Session Startup Protocol

Every session boots from the global preset: the Mac rules, the kb instructions and the working-set card. A session in the kevin-wiki repo then follows AGENTS.md Start Here.

Startup exists because Kevin should not track system health manually. The agent is responsible for knowing what is stale, what is overdue, which protocols apply, and what should be surfaced without derailing the current request. Source: AGENTS.md Start Here; Operational Heartbeat

Start Here

Find a page with kb <words> and read its top with kb get <name>.
Read Wiki Brain Operating Model before changing how pages are shaped, found, written or kept fresh.
Run npm run status and report the stale pages, waiting notes and overdue items it lists.
wiki/USER.md, wiki/SOUL.md, wiki/HEARTBEAT.md and wiki/meta/agent-operations-hub.md are references. Open them when the task needs them, not at the start of every session.

Source: AGENTS.md Start Here

Do not skip npm run status in this repo. It runs scripts/check-freshness.ts, and its output is part of the session context.

Freshness Report Interpretation

Output class	Meaning	Agent action
`NEEDS ATTENTION`	Local automation or sync is overdue, never run, or stale	Mention concretely and offer/run the relevant automation if it is in scope
`CONNECTOR SETUP`	The source remains registered, but a credential, authenticated session, runtime, or adapter is unavailable	Name the exact dependency. Do not advance freshness, call the connector failed, or remove the source merely because setup is incomplete
`NOTICES`	Often cloud-run automations or informational gaps	Mention only if relevant or if Kevin asked for maintenance
`UP TO DATE`	No action needed	Do not recite unless useful
uncompiled raw sources	Knowledge has been captured but not compiled	Route to the `absorb-sources` skill, or `x-bookmark-absorb` for bookmarks
doctor/index/routing drift	Machine facts are stale	Run the relevant doctor or index step after task work

Reporting Rule

If Kevin's request is maintenance-related, report freshness before acting. If the request is unrelated, do the requested work first and mention only the material maintenance deltas briefly at the end. The report should name exact automations or syncs, not vague "some things are stale." Examples: X bookmarks not absorbed, Slack never synced, self-heal overdue.

After Startup

Route the task through the hub:

answer from compiled knowledge -> kb <words> and kb get <name>, then qmd query for meaning search
create/update a page -> Wiki Brain Operating Model, Filing Decision Tree, and Wiki Page Format
choose a skill/tool -> Skill Resolver
capture a URL/repo/post -> Capture Ingest Protocol
set up another repo -> agent-docs and Required Project Tooling

Then choose the closeout proof before starting work. Wiki edits need index/qmd/log and often Generated Surface Contract plus Generated Surface Refresh. Automation runs need Automation Proof Contract. Agent config edits need the executable surface, wiki reference, routing update, generated packs or skills checks when relevant, and log entry.

Done

Startup is complete when the agent can answer:

What does Kevin want in this session?
Which protocol or skill applies?
What maintenance state should be mentioned?
What would make this task done and verifiable?

Timeline

2026-11-04 | Replaced the five-step read order with the 2026-11-03 boot: the preset loads the Mac rules, kb and the card, and the repo follows AGENTS.md Start Here. Raw-source routing now points at absorb-sources, because source-compile was retired. Source: AGENTS.md Start Here; Wiki Brain Operating Model
2026-11-02 | Became the one owner of this rule; Session Startup now points here. Source: wiki overhaul memo Phase 5, 2026-11-02
2026-11-02 | Narrowed the end-of-task report for unrelated requests to material maintenance deltas, matching the 2026-07-01 heartbeat companion and wiki/HEARTBEAT.md. Source: wiki overhaul memo Phase 5, 2026-11-02
2026-08-12 | Separated runnable stale work from setup-gated connectors in the startup report. Registered sources remain visible with exact dependency blockers, and blocked connectors cannot advance sync freshness. Source: brain/source-connectors.json; scripts/check-freshness.ts
2026-07-01 | Added generated-surface source/projection routing to startup closeout selection. private page
2026-07-01 | Aligned startup with the refreshed heartbeat control loop: live freshness state, proof-first closeout selection, automation proof, and generated-surface refresh. Source: User request, 2026-07-01; Operational Heartbeat
2026-07-01 | Updated startup routing so wiki page work uses the brain-shape model before the filing resolver, matching the current Agent Soul and Operational Heartbeat. private page
2026-06-18 | Expanded startup protocol with required read order, freshness interpretation, reporting rules, and done criteria for future agents. Source: User request, 2026-06-18; Operational Heartbeat
2026-05-31 | Meta page compiled from AGENTS.md session startup and HEARTBEAT. Source: AGENTS.md

Source: AGENTS.md Start Here

Source: wiki overhaul memo Phase 5, 2026-11-02

Source: brain/source-connectors.json; scripts/check-freshness.ts