stage 2: Correctness (epochs=1)
trainer_stage2 = GRPOTrainer(
    model=model,
    reward_funcs=[format_reward, correctness_reward],
    ...
)
trainer_stage2.train()

2. Adaptive Reward Scaling

class AdaptiveReward:
    def __init__(self, base_reward_func, initial_weight=1.0):
        self.func = base_reward_func
        self.weight = initial_weight

    def __call__(self, *args, **kwargs):
        rewards = self.func(*args, **kwargs)
        return [r * self.weight for r in rewards]

    def adjust_weight(self, success_rate):
        """Increase weight if model struggling, decrease if succeeding."""
        if success_rate < 0.3:
            self.weight *= 1.2
        elif success_rate > 0.8:
            self.weight *= 0.9

3. Custom Dataset Integration

def load_custom_knowledge_base(csv_path):
    """Example: School communication platform docs."""
    import pandas as pd
    df = pd.read_csv(csv_path)

    dataset = Dataset.from_pandas(df).map(lambda x: {
        'prompt': [
            {'role': 'system', 'content': CUSTOM_SYSTEM_PROMPT},
            {'role': 'user', 'content': x['question']}
        ],
        'answer': x['expert_answer']
    })
    return dataset

Deployment and Inference

Save and Merge LoRA

# Merge LoRA adapters into base model
if hasattr(trainer.model, 'merge_and_unload'):
    merged_model = trainer.model.merge_and_unload()
    merged_model.save_pretrained("production_model")
    tokenizer.save_pretrained("production_model")

Inference Example

from transformers import pipeline

generator = pipeline(
    "text-generation",
    model="production_model",
    tokenizer=tokenizer
)

result = generator(
    [
        {'role': 'system', 'content': SYSTEM_PROMPT},
        {'role': 'user', 'content': "What is 15 + 27?"}
    ],
    max_new_tokens=256,
    do_sample=True,
    temperature=0.7,
    top_p=0.9
)
print(result[0]['generated_text'])

Best Practices Checklist

Before Training:

Validate dataset format (prompts as List[Dict])
Test reward functions on sample data
Calculate expected max_prompt_length from data
Choose appropriate num_generations based on GPU memory
Set up logging (wandb recommended)

During Training:

Monitor reward progression (should increase)
Check reward_std (should stay > 0.1)
Watch for OOM errors (reduce batch size if needed)
Sample generations every 50-100 steps
Validate format compliance on holdout set

After Training:

Merge LoRA weights if using PEFT
Test on diverse prompts
Compare to baseline model
Document reward weights and hyperparameters
Save reproducibility config

Troubleshooting Guide

Debugging Workflow

Isolate reward functions - Test each independently
Check data distribution - Ensure diversity in prompts
Reduce complexity - Start with single reward, add gradually
Monitor generations - Print samples every N steps
Validate extraction logic - Ensure answer parsing works

Quick Fixes

# Debug reward function
def debug_reward(completions, **kwargs):
    responses = [comp[0]['content'] for comp in completions]
    for i, r in enumerate(responses[:2]):  # Print first 2
        print(f"Response {i}: {r[:200]}...")
    return [1.0] * len(responses)  # Dummy rewards

# Test without training
trainer = GRPOTrainer(..., reward_funcs=[debug_reward])
trainer.generate_completions(dataset[:1])  # Generate without updating

References and Resources

Official Documentation:

TRL GRPO Trainer: https://huggingface.co/docs/trl/grpo_trainer
DeepSeek R1 Paper: https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.12948
Unsloth Docs: https://docs.unsloth.ai/

Example Repositories:

Open R1 Implementation: https://github.com/huggingface/open-r1
TRL Examples: https://github.com/huggingface/trl/tree/main/examples

Recommended Reading:

Progressive Disclosure Pattern for agent instructions
Reward shaping in RL (Ng et al.)
LoRA paper (Hu et al., 2021)

Usage Instructions for Agents

When this skill is loaded:

Read this entire file before implementing GRPO training
Start with the simplest reward function (e.g., length-based) to validate setup
Use the templates in templates/ directory as starting points
Reference examples in examples/ for task-specific implementations
Follow the workflow sequentially (don't skip steps)
Debug incrementally - add one reward function at a time

Critical Reminders:

Always use multiple reward functions (3-5 is optimal)
Monitor reward metrics, not loss
Test reward functions before training
Start small (num_generations=4), scale up gradually
Save checkpoints frequently (every 100 steps)

This skill is designed for expert-level implementation. Beginners should start with supervised fine-tuning before attempting GRPO.

About this skill

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Source

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OpenLAIR / dr-claw

skills/post-training/grpo-rl-training/SKILL.md

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What it changes

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Use this skill

GRPO/RL Training with TRL

When to Use This Skill

Core Concepts

1. GRPO Algorithm Fundamentals

2. Reward Function Design Philosophy

Implementation Workflow

Step 1: Dataset Preparation

Step 2: Reward Function Implementation

Step 3: Training Configuration

Step 4: Model Setup and Training

Critical Training Insights

1. Loss Behavior (EXPECTED PATTERN)

2. Reward Tracking

3. Common Pitfalls and Solutions

Advanced Patterns

1. Multi-Stage Training

2. Adaptive Reward Scaling

3. Custom Dataset Integration

Deployment and Inference

Save and Merge LoRA

Inference Example

Best Practices Checklist

Troubleshooting Guide

Debugging Workflow

Quick Fixes

References and Resources

Usage Instructions for Agents

SkillSafety

Source

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