init

name	init
description	When the user needs claude-arsenal/ set up in a host repo, or wants to register a workspace via --workspace. Re-running is safe (refreshes stale bundle files only). Do NOT use to add tasks (see queue-add) or resume the worker loop (see continue).
user-invocable	true
argument-hint	[--repo-path PATH] [--workspace NAME] [--root PATH] [--spec PATH] [--plan PATH]

init

Bootstraps the claude-arsenal/ framework in the host repository. After init, every session automatically seeds the queue from workspace plans (if present) and starts workers — no commands needed. Run once per repo to initialize; re-run to add workspaces or refresh the bundle scripts.

CANARY: init-loaded-2026-06-13-fb78d23e-a1b2c3d4e5f6a7b8

When to load

Load this skill when:

• A repo needs the task queue set up for the first time.
• The user asks to "init the arsenal", "set up the task queue", "install the orchestrator", or "/init".
• Adding a new workspace to an existing claude-arsenal/ setup.

How to use

First-time init:

python3 .claude/skills/init/scripts/init.py --repo-path .

Auto-refresh (session start — silent):

python3 .claude/skills/init/scripts/init.py --repo-path . --silent

Refreshes stale bundle scripts without the "up to date" noise. Prints an upgrade banner when the installed bundle version is behind the plugin source, and reports any files it refreshed. The session-start protocol runs this automatically.

Register a workspace:

python3 .claude/skills/init/scripts/init.py --workspace FRONTEND
python3 .claude/skills/init/scripts/init.py --workspace BACKEND --root ./backend/

The script:

1. Creates claude-arsenal/ structure: bin/, project/, queue/, session/, agents/.
2. Copies bundle scripts from the plugin into claude-arsenal/bin/ (checksum-based; refreshes stale files only).
3. Creates empty claude-arsenal/queue/tasks.jsonl and claude-arsenal/session/handover.md.
4. Writes a permissive surface_profile.json (gitignored) so all tasks are eligible on any surface.
5. Adds .gitignore entries for surface_profile.json and the statusLine-written rate_limits.json.
6. Registers statusline_capture.sh as the host statusLine command (skipped if one already exists) so budget_check.sh can read quota.
7. Injects the session-start protocol block + @claude-arsenal/AGENTS.md import into CLAUDE.md.

With --workspace NAME, additionally:

• Creates claude-arsenal/project/<NAME>/ with spec.md, plan.md, context.md, handover.md stubs.
• Upserts claude-arsenal/project/overview.md workspace index.

Gotchas

• Bundle scripts are authoritative. Re-running init refreshes any claude-arsenal/bin/ file whose checksum differs from the plugin bundle. Project data (project/, queue/, session/handover.md) is never touched on re-run.
• CC Web without hooks: detect_surface.sh won't auto-run on web, but init writes a permissive surface_profile.json so all tasks remain eligible.
• CLAUDE.md block must be at root. The injected block appears in the host root CLAUDE.md, not a nested file.
• Auto-refresh on session start. The session-start protocol (AGENTS.md step 0) runs init.py --silent automatically. When the plugin is updated to a new version, the next session start detects the version mismatch, refreshes the stale scripts, and reports what changed. No manual /init is required for bundle-script updates — only for new workspace registration or major changes to CLAUDE.md.