/llm-wiki

name: llm-wiki
description: "Karpathy's LLM Wiki: build/query interlinked markdown KB."
version: 2.1.0
author: Hermes Agent
license: MIT
platforms: [linux, macos, windows]
metadata:
  hermes:
    tags: [wiki, knowledge-base, research, notes, markdown, rag-alternative]
    category: research
    related_skills: [obsidian, arxiv]

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

**Location:** Set via `WIKI_PATH` environment variable (e.g. in `${HERMES_HOME:-~/.hermes}/.env`).

If unset, defaults to `~/wiki`.

WIKI="${WIKI_PATH:-$HOME/wiki}"

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 `$WIKI_PATH` 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`
- **Provenance markers:** On pages that synthesize 3+ sources, append `^[raw/articles/source-file.md]`
  at the end of paragraphs whose claims come from a specific source. This lets a reader trace each
  claim back without re-reading the whole raw file. Optional on single-source pages where the
  `sources:` frontmatter is enough.

## 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]
  # Optional quality signals:
  confidence: high | medium | low        # how well-supported the claims are
  contested: true                        # set when the page has unresolved contradictions
  contradictions: [other-page-slug]      # pages this one conflicts with
  ---

`confidence` and `contested` are optional but recommended for opinion-heavy or fast-moving topics. Lint surfaces `contested: true` and `confidence: low` pages for review so weak claims don't silently harden into accepted wiki fact.

raw/ Frontmatter

Raw sources ALSO get a small frontmatter block so re-ingests can d