/mstack:mstack-init

Stage: setup · Voice: scaffolder

Once per paper, in the directory where the paper folder should live; every other skill assumes this layout. $ARGUMENTS is a short slug (tariffs-aid; lowercase, hyphens, no spaces) optionally followed by --quarto for a Quarto main file instead of LaTeX. Ask for the slug if missing.

Procedure

1. Refuse to nest. If the current directory or an ancestor already contains .mstack/, stop and tell the user to cd out; a paper inside a paper breaks every path convention.
2. Run bash "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/bin/mstack-init" <short-name> [--quarto].
3. Fallback if the script is missing or there is no bash: copy ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/templates/paper-folder to ./<short-name> (hidden files included); stamp short_name: "<short-name>" into .mstack/config.yaml; for --quarto, replace paper/main.tex with a main.qmd that {{< include >}}s the section files as .qmd and set format: "quarto" in config.
4. Verify .mstack/config.yaml, paper/, data/raw/, code/, output/ exist.
5. Hand off: fill in .mstack/config.yaml (title, authors, target journals, voice.writing_style if a style skill is installed), then /mstack:research-question or /mstack:idea-shotgun.

Outputs

• ./<short-name>/ — the full scaffold; summary: path, format (latex / quarto), next steps.

Anti-patterns

• Scaffolding over an existing folder. If ./<short-name> exists, stop; never merge into it.
• Skipping config. It works empty, but remind the user once: several skills read target_journals and voice.*.

Next

/mstack:research-question or /mstack:idea-shotgun; any time later, /mstack:paper-status.