my-vault/.claude/commands/init-bootstrap.md

---
name: init-bootstrap
description:
  Interactive setup wizard that helps new users create a personalized CLAUDE.md
  file based on their Obsidian workflow preferences
allowed-tools: [Read, Write, MultiEdit, Bash, Task]
argument-hint: "(optional) path to existing vault or 'new' for fresh setup"
---

# Initialize Bootstrap Configuration

This command helps you create a personalized CLAUDE.md configuration file by
asking questions about your Obsidian workflow and preferences.

## Task

Read the CLAUDE-BOOTSTRAP.md template and interactively gather information about
the user's:

- Existing vault structure (if any)
- Workflow preferences
- Note-taking style
- Organization methods
- Specific requirements

Then generate a customized CLAUDE.md file tailored to their needs.

## Process

1. **Initial Environment Setup**
   - Get current date with `date` command for timestamps
   - Check current folder name and ask if they want to rename it
   - If yes, guide them through renaming (handle parent directory move)
   - Check for package.json and install dependencies:
     - Try `pnpm install` first (faster, better)
     - Fall back to `npm install` if pnpm not available
   - Verify core dependencies are installed
   - Check git status:
     - If no .git folder: Initialize git repository
     - If has remote origin: Ask about development work
       - Personal vault: Remove origin and .github folder
       - Contributing: Keep origin and workflows intact
     - If clean local repo: Ready to go
   - Don't create folders yet - wait until after asking about organization
     method

2. **Check Existing Configuration**
   - Look for existing CLAUDE.md
   - If exists, ask if they want to update or start fresh
   - Check for CLAUDE-BOOTSTRAP.md template

3. **Gather Vault Information**
   - Search common locations for existing Obsidian vaults (.obsidian folder)
   - Check: ~/Documents, ~/Desktop, home directory, current directory parent
   - If found, ask: "Found Obsidian vault at [path]. Is this the vault you want
     to import?"
   - Count files correctly: `find [path] -type f -name "*.md" | wc -l` (no depth
     limit)
   - Show vault size: `du -sh [path]`
   - If confirmed, analyze vault structure:
     - Run `tree -L 3 -d [path]` to see folder hierarchy
     - Sample 10-15 random notes to understand content types
     - List 30-50 recent file names to detect naming patterns
     - Check for daily notes folder and format
     - Identify most active folders by file count
     - Detect if using PARA, Zettelkasten, Johnny Decimal, or custom
   - If not the right one or none found, ask for path to existing vault
   - If no existing vault, they're starting fresh

4. **Ask Configuration Questions**
   - "What's your name?" (for personalization)
   - "Would you like me to research your public work to better understand your
     context?"
     - If yes: Search for information
     - ALWAYS show findings and ask "Is this correct?" for confirmation
     - If multiple people found, list them numbered for selection
     - If wrong person, offer to search again or skip
     - Save relevant context about their work, writing style, areas of expertise
   - "Do you follow the PARA method or have a different organization system?"
   - "What are your main use cases? (research, writing, project management,
     knowledge base, daily notes)"

   **If using PARA, ask specific setup questions:**
   [PARA Method by Tiago Forte](https://fortelabs.com/blog/para/)
   - "What active projects are you working on?" (Create folders in 01_Projects)
   - "What areas of responsibility do you maintain?" (e.g., Work, Health,
     Finance, Family)
   - "What topics do you research frequently?" (Set up in 03_Resources)
   - "Any projects you recently completed?" (Can archive with summaries)

   **General preferences:**
   - Check .obsidian/community-plugins.json to see what plugins they use
   - Analyze existing files to detect naming convention automatically
   - Check for attachments folder to see if they work with media files
   - "Do you use git for version control?"
   - "Any specific websites or resources you reference often?"
   - "Do you have any specific writing style preferences?"
   - "Are there any workflows or patterns you want Claude to follow?"
   - "Would you like a weekly review ritual? (e.g., Thursday project review)"
   - "Do you prefer 'thinking mode' (questions/exploration) vs 'writing mode'?"

5. **Optional Tool Setup**

   **Gemini Vision (already included)**
   - Ask: "Gemini Vision is already included for analyzing images, PDFs, and
     videos. Would you like to activate it? (yes/no/later)"
   - Explain: "You just need a free API key from Google. This lets Claude
     analyze any visual content in your vault."
   - If later: "No problem! You can set it up anytime by running
     `/setup-gemini`"
   - If yes:
     - Guide to get API key from https://aistudio.google.com/apikey (free, takes
       30 seconds)
     - Help add to shell profile (.zshrc, .bashrc, etc.)
     - Run
       `claude mcp add --scope project gemini-vision node .claude/mcp-servers/gemini-vision.mjs`
     - Configure .mcp.json with API key
     - Test the connection with a sample command

   **Firecrawl (already included)**
   - Ask: "Firecrawl is included for web research. Would you like to set it up?
     (yes/no/later)"
   - Explain: "This is a game-changer for research! When you find an article or
     website, you can save it directly to your vault as markdown - preserving
     the content forever, making it searchable, and letting Claude analyze it.
     Perfect for building a research library."
   - Example: "Just tell Claude: 'Save this article to my vault: [URL]' and it's
     done!"
   - If later: "You can set it up anytime by running `/setup-firecrawl`"
   - If yes:
     - Guide to get API key from https://firecrawl.dev (free tier available)
     - Help configure the scripts in .scripts/
     - Show example usage: `.scripts/firecrawl-scrape.sh https://example.com`

6. **Generate Custom Configuration**
   - Get current date: `date +"%B %d, %Y"` for the CLAUDE.md header
   - Save preferences to `.claude/vault-config.json`:
     ```json
     {
       "user": {
         "name": "Jane Smith",
         "background": {
           "companies": ["Variance", "Percolate"],
           "roles": ["Co-founder", "Writer"],
           "publications": ["Why Is This Interesting?", "every.to"],
           "expertise": [
             "Developer tools",
             "Marketing tech",
             "Systems thinking"
           ],
           "interests": ["AI for thinking", "Note-taking systems", "Creativity"]
         },
         "profileSources": [
           "https://whyisthisinteresting.com/about",
           "https://every.to/@username"
         ],
         "customContext": "Focuses on AI as thinking augmentation, not just writing",
         "publicProfile": true
       },
       "vaultPath": "/path/to/existing/vault",
       "fileNamingPattern": "detected-pattern",
       "organizationMethod": "PARA",
       "primaryUses": ["research", "writing", "projects"],
       "tools": {
         "geminiVision": true,
         "firecrawl": false
       },
       "projects": ["Book - Productivity", "SaaS App"],
       "areas": ["Newsletter", "Health"],
       "importedAt": "2025-01-13",
       "lastUpdated": "2025-01-13"
     }
     ```
   - Start with CLAUDE-BOOTSTRAP.md as base
   - Add user-specific sections:
     - Custom folder structure with their actual projects/areas
     - Personal workflows
     - Preferred tools and scripts
     - Specific guidelines
     - MCP configuration if set up
   - Include their websites/resources if provided
   - Add any custom naming conventions
   - Pre-populate with their projects and areas:
     - Create project folders in 01_Projects/
     - Create area folders in 02_Areas/
     - Create resource topics in 03_Resources/
     - Add README files explaining each project/area

7. **Import Existing Vault (if applicable)**
   - If user has existing vault:
     - Create OLD_VAULT folder: `mkdir OLD_VAULT`
     - Copy entire vault preserving structure:
       `cp -r [vault-path]/* ./OLD_VAULT/`
     - Copy Obsidian configuration: `cp -r [vault-path]/.obsidian ./`
     - Check for and copy other important files:
       - `.trash/` (Obsidian's trash folder)
       - `.smart-connections/` (if using that plugin)
       - Any workspace files: `.obsidian.vimrc`, etc.
     - Skip copying: `.git/` (they'll have their own), `.claude/` (using ours)
     - Show summary: "Imported your vault to OLD_VAULT/ (X files, Y folders)"
     - Explain: "Your original structure is preserved in OLD_VAULT. You can
       gradually migrate files to the PARA folders as needed."

8. **Create Supporting Files**
   - Generate initial folder structure if new vault
   - Create README files for main folders
   - For each project folder, create subfolders:
     - Research/ (source materials)
     - Chats/ (AI conversations)
     - Daily Progress/ (running log)
   - Create 05_Attachments/Organized/ directory
   - Set up .gitignore if using git (include .mcp.json, node_modules)
   - Create initial templates if requested
   - Create WEEKLY_REVIEW.md if user wants review ritual
   - Remove FIRST_RUN marker file if it exists
   - Make initial git commit if repository was initialized

9. **Run Test Commands**
   - Execute `pnpm vault:stats` to verify scripts work
   - Test attachment commands if folders exist
   - Test MCP tools if configured
   - Verify git is tracking files correctly

10. **Provide Next Steps**

- Summary of what was created and configured
- Quick start guide specific to their setup
- List of available commands they can use
- Test commands to verify everything works
- Suggestions for first tasks based on their use cases
- How to modify configuration later

## Example Output

```markdown
# Your Obsidian Vault Configuration

Generated on: [Run `date +"%B %d, %Y"` to get current date] Last updated: [Same
date] Based on your preferences for: [main use cases] Setup completed with: ✅
Dependencies ✅ Folder structure ✅ Git initialized

## Your Custom Folder Structure

[Their specific structure with explanations]

## Your Workflows

### Daily Routine

[Based on their answers]

### Project Management

[Their specific approach]

### Research Method (Noah Brier Style)

- Capture everything you read
- Let important ideas naturally resurface
- Start with writing to test understanding
- Use search, not tags, to find things
- [Learn more from Noah's system](https://every.to/superorganizers/ceo-by-day-internet-sleuth-by-night-267452)

### Weekly Review Ritual

[If enabled: Every Thursday at 4pm, review all projects]

## Your Preferences

### File Naming

- Pattern: [their convention]
- Examples: [specific examples]

### Tools & Scripts

[Relevant scripts for their workflow]

## MCP Servers (if configured)

### Gemini Vision

- Status: ✅ Configured and tested
- API Key: Set in .mcp.json
- Test with: `Use gemini-vision to analyze [image path]`

## Available Commands

### Vault Management

- `pnpm vault:stats` - Show vault statistics
- `pnpm attachments:list` - List unprocessed attachments
- `pnpm attachments:organized` - Count organized files

### Claude Commands

- `claude run thinking-partner` - Collaborative thinking mode
- `claude run daily-review` - Review your day
- `claude run init-bootstrap` - Re-run this setup

## Quick Start

1. [Personalized first step]
2. [Next action based on their goals]
3. [Specific to their workflow]

## Pro Tips from Research Masters

- **Be a token maximalist**: Provide lots of context to Claude
- **Writing scales**: Document everything for future reference
  ([Noah Brier](https://every.to/superorganizers/ceo-by-day-internet-sleuth-by-night-267452))
- **Trust emergence**: Important ideas will keep surfacing
- **Start with writing**: Always begin projects in text form
- **Review regularly**: Set aside time weekly to prune and update
- **PARA Method**: Projects, Areas, Resources, Archive
  ([Tiago Forte](https://fortelabs.com/blog/para/))

## Setup Summary

✅ Dependencies installed (pnpm/npm) ✅ Folder structure created ✅ Git
repository initialized and disconnected from original ✅ CLAUDE.md personalized
✅ First-run setup completed [✅ MCP Gemini Vision configured - if set up] [✅
First commit made - if git was initialized]
```

## Important Implementation Notes

### Handling Multiple Vaults

When multiple vaults are detected:

1. **Always list all vaults found** with clear numbering and details
2. **Require explicit selection** - don't assume which vault to use
3. **Confirm the selection** before proceeding with import
4. **Handle ambiguous responses** - if user provides unclear input (like pasting
   a screenshot), ask for clarification:
   - "I see you've shared a screenshot. Could you please type the number (1-3)
     of the vault you'd like to import?"
   - "I need a clear selection. Please type '1', '2', or '3' to choose a vault,
     or 'skip' to start fresh."

### Never Proceed Without Clear Confirmation

If the user's response is unclear:

- Don't guess or assume
- Ask for explicit confirmation
- Provide clear options again
- Example: "I want to make sure I import the right vault. Please type the number
  of your choice (1, 2, or 3)."

## Interactive Example

````
User: claude run init-bootstrap
Assistant: Welcome! I'll help you set up your personalized Obsidian + Claude configuration.

📅 Today's date: [Gets from `date +"%B %d, %Y"`]

First, let me check your setup...

📁 **Folder Name Check**
Current folder: claudesidian
Would you like to rename this folder to something more personal? (e.g., my-vault, knowledge-base, obsidian-notes)
*Why: Your vault should have a name that makes sense to you - you'll see it every day!*

[If yes: Handles the rename by moving to parent directory and back]

Now setting up your environment...

📦 **Installing Dependencies**
[Checks for pnpm, uses npm if not available]
[Installs dependencies with pnpm/npm]
*Why: These tools enable Claude Code to work with your vault effectively*

🔓 **Repository Setup**

**Will you be contributing to claudesidian development?**
- **No** (Personal vault only) → I'll remove GitHub workflows and disconnect from the repo
- **Yes** (I want to contribute) → I'll keep the development setup intact

[Implementation:]
```bash
# If user says "No" (personal vault):
rm -rf .github  # Remove GitHub workflows
git remote remove origin  # Disconnect from claudesidian repo

# If user says "Yes" (contributing):
# Keep .github folder and origin remote
echo "Development setup preserved for contributing"
````

_Why: Personal vaults don't need GitHub Actions, but contributors benefit from
the automation_

📂 **Creating Folder Structure** [Creates folders based on your chosen
organization method] _Why: A good structure helps you organize and find your
knowledge effectively_

🎯 **Finalizing Setup** [Checks git status and removes first-run marker] _Why:
Git gives you version control, and removing the marker ensures you won't see the
welcome message again_

✅ Folder renamed (if requested) ✅ Dependencies installed ✅ Core folders
created ✅ Git repository ready (disconnected from original claudesidian) ✅
First-run marker removed

Now let me ask you a few questions to customize your setup:

🔍 **Searching for existing Obsidian vaults...** [Searches ~/Documents,
~/Desktop, ~/, and parent directories]

### Case 1: Single Vault Found

Found Obsidian vault at: ~/Documents/MyNotes 📊 Vault stats: 2,517 markdown
files, 1.1GB total size Would you like to import this vault?

- **yes** - Import this vault
- **no** - Search for a different vault
- **skip** - Start fresh without importing
- **path** - Specify a different path manually

User: yes

### Case 2: Multiple Vaults Found

🔍 **Found multiple Obsidian vaults:**

1. **~/Documents/MyNotes** (2,517 files, 1.1GB)
   - Last modified: 2 hours ago
   - Contains: Daily notes, projects, resources

2. **~/Desktop/WorkVault** (892 files, 450MB)
   - Last modified: 3 days ago
   - Contains: Client projects, meeting notes

3. **~/Documents/ObsidianVault** (156 files, 23MB)
   - Last modified: 2 weeks ago
   - Contains: Personal notes, drafts

**Which vault would you like to import?**

- Enter **1-3** to select a vault
- **all** - Import all vaults (each to a separate folder)
- **skip** - Start fresh without importing
- **path** - Specify a different path manually

User: 1

**Confirming your selection:** You selected: ~/Documents/MyNotes (2,517 files,
1.1GB)

Is this correct? (yes/no)

User: yes

Great! I'll import your vault to OLD_VAULT/ where it will be safely preserved.
You can migrate files to the PARA folders at your own pace.

📦 **Analyzing your vault structure...** [Running tree to see folder hierarchy]
[Sampling notes to understand content] [Detecting naming patterns from recent
files]

I can see you're using:

- A modified PARA structure with custom folders
- Date-prefixed files for daily notes (YYYY-MM-DD)
- Project folders with nested research
- Heavy use of the Resources folder for reference material

📦 **Importing your vault...** [Copying files to OLD_VAULT/] [Preserving
.obsidian settings] [Checking for plugin folders]

✅ Imported 2,517 files (1.1GB) to OLD_VAULT/ Your original structure is
completely preserved!

Now let's personalize your setup:

1. **What's your name?**

   _Why I'm asking:_ I'll use this to personalize your CLAUDE.md file and help
   me understand your context better. This creates a more tailored experience
   where I can reference your work and interests naturally.

User: Noah Brier

2. **Would you like me to research your public work?**

   _Why this helps:_ By understanding your background, expertise, and interests,
   I can:
   - Tailor suggestions to your specific field and workflow
   - Reference relevant examples from your domain
   - Better understand the context of your questions
   - Build a profile that helps me be a more effective thinking partner

User: Yes

Great! To make sure I find information about the real you, could you provide any
of these details?

- Your company or organization
- Your location (city/country)
- A unique project you've worked on
- Your website or social media handle
- Any other distinguishing information

This helps me avoid confusion with others who share your name.

User: I co-founded Variance and Percolate, I write at every.to

Perfect! Let me search for you with those details...

[Searches for information using the provided identifying information]

Based on your details, I found you - Noah Brier, co-founder of Variance and
Percolate, writer at every.to.

Let me confirm this is correct:

- Co-founded Variance (developer tools) and Percolate (marketing software)
- Write at every.to and Why Is This Interesting? newsletter
- Focus on systems thinking, creativity, and technology

Is this you? (yes/no)

User: yes

Excellent! I've identified the right profile.

**Building Your Profile** Would you like me to read any specific pages to better
understand your work?

- Your personal website or blog
- Recent articles or papers you've written
- Company/project pages
- LinkedIn or other profiles

Enter URLs (comma-separated) or 'skip' to continue:

User: https://whyisthisinteresting.com/about, https://every.to/@noahbrier

[Fetches and analyzes the provided URLs]

I've built a comprehensive profile:

- You co-founded Variance (developer tools) and Percolate (marketing software)
- You write Why Is This Interesting? newsletter with Colin Nagy
- You explore creativity, technology, and systems thinking
- You've written about writing as thinking, note-taking systems, and AI

Is there anything else I should know about your work or interests?

User: I'm really interested in how AI can augment thinking, not just writing

Got it! I'll remember that you focus on AI as a thinking tool, not just a
writing assistant.

3. **What will you primarily use this vault for?** (research, writing, project
   management, daily notes, knowledge base, or combination?)

User: I'll use it for research and writing, plus managing client projects

Assistant: Great! I'll configure your vault for research, writing, and client
project management.

2. **What specific projects are you currently working on?** (I'll create folders
   for each in 01_Projects)

User: I'm writing a book about productivity systems, building a SaaS app, and
planning a conference talk

Assistant: Perfect! I'll set up project folders for:

- 01_Projects/Book - Productivity Systems/
- 01_Projects/SaaS App Development/
- 01_Projects/Conference Talk/

3. **What ongoing areas of responsibility do you maintain?** (These go in
   02_Areas - things without an end date)

User: My newsletter, health & fitness, personal finances, and family activities

Assistant: I'll create area folders for:

- 02_Areas/Newsletter/
- 02_Areas/Health & Fitness/
- 02_Areas/Finances/
- 02_Areas/Family/

4. **What topics do you frequently research or reference?** (I'll organize these
   in 03_Resources)

User: AI tools, productivity methods, SaaS metrics, and writing techniques

Assistant: Setting up resource folders for:

- 03_Resources/AI Tools/
- 03_Resources/Productivity Methods/
- 03_Resources/SaaS Metrics/
- 03_Resources/Writing Techniques/

[Continues with questions...]

**Gemini Vision Setup** Gemini Vision is already included in claudesidian! It
can analyze images, PDFs, and videos in your vault. To activate it, you just
need a free Google API key (takes 30 seconds). Would you like to set it up now?
(yes/no/later)

User: later

No problem! You can set it up anytime by running `/setup-gemini` when you're
ready.

**Firecrawl Setup** Firecrawl is a game-changer for research! Save any article
or website directly to your vault as markdown. Perfect for building a permanent,
searchable research library. Would you like to set it up? (yes/no/later)

User: yes

Great choice! Firecrawl will transform how you collect research.

Assistant: Excellent! Here's how to get your API key:

1. Go to https://aistudio.google.com/apikey
2. Click "Create API Key"
3. Copy the key (starts with AIzaSy...)

Once you have it, paste it here and I'll configure everything for you.