zenforge-init

zenforge-init — Repository Scaffolding Engine

Operating Invariants

• Pre-Mutation Gate: Stage strictly missing assets via Changeset and halt turn for human approval; never overwrite valid existing configurations.
• Privacy Baseline: Always isolate .agents/scratch/, .agents/dev-environment.md, and legacy .agents/host-toolchain.md in .gitignore; forbid committing transient scratch files, machine-local environment profiles, or secrets.

Domain Rubric

1. Task Tracker Matrix (.agents/task-tracker.md)

• Remote GitHub + gh auth status valid ──> Propose GitHub Issues (gh) (template references/issue-tracker-github.md) or Local Markdown.
• Remote GitLab + glab auth status valid ──> Propose GitLab Issues (glab) (template references/issue-tracker-gitlab.md) or Local Markdown.
• Unauthenticated CLI / Other remotes / Offline ──> Propose Local Markdown (.agents/tasks/, template references/issue-tracker-local.md). Report CLI auth status to user so they can choose to authenticate or remain local.

2. Harness Anchor (.agents/harness-anchor.md)

Propose Harness Anchor using template references/harness-anchor.md.

• SSOT Discovery: Scan for existing testing guides (test/AGENTS.md, tests/AGENTS.md, docs/**/testing*.md, <subsystem>/test/AGENTS.md). Record all discovered SSOT paths as relative paths under Governing Testing SSOTs without transcribing content, preventing stale copies and routing agents directly to authoritative sources.
• Hermetic Primitives Discovery: Scan test helper directories (test/helpers/, test/fixtures/) to register existing foundation helpers in the Hermetic Primitives Registry.

3. Dev Environment & Host Profile (.agents/dev-environment.md)

Propose Dev Environment Profile using template references/dev-environment.md. Populate or replace the ## 1. Toolchain & Environment section via scripts/discover-toolchain.sh (--file defaults to .agents/dev-environment.md with fallback to .agents/host-toolchain.md if present, ensuring target is in .gitignore), recording active runtime wrappers, canonical test/analysis commands, and installed host CLIs. Non-applicable sections (services, datastores) remain omissible.

4. Git Privacy Configuration (.gitignore)

• .agents/scratch/: Private scratchpad (immutable).
• .agents/dev-environment.md / .agents/host-toolchain.md: Machine-local environment and toolchain profile (immutable).
• .agents/tasks/: Local-Only default for local markdown; omit if user requests team-shared tracking.

5. Documentation Placement Matrix (docs/README.md)

# Documentation Index & Placement Matrix

| Topic / Scope | Authoritative SSOT | Responsibility |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| **Tasks & Execution** | Defined in `.agents/task-tracker.md` | Decomposed task units and progress tracking |
| **Testing Governance** | Defined in `.agents/harness-anchor.md` | Test harness infrastructure and invariant testing |
| **Documentation Governance** | `docs/` | Governed via `/ssot` |

6. Agent Constitution Hook (AGENTS.md or CLAUDE.md)

Target CLAUDE.md if present; otherwise target AGENTS.md (create if absent). If target file exists, append this block; do not overwrite:

## Agent Workflow
- **Dev Environment**: Governed by `.agents/dev-environment.md` (local runners, zero-touch for `.env*` secrets).
- **Task Tracker**: Governed by `.agents/task-tracker.md`.
- **Harness Anchor**: Governed by `.agents/harness-anchor.md` (via `/harness-audit`).
- **Documentation**: Governed by `docs/README.md` (via `/ssot`).

Routing

• The caller requests design deliberation after setup → (via /clarify).
• The caller requests harness health inspection → (via /harness-audit).
• The caller requests documentation authority review → (via /ssot).

Execution Protocol

Phase 1: Read-Only Discovery

1. Remote & Topology: Run git remote -v to resolve host and repository path (owner/repo).

2. Toolchain Pre-flight: Run bash scripts/discover-toolchain.sh <path_to_repository> --dry-run to inspect tracker CLI auth (gh / glab), inferred runtime wrappers, test/analysis commands, and installed host tools without mutating disk.

3. Workspace Signals:

   • Check AGENTS.md vs CLAUDE.md (preserve existing, forbid duplicating).
   • Check .gitignore, .agents/dev-environment.md (or .agents/host-toolchain.md), .agents/task-tracker.md, .agents/harness-anchor.md, .agents/tasks/.
   • Scan existing documentation (docs/README.md or README.md).

4. Clean-Pass Short-Circuit: If all scaffolding assets (.agents/dev-environment.md / .agents/host-toolchain.md, .agents/task-tracker.md, .agents/harness-anchor.md, .gitignore privacy rules, docs/README.md, and constitution hook) are already configured and valid, report:

   Repository ecosystem is already initialized and up-to-date.
   
   

   Halt turn immediately without staging redundant mutations.

Phase 2: Staging & Authorization Gate

1. Stage missing or unconfigured scaffolding assets in Changeset format:

   # Changeset: Repository Initialization
   
   |-- .agents/
   |   |-- dev-environment.md
   |   |   `-- [CREATE] Record machine-local environment, toolchains, and service contracts.
   |   |-- task-tracker.md
   |   |   `-- [CREATE] Configure task tracking mode and execution protocols.
   |   `-- harness-anchor.md
   |       `-- [CREATE] Establish test SSOT routing and hermetic primitives registry.
   |-- docs/README.md
   |   `-- [<ACTION>] Establish documentation Placement Matrix.
   |-- .gitignore
   |   `-- [<ACTION>] Add .agents/scratch/, .agents/dev-environment.md, and .agents/tasks/ privacy rules.
   `-- <AGENTS.md | CLAUDE.md>
       `-- [<ACTION>] Add agent workflow, secret privacy rules, and documentation pointers.
   
   Summary: <N> files affected (<C> created, <U> updated).
   

2. Present Changeset summary, recommended tracker choice, and toolchain status (report auth status if CLI is unauthenticated). Forbid emitting raw file bodies into chat.

3. Halt turn immediately for human approval; forbid modifying workspace files on disk without affirmative authorization.

Phase 3: Atomic Application & Handoff

1. Upon receiving approval, write staged files to disk and run bash scripts/discover-toolchain.sh <path_to_repository> [--file <path.md>] to create or update .agents/dev-environment.md and register it in .gitignore.
2. Report setup complete and any caller-relevant follow-up gaps.