KERNEL init

Explicit, once-per-machine setup. This skill never moves or replaces the whole ~/.claude directory.

Requirements

Git, SQLite 3, jq, Python 3, and Bash. Install the plugin first with the exact ID:

/plugin marketplace add ariaxhan/kernel-claude
/plugin install kernel@kernel-marketplace
/reload-plugins

Detection and confirmation

Locate the runtime selector at $HOME/.claude/plugins/cache/kernel-marketplace/kernel/current, source its hooks/scripts/common.sh, and call kernel_validate_runtime_root on the selected root. Stop if validation fails.

Call detect_vaults. Its order is: an existing valid KERNEL_VAULTS, $HOME/Documents/Vaults, $HOME/Vaults, $HOME/Downloads/Vaults, then the reported $HOME/Documents/Vaults fallback.

Before writing, show the exact Vaults path and ask:

Set up KERNEL in this Vaults directory?

Continue only after confirmation. A different path must be exported as KERNEL_VAULTS and detected again.

Writes

After confirmation, create only these directories when absent:

$VAULTS/_meta/agentdb
$VAULTS/_meta/research
$VAULTS/_meta/plans
$VAULTS/_meta/handoffs
$VAULTS/_meta/checkpoints
$VAULTS/_meta/retrospectives
$VAULTS/_meta/agents
$VAULTS/_meta/logs
$VAULTS/.claude/kernel
$VAULTS/.local/bin

Call kernel_update_current, then use kernel_init_host_link for exactly:

$VAULTS/.local/bin/agentdb          -> $CACHE/current/orchestration/agentdb/agentdb
$VAULTS/.claude/kernel/orchestration -> $CACHE/current/orchestration
$VAULTS/.claude/kernel/hooks         -> $CACHE/current/hooks

Missing links may be created. Correct links are unchanged. Recognizable numbered KERNEL links may be repaired. A regular file, directory, malformed link, or unrelated link is preserved and stops setup with an actionable message. Never force-replace links.

Initialize the database through the shared helper, which pins AgentDB to the selected Vaults even when init was invoked from another directory:

kernel_init_agentdb "$VAULTS" "$CACHE"

Do not edit a shell startup file automatically. If $VAULTS/.local/bin is not on PATH, print this line for the user to add to their chosen shell configuration:

export PATH="${KERNEL_VAULTS:-$HOME/Documents/Vaults}/.local/bin:$PATH"

Verify

"$VAULTS/.local/bin/agentdb" status
readlink "$HOME/.claude/plugins/cache/kernel-marketplace/kernel/current"
readlink "$VAULTS/.local/bin/agentdb"

Report every directory and link created. Existing AgentDB data, manifests, receipts, project configuration, and unrelated files are not rewritten.

Legacy ~/.claude consolidation

This is not part of init. Moving an existing ~/.claude can affect plugins, credentials, settings, and other tools. If a user explicitly requests consolidation, make a dated backup, show a complete move plan and rollback command, and ask for a separate confirmation before any move. There is no one-line migration.

Recovery

• Missing plugin: install kernel@kernel-marketplace, then reload.
• Wrong Vaults: export KERNEL_VAULTS to the existing root and rerun init.
• Unsafe host path: inspect the named object; KERNEL will not overwrite it.
• Intentional runtime rollback: run scripts/select-runtime.sh /path/to/runtime from a trusted KERNEL checkout. It selects code only; it does not convert state formats.