Protocol Files¶
The protocol is a small set of Markdown files rooted at memory/ and the repository root. They are written for an
AI agent to execute, so they're terse and operational — this page is a map. Each links to
the source on GitHub.
Always read¶
| File | Role |
|---|---|
AGENTS.md |
Exact one-line universal discovery shim to memory/PROTOCOL.md — or, on a repo that is also a consumable product, the sanctioned contributor/consumer fork (v4.38.0): contributors to the protocol, consumers to the repo's declared AI entry point. |
memory/PROTOCOL.md |
Canonical activation and lifecycle protocol. The tool copy includes dual-mode operator routing; enabled targets receive the target-only source from templates/memory/PROTOCOL.md. |
README.md |
Human-facing quickstart + design philosophy. |
Read on demand¶
| File | Role |
|---|---|
DECAY.md |
The authoritative decay rules — tiers, windows, what never decays, supersession. |
REVIEW.md |
The review ritual, step by step, with the safe-write Safety section. |
MERGE.md |
The tiered, human-gated memory/ conflict-resolution protocol. |
SKILLS.md |
The skills layer — authoring, syncing, deleting, the adapter recipe. |
The protocol's instruction-versus-evidence boundary is governed by the agent instruction and memory security contract.
Operator-only¶
| File | Role |
|---|---|
ENABLE.md |
The 10-step enablement flow (Modes A / B / C). Lives in the tool, never installed into a target. |
MIGRATE.md |
Vendor-file detection + promotion for Mode C. |
UPGRADE.md |
The version ladder — the per-version record + the detailed text behind each semantic step. |
MANIFEST.md |
The declarative target state (v4.35.0): every installed artifact + policy, the semantic-steps table, and the coverage contract behind scripts/reconcile.py/.mjs. |
Per-repo state (generated)¶
| Path | Role |
|---|---|
memory/continuity.md |
The live projection — facts, decisions, open threads. |
memory/vision.md |
The north star (core, invariant-verified). |
memory/sessions/ |
Immutable dated session logs — the event ledger. |
memory/archive/ |
Faded facts + a greppable INDEX.md. |
memory/decay-policy.md |
This repo's tunable decay parameters. |
.agent/version.md |
Install manifest — gates in-place upgrades. |
.agent/schema.md |
The file-format reference for the memory layer. |
Going deeper
For the why behind these, read the Whitepaper and the design notes under Background in the nav.