| name | session-start-routine |
| description | Pre-flight checks at session start — load context, check prior state, validate env, check for in-flight work from other terminals |
| version | 1.0.0 |
| category | coordination |
| tags | ["session","startup","preflight","governance"] |
| related_skills | ["session-corpus-audit","comprehensive-learning"] |
Session Start Routine
Pre-flight checklist for every new session. Run these checks before beginning work.
Checklist
1. Load context
- Load memory context files from the repo memory directory
- Check
MEMORY.md for active project state and recent feedback
2. Check prior session state
- Read today's session signals:
.Codex/state/session-signals/YYYY-MM-DD.jsonl
- Look for sessions that ended mid-task (incomplete commits, unreleased
wip: labels)
- Check
git status for uncommitted work from prior sessions
3. Check for in-flight work
- Scan for wip labels on GitHub issues (gh issue list filtered by wip label)
- Check other terminals:
ps aux | grep Codex | grep -v grep
- Check
/tmp/.Codex-wip-* markers if present
4. Validate environment
- Verify tools:
uv --version, gh auth status, git status
- Check disk space:
df -h /mnt/local-analysis
- Verify governance hooks are registered in settings
5. Check governance limits
- Review tool-call counter:
.Codex/state/session-governor/tool-call-count
- Confirm counter is below 200 ceiling (or reset if new day)
When to use
- Start of every interactive session
- After a context reset or conversation compression
- When resuming work after a break
- When the user asks for a terse live "status update" from mobile/Telegram
Mobile status-update mode
When the user asks only "Status update" (especially from Telegram), produce a compact evidence-backed snapshot rather than a broad narrative.
- Gather live state before summarizing:
git status --short --branch in the active repo.- Active/background agent processes or Hermes process-manager state.
hermes cron/cronjob list for active, paused, failed, and next scheduled jobs.- GitHub counts for
wip, status:plan-review, status:plan-approved, and recent closed issues.
- Most recent relevant cron output files when scheduled jobs produced user-facing findings.
- Separate counts clearly:
- live label counts are not the same as artifact-audited approval readiness;
- closed/recent results are not the same as currently running lanes;
- paused autofeed monitors are not active throughput.
- For Telegram/mobile delivery:
- avoid pipe tables; use numbered bullets and labeled key/value lines;
- link GitHub issues as
[#{number}](url);
- keep to the shortest useful update, with risks and next best action last.
- Never clean/reset/stage dirty control-plane files during a status-only request; report dirty state and recommend a narrow reconciliation pass if needed.
