---
name: init
description: "Setup task: scaffold .loop/ directory and generate config for the agent loop harness. Not a creative task — do not brainstorm or generate ideas. Reads existing specs if present."
---

# /init — Initialize Agent Loop for a Project

Set up the agent loop harness in the current project. This is infrastructure setup, not creative work.

**IMPORTANT:** Do NOT invoke brainstorming, planning, or idea-generation skills. This skill handles its own flow.

## Instructions

Follow these steps exactly. Do not skip or reorder them.

### Step 1: Scaffold .loop/ Directory

Check if `.loop/` already exists in the project root.

**If `.loop/` already exists** and contains `prd.json`, ask the user if they want to re-initialize. If yes, delete `.loop/` and continue. If no, skip to Step 3.

**Create `.loop/` and copy ALL required harness files.** Run these commands exactly:

```bash
mkdir -p .loop
```

Then check if the plugin root has the harness files. Try these paths in order:
1. `${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/prompts/` (if CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT env var is set)
2. `~/.claude/plugins/cache/agent-loop/agent-loop/*/prompts/` (glob for any version)

Copy ALL of these directories and files — every one is required:

```bash
# Find the harness source (plugin cache)
HARNESS_SRC=$(ls -d ~/.claude/plugins/cache/agent-loop/agent-loop/*/prompts/.. 2>/dev/null | head -1)

if [ -n "$HARNESS_SRC" ]; then
    cp -r "$HARNESS_SRC/prompts" .loop/
    cp -r "$HARNESS_SRC/templates" .loop/
    cp -r "$HARNESS_SRC/lib" .loop/
    cp "$HARNESS_SRC/loop.sh" .loop/
    chmod +x .loop/loop.sh
fi
```

**Verify the copy worked.** Check that these paths exist:
- `.loop/prompts/generator/_base.md`
- `.loop/prompts/evaluator/_base.md`
- `.loop/templates/progress.md.template`
- `.loop/lib/state.sh`
- `.loop/loop.sh`

If any are missing, tell the user the scaffold failed and show which files are missing.

Create `.loop/.gitignore`:

```
prd.json
progress.md
progress-archive.md
config.json
init.sh
contracts/
triage/
archive/
.archive-staging/
.last-branch
.loop.lock
```

### Step 2: Check for Existing Specs

Search for existing design documents or specs:
- `docs/superpowers/specs/*.md`
- `docs/specs/*.md`
- `SPEC.md`, `PRD.md`, `DESIGN.md` at root

**If a spec is found:**
> "I found an existing spec at `{path}`. I'll use this as the basis for generating stories."

Read it. The user does NOT need to re-describe what they want. Set mode to `implement` and skip to Step 4.

**If no spec is found**, proceed to Step 3.

### Step 3: Mode Selection

Ask the user:

> **What would you like to do?**
>
> a) **Explore** — Read-only codebase analysis. No code changes.
> b) **Implement** — Build a feature. Code changes, commits, and tests.
> c) **Fix** — Targeted bug fixes or tech debt.

For **implement** without a spec: "Describe the feature in 1-3 sentences."
For **explore**: "What areas should I focus on?"
For **fix**: "Do you have a list of issues, or should I find them?"

Also read the project to detect the tech stack:
- Check for `package.json`, `Cargo.toml`, `pyproject.toml`, `go.mod`, etc.
- Run `ls` on the project root

### Step 4: Generate Configuration

Create `.loop/config.json` with this EXACT structure:

```json
{
  "tool": "claude",
  "mode": "<implement|explore|fix>",
  "maxIterations": 20,
  "skipEval": false,
  "evalRetries": 2,
  "autoHooks": true,
  "branchPrefix": "loop/",
  "scopeBudgets": {
    "explore": {
      "maxFilesToRead": 15,
      "maxLinesToWrite": 0,
      "maxFilesToModify": 0
    },
    "implement": {
      "maxFilesToRead": 50,
      "maxLinesToWrite": 500,
      "maxFilesToModify": 10
    },
    "fix": {
      "maxFilesToRead": 30,
      "maxLinesToWrite": 200,
      "maxFilesToModify": 5
    }
  }
}
```

Adjust `maxIterations` based on estimated story count (stories + 30% for rejections).

Create `.loop/init.sh` with project-specific setup commands. Make it executable.

### Step 5: Flow into Planning

Say:
> "Project configured. Generating stories..."

Then invoke `/agent-loop:plan`. If a spec was found in Step 2, tell the plan skill to use it.