atlas-session-lifecycle

Atlas Session Lifecycle

Persistent project memory and session lifecycle management for Claude Code.

Featured in: I just delivered on a $30,000 contract thanks to Claude Code (r/ClaudeAI)

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Install

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/anombyte93/atlas-session-lifecycle/main/install.sh | bash

Then run /start in any Claude Code project.

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What It Does

Claude Code has no persistent memory between sessions. Every new conversation starts from zero. This creates three compounding problems:

• No persistent memory -- Context, decisions, and progress are lost between sessions. You re-explain the same things every time.
• Project sprawl -- Files accumulate at the project root with no organization. Scripts, docs, configs, and logs pile up across sessions.
• No lifecycle management -- Projects have goals, but no mechanism to track progress, verify completion, or transition to new objectives.

/start solves all three with a structured five-file memory bank, automatic file organization, and a soul purpose lifecycle that tracks your project from inception through completion.

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How It Works

/start auto-detects which mode to run based on directory state:

/start
  |
  +-- session-context/ exists? --> Reconcile Mode
  |                                  +-- Validate & repair session files
  |                                  +-- Refresh CLAUDE.md via /init
  |                                  +-- Self-assess soul purpose status
  |                                  +-- Offer: Continue / Close / Redefine
  |                                  +-- Harvest learnings on closure
  |
  +-- No session-context/ -------> Init Mode
                                     +-- Capture soul purpose
                                     +-- Bootstrap 5-file memory bank
                                     +-- Organize root files
                                     +-- Generate CLAUDE.md
                                     +-- Onboard Ralph Loop

Init Mode (first run)

Triggered when session-context/ does not exist.

• Captures your project's soul purpose -- the single objective this project exists to achieve
• Detects environment (git status, existing files, tech stack)
• Bootstraps session-context/ with 5 memory bank files from immutable templates
• Scans root-level files and proposes an organization map (scripts, docs, config, logs)
• Generates or updates CLAUDE.md with project structure and governance sections
• Onboards Ralph Loop (automatic, manual, or skip)

Reconcile Mode (returning)

Triggered when session-context/ already exists.

• Validates and repairs session files from templates if corrupted
• Runs Claude's /init to refresh CLAUDE.md from current codebase state
• Reads soul purpose and active context to understand where you left off
• Self-assesses soul purpose completion (clearly incomplete, probably complete, uncertain)
• Presents lifecycle decision: Continue, Close, or Redefine soul purpose
• Harvests durable knowledge on closure -- promotes decisions, patterns, and troubleshooting entries

Capability Inventory

When /start runs in Reconcile mode (or when you run /sync --full), it generates a comprehensive capability inventory:

• MCP Tools: All available tools with test coverage status
• Security Claims: Security-related features needing verification
• Feature Claims: What the project claims vs what's tested
• Test Gaps: Untested code identified by priority

The inventory lives in session-context/CLAUDE-capability-inventory.md and is used by /research-before-coding to identify what needs validation testing. Results are cached based on git HEAD, so regeneration only happens when your code changes.

Stepback (bundled skill)

Also included: /stepback -- a strategic reassessment protocol for when debugging goes sideways. If you've hit the same error after 2+ fix attempts, /stepback forces you to zoom out: