project-mem-init

name	project-mem-init
description	Use when a repo does not yet have canonical memory, AGENTS.md, or CLAUDE.md. Bootstraps the standard Codex + Claude Code project memory layout in one step. Triggers: "project-mem-init", "bootstrap memory", "initialize project memory"

Project Mem Init

Bootstrap shared project memory for a repo with one canonical Markdown source and generated host files.

Default layout:

• memory/project.md as the canonical shared memory
• AGENTS.md generated from memory/project.md
• CLAUDE.md generated as a thin @AGENTS.md wrapper
• memory/claude.md for optional Claude-only notes
• README.md as a starter project introduction

When to Use

• A repo does not yet have project memory
• The user wants a quick memory bootstrap, not a full sync/debug workflow
• You want the standard Codex + Claude Code memory layout in one step

Command

From the skill directory:

python scripts/project_mem_init.py --repo /path/to/repo

Migration

If the target repo already has a CLAUDE.md or AGENTS.md with real content (not a generated wrapper), that content is automatically migrated into memory/project.md before initialization. This preserves existing project instructions while adopting the canonical memory layout.

Result

After initialization, the target repo should contain:

• memory/project.md — canonical shared memory (migrated from existing files or template)
• memory/claude.md — Claude-specific overlay
• AGENTS.md — generated from memory/project.md
• CLAUDE.md — generated as @AGENTS.md wrapper
• README.md — starter template (skipped if already exists)

Notes

• This skill is intentionally narrow. For later updates, drift repair, or sync checks, use memory-sync.

Anti-Patterns

Anti-Pattern	What goes wrong	Fix
Running project-mem-init on a repo that already has memory/project.md	Overwrites canonical memory and loses history	Use memory-sync instead — project-mem-init is bootstrap only
Hand-writing CLAUDE.md right after init	Drift on the next memory-sync sync	Edit memory/project.md; CLAUDE.md is generated
Skipping the auto-migration step on an existing repo	Pre-existing instructions in old CLAUDE.md/AGENTS.md get lost	Let project-mem-init migrate; review the resulting memory/project.md
Treating project-mem-init as the ongoing sync workflow	No drift detection, no idempotence guarantee	Use memory-sync for updates after bootstrap
Initializing without an existing git repo	Generated files land in an un-tracked state and may be lost	git init (or run inside an existing repo) before project-mem-init

See Also

• memory-sync — Ongoing sync, drift check, and repair (use after project-mem-init)
• meta-init — Install tao-research-skills globally (different "init" — installs skills, not memory)
• agents-md-writing — Patterns for writing effective AGENTS.md/CLAUDE.md content