/start
Session initialization and lifecycle management: bootstraps session context, organizes files, generates CLAUDE.md, manages soul purpose lifecycle with completion protocol and active context harvesting. Use when user says /start, /init, bootstrap session, initialize session, or
$ npx -y skills add anombyte93/atlas-session-lifecycle --skill start --agent claude-codeHow it fires
How this skill gets triggered: by you, by Claude, or both.
- Fires itselfAuto-invocation. Claude auto-loads it when your prompt matches the work.
- You can call itInvoke it directly when you want it.
- Slash command
/start
Context preview
The summary Claude sees to decide when to auto-load this skill.
Session initialization and lifecycle management: bootstraps session context, organizes files, generates CLAUDE.md, manages soul purpose lifecycle with completion protocol and active context harvesting. Use when user says /start, /init, bootstrap session, initialize session, or
SKILL.md
start.SKILL.mdname: start
description: "Session initialization and lifecycle management: bootstraps session context, organizes files, generates CLAUDE.md, manages soul purpose lifecycle with completion protocol and active context harvesting. Use when user says /start, /init, bootstrap session, initialize session, or organize project."
user-invocable: true
Session Init & Lifecycle Skill
> User runs `/start`. Questions upfront. Everything else silent. Then seamlessly continue working.
All session operations use `atlas-session` MCP tools directly (prefixed `session_*` and `contract_*`). Use `ToolSearch` to discover them.
Directive Capture
Capture any text after `/start` as `DIRECTIVE`. If empty, the soul purpose is the directive. The skill NEVER finishes with "ready to go" and stops. After setup, immediately begin working.
UX Contract (MANDATORY)
1. **NEVER announce step names** — no "Init Step 1", no "Wave 2" 2. **NEVER narrate internal process** — no "Detecting environment..." 3. **NEVER explain what you're about to do** — just ask questions, then do it silently 4. **User sees ONLY**: questions and seamless continuation into work 5. **Batch questions** — as few rounds as possible 6. **No "done" message that stops** — after setup, immediately begin working
Hard Invariants
1. **User authority is absolute** — AI NEVER closes a soul purpose. Only suggests; user decides. 2. **Zero unsolicited behavior** — Skill ONLY runs when user types `/start`. 3. **Human-visible memory only** — All state lives in files. 4. **Idempotent** — Safe to run multiple times. 5. **Templates are immutable** — NEVER edit bundled template files. 6. **NEVER** auto-invoke doubt agent. Only offer it. 7. **Trust separation** — for bounty verify, spawn a separate finality Task agent. Never the same agent that submits. 8. **AtlasCoin is optional** — if the service is down, tell the user and continue without bounty tracking.
Service Availability (MANDATORY)
1. **NEVER run `claude mcp list`** — assume atlas-session is available, handle errors on first call 2. **NEVER block on external services** — log the gap and continue with degraded mode 3. **Fallback hierarchy**: try tool → if error/timeout → tell user what's degraded → continue
| Service | If Unavailable | Action | |---------|---------------|--------| | atlas-session MCP | `session_start` errors/times out | STOP — required for /start | | AtlasCoin | `contract_health()` fails | Continue without bounty tracking | | Perplexity | Research queries fail | Context7 + WebSearch fallback | | Context7 | Doc queries fail | Perplexity results only | | Bitwarden | Vault locked/unavailable | Tell user, skip credential fetch |
---
INIT MODE
> Triggered when `session_start` returns `preflight.mode == "init"`.
Step 1: Preflight + Assessment (composite)
**MCP AVAILABILITY** — assume atlas-session is available (do NOT run `claude mcp list`):
1. Call `session_start(project_dir, DIRECTIVE)` — returns combined preflight + validate + read_context + git_summary + classify_brainstorm + clutter check in ONE call. 2. If the call **errors or times out**, STOP and inform user:
atlas-session MCP is not responding. /start requires this MCP to function.
To fix:
1. Check ~/.claude.json or project .mcp.json has atlas-session entry
2. Verify Python module: python3 -c "from atlas_session import server"
3. Restart Claude Code after fixing
Do NOT proceed with any other steps if session_start fails. 3. Extract results: `preflight = result["preflight"]`, `read_context = result["read_context"]`, `git_summary = result["git_summary"]`, `classify_brainstorm = result["classify_brainstorm"]`, `clutter = result["clutter"]`.
Step 2: Brainstorm Weight + File Organization
1. Extract `BRAINSTORM_WEIGHT` from `result["classify_brainstorm"]["weight"]` for Step 4.
**File organization** (only if `result["clutter"]` is present and `status` is "cluttered"):
Present the grouped move map from `result["clutter"]`:
- "Your project root has [N] misplaced files. Proposed cleanup: [summary]. Approve?"
- Options: "Yes, clean up", "Show details first", "Skip"
- If approved, execute moves via `git mv` (if `is_git`) or file operations.
Step 3: Silent Bootstrap + CI/CD Detection
1. Call `session_init(project_dir, DIRECTIVE_OR_PENDING)` 2. Call `session_ensure_governance(project_dir)` 3. Call `session_cache_governance(project_dir)` 4. Run `/init` (Claude Code built-in — refreshes CLAUDE.md. Must run in main thread.) 5. Call `session_restore_governance(project_dir)`
**CI/CD Scaffold Detection** (smart, zero-friction):
Use `project_signals` from `result["preflight"]` (already available from Step 1).
Determine CI/CD action based on these rules:
| Condition | Action | |-----------|--------| | `has_ci == true` | Skip — already has CI/CD | | `has_code_files == false` OR `is_empty_project == true` | Skip — no code to test | | Simple script only (1-2 `.py`/`.sh` files, no package manifest) | Skip — toy project | | Has package manifest (`package.json`, `pyproject.toml`, `Cargo.toml`, `go.mod`) | **Prompt user** (see below) | | 3+ code files but no package manifest | **Prompt user** (see below) |
**Prompt when needed**:
"This project has code files but no CI/CD. Atlas-Copilot can scaffold GitHub Actions workflows (CI tests + Claude review). Enable?"
Options:
- "Yes, full CI" — scaffold both CI and review workflows
- "CI only" — scaffold CI workflow only
- "Skip" — don't scaffold, don't ask again this session
**Scaffold logic** (if user accepts):
Detect language/stack from `project_signals`:
- `has_package_json` → Node.js
- `has_pyproject` → Python
- `has_go_mod` → Go
- `has_cargo_toml` → Rust
- Default → Python if `.py` files exist, else generic
Create `.github/workflows/` directory, then: 1. **CI workflow** (`ci.yml`): calls `anombyte93/atlas-copilot/.github/workflows/reusable-ci.yml@v1` with appropriate inputs 2. **Review workflow** (`claude-review.yml`): calls `a
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name: start description: "Session initialization and lifecycle management: bootstraps session context, organizes files, generates CLAUDE.md, manages soul purpose lifecycle with completion protocol and active context harvesting. Use when user says /start, /init, bootstrap session, initialize session, or organize project." user-invocable: true
Session Init & Lifecycle Skill
> User runs `/start`. Questions upfront. Everything else silent. Then seamlessly continue working.
All session operations use `atlas-session` MCP tools directly (prefixed `session_*` and `contract_*`). Use `ToolSearch` to discover them.
Directive Capture
Capture any text after `/start` as `DIRECTIVE`. If empty, the soul purpose is the directive. The skill NEVER finishes with "ready to go" and stops. After setup, immediately begin working.
UX Contract (MANDATORY)
1. **NEVER announce step names** — no "Init Step 1", no "Wave 2" 2. **NEVER narrate internal process** — no "Detecting environment..." 3. **NEVER explain what you're about to do** — just ask questions, then do it silently 4. **User sees ONLY**: questions and seamless continuation into work 5. **Batch questions** — as few rounds as possible 6. **No "done" message that stops** — after setup, immediately begin working
Hard Invariants
1. **User authority is absolute** — AI NEVER closes a soul purpose. Only suggests; user decides. 2. **Zero unsolicited behavior** — Skill ONLY runs when user types `/start`. 3. **Human-visible memory only** — All state lives in files. 4. **Idempotent** — Safe to run multiple times. 5. **Templates are immutable** — NEVER edit bundled template files. 6. **NEVER** auto-invoke doubt agent. Only offer it. 7. **Trust separation** — for bounty verify, spawn a separate finality Task agent. Never the same agent that submits. 8. **AtlasCoin is optional** — if the service is down, tell the user and continue without bounty tracking.
Service Availability (MANDATORY)
1. **NEVER run `claude mcp list`** — assume atlas-session is available, handle errors on first call 2. **NEVER block on external services** — log the gap and continue with degraded mode 3. **Fallback hierarchy**: try tool → if error/timeout → tell user what's degraded → continue
| Service | If Unavailable | Action | |---------|---------------|--------| | atlas-session MCP | `session_start` errors/times out | STOP — required for /start | | AtlasCoin | `contract_health()` fails | Continue without bounty tracking | | Perplexity | Research queries fail | Context7 + WebSearch fallback | | Context7 | Doc queries fail | Perplexity results only | | Bitwarden | Vault locked/unavailable | Tell user, skip credential fetch |
---
INIT MODE
> Triggered when `session_start` returns `preflight.mode == "init"`.
Step 1: Preflight + Assessment (composite)
**MCP AVAILABILITY** — assume atlas-session is available (do NOT run `claude mcp list`):
1. Call `session_start(project_dir, DIRECTIVE)` — returns combined preflight + validate + read_context + git_summary + classify_brainstorm + clutter check in ONE call. 2. If the call **errors or times out**, STOP and inform user:
atlas-session MCP is not responding. /start requires this MCP to function. To fix: 1. Check ~/.claude.json or project .mcp.json has atlas-session entry 2. Verify Python module: python3 -c "from atlas_session import server" 3. Restart Claude Code after fixing
Do NOT proceed with any other steps if session_start fails. 3. Extract results: `preflight = result["preflight"]`, `read_context = result["read_context"]`, `git_summary = result["git_summary"]`, `classify_brainstorm = result["classify_brainstorm"]`, `clutter = result["clutter"]`.
Step 2: Brainstorm Weight + File Organization
1. Extract `BRAINSTORM_WEIGHT` from `result["classify_brainstorm"]["weight"]` for Step 4.
**File organization** (only if `result["clutter"]` is present and `status` is "cluttered"):
Present the grouped move map from `result["clutter"]`:
- "Your project root has [N] misplaced files. Proposed cleanup: [summary]. Approve?"
- Options: "Yes, clean up", "Show details first", "Skip"
- If approved, execute moves via `git mv` (if `is_git`) or file operations.
Step 3: Silent Bootstrap + CI/CD Detection
1. Call `session_init(project_dir, DIRECTIVE_OR_PENDING)` 2. Call `session_ensure_governance(project_dir)` 3. Call `session_cache_governance(project_dir)` 4. Run `/init` (Claude Code built-in — refreshes CLAUDE.md. Must run in main thread.) 5. Call `session_restore_governance(project_dir)`
**CI/CD Scaffold Detection** (smart, zero-friction):
Use `project_signals` from `result["preflight"]` (already available from Step 1).
Determine CI/CD action based on these rules:
| Condition | Action | |-----------|--------| | `has_ci == true` | Skip — already has CI/CD | | `has_code_files == false` OR `is_empty_project == true` | Skip — no code to test | | Simple script only (1-2 `.py`/`.sh` files, no package manifest) | Skip — toy project | | Has package manifest (`package.json`, `pyproject.toml`, `Cargo.toml`, `go.mod`) | **Prompt user** (see below) | | 3+ code files but no package manifest | **Prompt user** (see below) |
**Prompt when needed**:
"This project has code files but no CI/CD. Atlas-Copilot can scaffold GitHub Actions workflows (CI tests + Claude review). Enable?"
Options:
- "Yes, full CI" — scaffold both CI and review workflows
- "CI only" — scaffold CI workflow only
- "Skip" — don't scaffold, don't ask again this session
**Scaffold logic** (if user accepts):
Detect language/stack from `project_signals`:
- `has_package_json` → Node.js
- `has_pyproject` → Python
- `has_go_mod` → Go
- `has_cargo_toml` → Rust
- Default → Python if `.py` files exist, else generic
Create `.github/workflows/` directory, then: 1. **CI workflow** (`ci.yml`): calls `anombyte93/atlas-copilot/.github/workflows/reusable-ci.yml@v1` with appropriate inputs 2. **Review workflow** (`claude-review.yml`): calls `a
Showing the first part of this file.
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)
Other skills on atlas-session-lifecycle.
- /test-spec-gen
Universal test specification generator that explores codebases, researches best practices, and generates comprehensive test specs via multi-agent orchestration. Outputs Hermes-style test specification documents with TC-XXX formatting, area segmentation, and optional Trello card
Open skill - /stepback
Use when hitting the same error after 2+ fix attempts, when multiple symptoms share a common system, or when fixes feel like whack-a-mole. Forces architectural reassessment over symptom-patching. Also use proactively when a fix touches infrastructure-level config.
Open skill - /stop
Gracefully close, pause, or verify a session: harvest promotable content, save progress, archive soul purpose, settle AtlasCoin bounty. Use when user says /stop, wrap up, done for the day, finishing up, close session, pause, verify, or end session.
Open skill - /sync
Fast save-point: sync all session-context files and MEMORY.md with current progress. Zero questions, zero delay. Use when user says /sync, save progress, save state, sync context, or /sync --full for capability inventory.
Open skill

