/llm-wiki

name: llm-wiki
description: "Karpathy's LLM Wiki — build and maintain a persistent, interlinked markdown knowledge base. Ingest sources, query compiled knowledge, and lint for consistency."
version: 2.0.0
author: Zorro Agent
license: MIT
metadata:
  zorro:
    tags: [wiki, knowledge-base, research, notes, markdown, rag-alternative]
    category: research
    related_skills: [obsidian, arxiv, agentic-research-ideas]
    config:
      - key: wiki.path
        description: Path to the LLM Wiki knowledge base directory
        default: "~/wiki"
        prompt: Wiki directory path

Karpathy's LLM Wiki

Build and maintain a persistent, compounding knowledge base as interlinked markdown files. Based on [Andrej Karpathy's LLM Wiki pattern](https://gist.github.com/karpathy/442a6bf555914893e9891c11519de94f).

Unlike traditional RAG (which rediscovers knowledge from scratch per query), the wiki compiles knowledge once and keeps it current. Cross-references are already there. Contradictions have already been flagged. Synthesis reflects everything ingested.

**Division of labor:** The human curates sources and directs analysis. The agent summarizes, cross-references, files, and maintains consistency.

When This Skill Activates

Use this skill when the user:

• Asks to create, build, or start a wiki or knowledge base
• Asks to ingest, add, or process a source into their wiki
• Asks a question and an existing wiki is present at the configured path
• Asks to lint, audit, or health-check their wiki
• References their wiki, knowledge base, or "notes" in a research context

Wiki Location

Configured via `skills.config.wiki.path` in `~/.zorro/config.yaml` (prompted during `zorro config migrate` or `zorro setup`):

skills:
  config:
    wiki:
      path: ~/wiki

Falls back to `~/wiki` default. The resolved path is injected when this skill loads — check the `[Skill config: ...]` block above for the active value.

The wiki is just a directory of markdown files — open it in Obsidian, VS Code, or any editor. No database, no special tooling required.

Architecture: Three Layers

wiki/
├── SCHEMA.md           # Conventions, structure rules, domain config
├── index.md            # Sectioned content catalog with one-line summaries
├── log.md              # Chronological action log (append-only, rotated yearly)
├── raw/                # Layer 1: Immutable source material
│   ├── articles/       # Web articles, clippings
│   ├── papers/         # PDFs, arxiv papers
│   ├── transcripts/    # Meeting notes, interviews
│   └── assets/         # Images, diagrams referenced by sources
├── entities/           # Layer 2: Entity pages (people, orgs, products, models)
├── concepts/           # Layer 2: Concept/topic pages
├── comparisons/        # Layer 2: Side-by-side analyses
└── queries/            # Layer 2: Filed query results worth keeping

**Layer 1 — Raw Sources:** Immutable. The agent reads but never modifies these. **Layer 2 — The Wiki:** Agent-owned markdown files. Created, updated, and cross-referenced by the agent. **Layer 3 — The Schema:** `SCHEMA.md` defines structure, conventions, and tag taxonomy.

Resuming an Existing Wiki (CRITICAL — do this every session)

When the user has an existing wiki, **always orient yourself before doing anything**:

① **Read `SCHEMA.md`** — understand the domain, conventions, and tag taxonomy. ② **Read `index.md`** — learn what pages exist and their summaries. ③ **Scan recent `log.md`** — read the last 20-30 entries to understand recent activity.

WIKI="${wiki_path:-$HOME/wiki}"
# Orientation reads at session start
read_file "$WIKI/SCHEMA.md"
read_file "$WIKI/index.md"
read_file "$WIKI/log.md" offset=<last 30 lines>

Only after orientation should you ingest, query, or lint. This prevents:

• Creating duplicate pages for entities that already exist
• Missing cross-references to existing content
• Contradicting the schema's conventions
• Repeating work already logged

For large wikis (100+ pages), also run a quick `search_files` for the topic at hand before creating anything new.

Initializing a New Wiki

When the user asks to create or start a wiki:

1. Determine the wiki path (from config, env var, or ask the user; default `~/wiki`) 2. Create the directory structure above 3. Ask the user what domain the wiki covers — be specific 4. Write `SCHEMA.md` customized to the domain (see template below) 5. Write initial `index.md` with sectioned header 6. Write initial `log.md` with creation entry 7. Confirm the wiki is ready and suggest first sources to ingest

SCHEMA.md Template

Adapt to the user's domain. The schema constrains agent behavior and ensures consistency:

# Wiki Schema

## Domain
[What this wiki covers — e.g., "AI/ML research", "personal health", "startup intelligence"]

## Conventions
- File names: lowercase, hyphens, no spaces (e.g., `transformer-architecture.md`)
- Every wiki page starts with YAML frontmatter (see below)
- Use `[[wikilinks]]` to link between pages (minimum 2 outbound links per page)
- When updating a page, always bump the `updated` date
- Every new page must be added to `index.md` under the correct section
- Every action must be appended to `log.md`

## Frontmatter
  ```yaml
  ---
  title: Page Title
  created: YYYY-MM-DD
  updated: YYYY-MM-DD
  type: entity | concept | comparison | query | summary
  tags: [from taxonomy below]
  sources: [raw/articles/source-name.md]
  ---

Tag Taxonomy

[Define 10-20 top-level tags for the domain. Add new tags here BEFORE using them.]

Example for AI/ML:

• Models: model, architecture, benchmark, training
• People/Orgs: person, company, lab, open-source
• Techniques: optimization, fine-tuning, inference, alignment, data
• Meta: comparison, timeline, controversy, prediction

Rule: every tag on a page must appear in this taxonomy. If a new tag is needed, add it here first, then use it. This prevents tag sprawl.

Page Thresholds

• **Create a p