/aide:init — Interactive Project Bootstrap

Agent: You are the orchestrator for this command. Do NOT delegate to a subagent.

CRITICAL — read this before doing anything: This is a step-by-step wizard. You show ONE thing at a time, ask ONE question using the AskUserQuestion tool with structured options, then STOP and wait.

Rules:

• Never show a summary table of all categories
• Never offer "all" as an option
• Never present more than one category at a time
• Every pause point MUST use the AskUserQuestion tool with defined options — never ask the user to respond conversationally
• After every AskUserQuestion, STOP. Do not continue until the user responds.
• Your first message should be SHORT — just the framework detection + AskUserQuestion

Bootstrap AIDE into this project by calling aide_init and walking the user through each step interactively. The tool returns structured JSON — you interpret it and drive the conversation.

Two-call pattern

The tool uses a two-call pattern for progressive disclosure. The first call (no category) returns a lightweight metadata-only summary (no file content). After the user confirms a category, call again with category=X to get the actual content to write.

Wizard flow

Work through these steps in order. Each step is ONE interaction — you do the action, present a brief description, then call AskUserQuestion with structured options and STOP.

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Step 1: Detect framework

Call aide_init with no arguments (or with a framework override if the user specified one). Store the full response — you'll use it across all subsequent steps.

Present a brief line about the detected framework, then call AskUserQuestion:

question: "I detected {framework}. Is that correct?"
header: "Framework"
options:
  - label: "Yes, {framework}" / description: "Continue with the detected framework"
  - label: "Cursor" / description: "Target Cursor instead"
  - label: "Windsurf" / description: "Target Windsurf instead"
  - label: "Copilot" / description: "Target Copilot instead"

(Omit the detected framework from the alternative options. Always include "Yes" as the first option.)

STOP. Wait for user response.

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Step 2–N: Walk through categories one at a time

The categories are processed in this order: methodology, commands, agents, skills.

For each category that has at least one would-create step, present ONLY that category with a brief description of what it contains and the file count, then call AskUserQuestion:

question: "{Category} — {count} files in {path}. Set it up?"
header: "{Category}"
options:
  - label: "Yes, create them" / description: "Create the {count} files for {category}"
  - label: "Skip" / description: "Skip {category} for now"

STOP. Wait for user response.

If the user selects "Yes":

1. Call aide_init with category set to that category name
2. Apply the would-create steps using the Write tool for each file individually
3. Create parent directories as needed (mkdir -p)
4. Skip exists and would-skip steps
5. Briefly confirm what was created (e.g., "Done — created 8 files in .aide/docs/")

Then move to the NEXT category. Present it the same way and call AskUserQuestion.

If the user selects "Skip": Move to the next category immediately.

If a category is all exists: Skip it silently — don't ask about it.

Important: Always use the Write tool to create files one at a time. Do NOT batch-write files via Bash scripts, Node scripts, or shell loops. If the tool response was large and got persisted to a JSON file on disk, use the Read tool to load it, then Write each file individually.

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Brain vault step

The brain is required — there is no skip option.

Present any brainHints from the initial response as named options in AskUserQuestion:

question: "AIDE needs a brain vault for research and retros. Where is yours?"
header: "Brain"
options (built dynamically from brainHints):
  - label: "Use {hint.path}" / description: "{hint.reason} ({hint.type} hint)"
  - label: "Use {hint2.path}" / description: "{hint2.reason} ({hint2.type} hint)"
  (... up to 3 hints. User can always select "Other" to type a custom path.)

If there are no hints, use:

options:
  - label: "Create new vault" / description: "I'll ask you for a path to create a new vault"
  - label: "Connect existing" / description: "I have an existing Obsidian vault to connect"

STOP. Wait for user response.

Once the path is resolved:

• If status: "would-create", create the vault directories: research/, process/retro/, coding-playbook/
• If status: "exists", tell the user it's already set up

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MCP config step

Read the project's MCP config file (.mcp.json or equivalent) first. Each mcp step has a prescription with key and entry.

Present what servers already exist and what would be added, then call AskUserQuestion:

question: "Your .mcp.json has {existing servers}. I need to add {new servers}. Merge them in?"
header: "MCP"
options:
  - label: "Yes, merge" / description: "Add the AIDE server entries alongside your existing config"
  - label: "Skip" / description: "Don't modify MCP config"

STOP. Wait for user response.

On confirmation, merge each prescription's entry under its key in the mcpServers object and write the updated config. If the file doesn't exist, create it with { "mcpServers": { ... } }. Never overwrite the entire config — always read, merge, write.

If a step has configMalformed: true:

question: "Your .mcp.json has a JSON syntax error. How should I handle it?"
header: "MCP"
options:
  - label: "Show contents" / description: "Show me the raw file so I can fix it manually"
  - label: "Create fresh" / description: "Create a new .mcp.json with just the AIDE entries"

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IDE config step

These are optional. Use AskUserQuestion with multiSelect: true:

question: "Want any IDE integrations? These are optional."
header: "IDE"
multiSelect: true
options:
  - label: "Zed" / description: "Add .aide file type association to Zed settings"
  - label: "VS Code" / description: "Install aide-markdown extension for VS Code"
  - label: "Neither" / description: "Skip IDE configuration"

STOP. Wait for user response.

Only apply what they select.

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Final step: Summary

After all categories are done, give a brief summary:

• Files created (count by category)
• MCP entries merged
• Brain vault location
• IDE configuration applied (if any)

Suggest next steps: "Run aide_discover to see existing specs, or /aide to start a new pipeline."