Workspace Init

Create an artifact-first workspace using the standard template under assets/workspace-template/.

This skill is intentionally simple and deterministic.

Input

• Target workspace directory (usually the current working directory for the run).

Outputs

• STATUS.md, CHECKPOINTS.md, UNITS.csv, DECISIONS.md
• GOAL.md
• queries.md
• papers/, outline/, citations/, output/ (with placeholder files)

Workflow

1. Create the target workspace directory if it does not exist.
2. Copy the contents of assets/workspace-template/ into the workspace.
3. Do not overwrite existing files unless explicitly requested; prefer merge/append when safe.
4. Ensure the four core files exist: STATUS.md, UNITS.csv, CHECKPOINTS.md, DECISIONS.md.

Quality checklist

• Workspace contains the template files and folders.
• UNITS.csv is valid CSV with the required header.

Side effects

• Allowed: create missing workspace files/directories.
• Not allowed: modify the template under .codex/skills/workspace-init/assets/.

Script

Quick Start

• python .codex/skills/workspace-init/scripts/run.py --help
• python .codex/skills/workspace-init/scripts/run.py --workspace <workspace_dir>

All Options

• --overwrite: allow overwriting existing files in the target workspace

Examples

• Create a new workspace:
  • python .codex/skills/workspace-init/scripts/run.py --workspace workspaces/my-run
• Re-init and overwrite template files (be careful):
  • python .codex/skills/workspace-init/scripts/run.py --workspace workspaces/my-run --overwrite

Troubleshooting

Issue: workspace already exists and files were not overwritten

Fix:

• This is the default behavior. Re-run with --overwrite only if you want to replace template files.

Issue: you accidentally tried to use the repo root as a workspace

Fix:

• Always use workspaces/<name>/ (the runner refuses to use the repo root).