maximus-init

name	maximus-init
description	Use when the user asks to "set up maximus", "configure maximus", "initialize maximus", "create maximus config", "scaffold maximus", "bootstrap maximus", or "maximus init".

Maximus Init

Announce: "I'll validate your current setup, analyze the project, and configure Maximus Loop."

---

Phase 1: Detect & Validate

Step 1: Create detection task

Call TaskCreate with:

• subject: Detect & validate existing setup
• description: Run maximus validate --json and determine current state
• activeForm: Detecting existing setup

Step 2: Start task

Call TaskUpdate with status in_progress for the task from Step 1.

Step 3: Run validation

Run this command. This is your FIRST action — do not read files, explore, or run anything else before this.

maximus validate --json

Parse the JSON output. Check the directory check status:

If the directory check has status: "fail" — no .maximus/ exists. Report to the user:

No Maximus setup found. I'll analyze the project and create a tailored configuration.

Proceed to Phase 2.

If valid: true or directory exists but other checks fail — see Alternate Paths at the bottom.

Step 4: Complete task

Call TaskUpdate with status completed.

---

Phase 2: Analyze

Step 1: Create analysis task

Call TaskCreate with:

• subject: Analyze project structure
• description: Read package.json, git log, and count files to determine 3 config values
• activeForm: Analyzing project structure

Step 2: Start task

Call TaskUpdate with status in_progress.

Step 3: Extract project name

Read package.json (or Cargo.toml, go.mod, pyproject.toml). Extract the name field.

STOP. Do you have the project name? Move to Step 4.

Step 4: Detect commit prefix

Run:

git log --oneline -10

Look for consistent prefixes (e.g., "feat:", "fix:", "maximus:"). If none found, default to "maximus:".

STOP. Do you have the commit prefix? Move to Step 5.

Step 5: Calculate timeout

Run:

find . -type f -not -path './node_modules/*' -not -path './.git/*' -not -path './dist/*' -not -path './build/*' -not -path './.next/*' -not -path './vendor/*' | wc -l

• Less than 100 files → timeout: 600
• 100–500 files → timeout: 900
• More than 500 files → timeout: 1200

STOP. Do you have the timeout value? Move to Step 6.

Step 6: Present summary

Project Analysis:
  Name:           [project-name]
  Timeout:        [N]s (based on ~[X] files)
  Commit prefix:  "[detected-prefix]"

Phase 2 is complete. Do NOT explore frameworks, dependencies, integrations, or architecture.

Step 7: Complete task

Call TaskUpdate with status completed.

---

Phase 3: Configure

Step 1: Create configuration task

Call TaskCreate with:

• subject: Configure Maximus settings
• description: Run maximus init, then edit 3 config values from Phase 2
• activeForm: Configuring Maximus settings

Step 2: Start task

Call TaskUpdate with status in_progress.

Step 3: Run maximus init

Run this command to create .maximus/ with correct defaults. Never use mkdir. Never add flags — maximus init --help will execute init.

maximus init

This generates config.yml, plan.json, progress.md, and updates .gitignore.

Step 4: Read the generated config

Read .maximus/config.yml to see the defaults.

Step 5: Edit project_name

Use the Edit tool to change project_name to the value from Phase 2, Step 3.

Step 6: Edit agent.timeout

Use the Edit tool to change the timeout value under the agent: section to the value from Phase 2, Step 5 (600, 900, or 1200).

Step 7: Edit git.commit_prefix

Use the Edit tool to change commit_prefix under the git: section to the value from Phase 2, Step 4.

These are the ONLY 3 values you modify. Do NOT change any other fields. Do NOT add fields. Do NOT use Write on config.yml.

Step 8: Clean plan.json

Overwrite .maximus/plan.json with:

{
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "tasks": []
}

Step 9: Confirm with user

BLOCKING — You MUST use AskUserQuestion here.

Present the 3 modified values and ask:

• Question: "Does this configuration look correct?"
• Options: "Yes, looks good" / "No, I want to change something"

If changes requested, apply them and re-confirm. Do NOT proceed to Phase 4 until the user approves.

Step 10: Complete task

Call TaskUpdate with status completed after user confirms.

---

Phase 4: Validate & Handoff

Step 1: Create validation task

Call TaskCreate with:

• subject: Validate & handoff
• description: Run final validation and present next steps
• activeForm: Validating final configuration

Step 2: Start task

Call TaskUpdate with status in_progress.

Step 3: Run final validation

maximus validate --json

Step 4: Show results

If valid: true:

Maximus Loop is configured for [project-name]

Configuration saved to:
  .maximus/config.yml — Engine settings
  .maximus/plan.json — Empty task list (ready for planning)
  .maximus/progress.md — Iteration tracker

Next Steps:
  1. Commit setup:
     git add .maximus/ .gitignore
     git commit -m "[prefix] Initialize Maximus Loop"
  2. Create your first task plan:
     Run /maximus-plan to design tasks for your feature

If invalid: Show failures. Attempt to fix (max 2 retries). Re-validate after each fix. If still invalid after 2 attempts, ask the user for help.

Step 5: Complete task

Call TaskUpdate with status completed.

---

Alternate Paths

These paths are only used when Phase 1 detects an existing .maximus/ directory.

State B — Invalid configuration

Directory exists but validation checks failed. Show the failures:

Existing Maximus setup found with errors:
  [list each check where status is "fail" with its message]

Do NOT run maximus init (it refuses to re-initialize). Proceed to Phase 2 to gather values, then in Phase 3 apply targeted fixes to the failed checks instead of running maximus init.

State C — Valid configuration

All checks pass (valid: true). Show the config_summary from the JSON:

Valid Maximus setup found:
  Project:      [config_summary.project_name]
  Model:        [config_summary.default_model] (escalation: [enabled/disabled])
  Timeout:      [config_summary.timeout]s
  Iterations:   [config_summary.max_iterations]
  Auto-commit:  [yes/no] (prefix: "[config_summary.commit_prefix]")
  Auto-push:    [yes/no]

Use AskUserQuestion: "Would you like to change anything?"

• Options: "No, this is good" / "Yes, I want to change settings"

• If no changes → Skip to Phase 4 (skip Phases 2 and 3)

• If changes → Note what to change, proceed to Phase 2