harness-init

name	harness-init
description	Use when initializing agent-harness in a new project or reconfiguring for a specific tech stack.
when_to_use	[feedforward] Triggered at project setup to bootstrap harness configuration from templates.
user-invocable	true
disable-model-invocation	true

Harness Init

Overview

Bootstraps harness configuration from preset templates. Copies sensor configs and recommended skills list to .agent-harness/.

Available Templates

Template	Stack
react-typescript	React 18+ / TypeScript 5+ / Vite / Vitest / ESLint
python-fastapi	Python 3.11+ / FastAPI / pytest / ruff / mypy
go-cli	Go 1.21+ / golangci-lint / go test

Flow

1. List available templates
2. Ask user to select one (or detect from project files: package.json -> react-typescript, requirements.txt/pyproject.toml -> python-fastapi, go.mod -> go-cli)
3. Copy templates/{selected}/sensors.json -> .agent-harness/sensors.json
4. Copy templates/{selected}/hooks-config.json -> project hooks config (if not already configured)
5. Show recommended skills from templates/{selected}/skills-recommended.md
6. Prompt user to review and customize

Domain Glossary Setup

After configuring sensors and hooks, set up the domain glossary. This step is idempotent — safe to re-run on existing projects (only creates what's missing, never overwrites).

1. Check & create CONTEXT.md:
   • If CONTEXT.md already exists at project root: skip (don't overwrite user's glossary)
   • If missing: ask user "Create a domain glossary (CONTEXT.md)? (y/n)"
     • If y: create CONTEXT.md at project root with scaffold:

       # <Project> Domain Glossary
       
       <!-- Domain terms go here.
            Use /domain-modeling to maintain this file.
            Glossary only — no implementation details. -->
       

2. Check & create ADR directory:
   • If docs/agent-harness/adr/ already exists: skip
   • If missing and docs/agent-harness/ exists: create docs/agent-harness/adr/.gitkeep
3. Ask about gitignore (only if CONTEXT.md was just created):
   • "Add CONTEXT.md to .gitignore? (y/n)"
   • If y: append CONTEXT.md to .gitignore (some projects don't commit domain vocabulary — proprietary terminology)
   • If n: CONTEXT.md will be tracked by git (default for shared glossaries)

For existing projects that never ran harness-init with this step: simply re-run /harness-init. The idempotent check ensures only missing files are created — existing configs, sensors, and hooks are not touched. Alternatively, run /domain-modeling directly — it will create CONTEXT.md lazily on first term crystallization.

The domain-modeling skill maintains CONTEXT.md during design work. See skills/domain-modeling/SKILL.md for the glossary format and ADR creation criteria.

Auto-detection

Check for package.json, requirements.txt/pyproject.toml, go.mod in project root to suggest the right template. Auto-detection is a hint, not a rule -- the user may override the suggestion.

Post-setup

Remind user to customize sensors.json paths and thresholds for their specific project.

Common Mistakes

Mistake	Guidance
Copying without reviewing	Always review sensor commands match your project
Using wrong template	Auto-detection is a hint, not a rule. Pick what fits.
Skipping hooks-config	Hooks enable session-start learnings injection