init

Memex - Init

Wikilink rule: When referencing any file in markdown you write or edit, always use [[filename]] wikilink format. Never plain text.

Core principle: never assume, never delete. Existing files are sacred. Moves only happen with explicit confirmation.

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Step 1: Detect workspace state

Run WORKSPACE_ROOT=$(pwd) && echo "$WORKSPACE_ROOT" via Bash.

State	Detection	Action
Empty	No markdown files, no manifest	Quick Start (below)
Files, no manifest	Markdown exists, no _MANIFEST.md	See references/scan-and-organize.md
Compatible manifest	_MANIFEST.md exists, no <!-- memex-managed marker	Offer to add marker (opt in) or continue compatible
Old version	<!-- memex-managed:X.X.X --> behind current	Tell the user to run /memex:upgrade (one-command migration to current version). Init does not perform the migration itself — see references/migrations.md for what changes.
Current version	Current marker	See references/health-check.md

Do not announce the detected state. Just run the appropriate flow.

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Quick Start (empty workspace)

1. Ask: "What are you working on right now?". Seeds status.md with active focus, in-progress items, next priorities.
2. Create from templates/: memory/status.md, memory/session-log.md, memory/decisions.md, memory/glossary.md, memory/_CLOSETS.md (use memory-closets.md.tmpl), scratch/ideas.md.
3. Append the three Memex lines to workspace-root CLAUDE.md (template at templates/CLAUDE.md.tmpl). Preserve existing content. Skip if .claude/CLAUDE.md already has them.
4. Create _MANIFEST.md from templates/_MANIFEST.md.tmpl. Tier 1 table, empty Tier 2/3, empty Hub Map. Write last. It's the activation marker.
5. Print the post-setup message in references/post-setup-message.md.

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Scan and Organize (existing files)

See references/scan-and-organize.md for the full scan / analyze / propose / build flow. Closets file format is canonical at memex/skills/session-end/references/closets-format.md; per-entry summary fields follow memex/skills/session-end/references/summary-rules.md.

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Health Check (current Memex workspace)

See references/health-check.md.

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Migrations (old version marker)

See references/migrations.md. For a one-command v1→v2 upgrade that orchestrates /memex:resummarize + /memex:reindex + lint, prefer /memex:upgrade.

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Wikilink Rules

• Every file reference in a hub table or _MANIFEST.md uses [[filename]].
• When moving a file, search .md files for [[old-name]] and update to [[new-name]].
• After all writes, run wikilink verification. Must be CLEAN.

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Gotchas

• Foreign session hooks in root CLAUDE.md. If another plugin already owns session-start/session-end, ask which plugin should own the lifecycle. Don't silently overwrite.
• .claude/CLAUDE.md is platform-managed. Always target the workspace-root CLAUDE.md, never .claude/CLAUDE.md.
• Manifest is the activation marker. Write it last. A partial scaffold without _MANIFEST.md is recoverable; a manifest pointing at files that don't exist will break session-start.
• Catch-all folders are not domains. A notes/ folder with meeting notes + ideas + decisions mixed together should be dissolved file-by-file, not turned into a notes-index.md hub.
• Wikilink conversion false-positives on short stems. api.md will match every "API" in prose. Pass 1 (automated) only does exact filename or hyphen-to-space matches; Pass 2 (semantic) requires user confirmation. Don't merge them.
• Conflicting files are surfaced, not merged. If two files cover the same topic with different content, ask which is authoritative before placing either. Silent merge loses information.
• Stale files route to Tier 3, not active domains. Markers like outdated, deprecated, superseded, v1 (when v2 exists). These go straight to archive, even if their topic matches an active domain.

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Rules

• Never delete user files. Moves require confirmation. Originals of migrated files go to Tier 3.
• No placeholder text in saved files.
• Manifest writes last.
• Always ask what the user is working on. Seed status.md with the answer.
• Wikilink conversion is two passes. Pass 1 automated, Pass 2 proposed.
• Manifest summaries: every file entry gets a one-line content summary so session-start can scan without opening files.
• Batch writes when files don't depend on each other.