Technical overview

AICTX is a repo-local continuity runtime for coding agents.

It is not an agent, planner, dashboard, vector database, or hidden memory service. It stores execution evidence and continuity artifacts inside the repository so later agent sessions can resume with context.

This document is the technical map of the system.

What AICTX is technically

AICTX is composed of:

repo scaffold and managed instruction files;
runner integrations for Codex, GitHub Copilot, Claude, and generic agents;
internal runtime commands used by agents/hooks;
public CLI commands used for setup, the resume capsule, inspection, and debugging;
middleware around prepare/finalize execution;
repo-local continuity artifacts;
active Work State runtime;
failure, strategy, area, and semantic continuity memories;
execution contracts and compact contract-compliance auditing;
optional RepoMap structural index;
cleanup/uninstall machinery.

The user-facing experience is simple:

install -> init -> use your coding agent

The technical runtime underneath is:

prepare/startup context -> resume capsule -> execution -> finalize -> persist continuity -> next session

System components

Component	Responsibility
Repo scaffold	Creates `.aictx/` and managed runner files
Runner integrations	Writes `AGENTS.md`, `.github/copilot-instructions.md`, `CLAUDE.md`, and Claude hook configuration
Internal runtime CLI	Provides `boot`, `prepare`, `finalize`, and `run-execution`
Public CLI	Provides install/init/resume/finalize/doctor/advanced/cleanup commands plus compatible diagnostic commands
Middleware	Loads continuity before work and records evidence after work
Work State	Stores active suspended task state
Failure Memory	Stores observed failure patterns
Strategy Memory	Stores successful reusable execution patterns
Area Memory	Groups signals by repo area
RepoMap	Optional structural file/symbol lookup
Resume capsule	Compiles rich continuity into one agent-facing operational brief
Execution Contract	Provides first action, edit scope, canonical test command, and finalize command
Contract Compliance	Evaluates observed execution against the latest compatible resume contract
Execution Summary	Produces factual final runtime output
Doctor	Read-only support diagnostics, plus strict release-readiness mode
Cleanup	Removes managed repo/global content

Runtime lifecycle

1. Install

aictx install prepares global/runtime state.

It may configure:

workspace id/root;
cross-project mode;
optional global Codex files;
optional RepoMap request;
AICTX home/config state.

It should not be confused with repo initialization.

2. Init

aictx init prepares one repository.

It can:

create/preserve .aictx/;
prepare repo runtime state;
install repo runner integrations;
write AGENTS.md;
write .github/copilot-instructions.md;
write CLAUDE.md;
write .claude/settings.json;
write .claude/hooks/*;
persist repo communication mode;
initialize RepoMap if requested and available;
register the repo unless disabled;
optionally switch the AICTX-managed .gitignore block between local-only and git-portable continuity without moving canonical artifacts.

3. Prepare/startup context

Runner integrations or advanced users may call:

aictx internal execution prepare ...

prepare_execution() loads bounded continuity context and can return the user-visible startup continuity payload, including startup_banner_text, startup_banner_policy, session identity, continuity brief, active Work State, skipped Work State details, and the latest compatible resume contract when present.

The startup banner remains part of the lifecycle.

4. Resume capsule

At normal task startup, the agent-facing continuity query is:

aictx resume --repo . --task "<task goal>" --json

--task is the normal agent startup input. It should contain only the work goal and exclude reporting instructions, metrics schemas, output format rules, benchmark text, logging instructions, and meta-instructions about the final answer. Legacy --request startup input has been removed in v6.

In v6, resume also emits an execution contract: first action, edit scope, canonical test command, and finalize command. At finalize time, AICTX evaluates the observed execution against the persisted contract when enough signal exists, stores only useful compliance results, and ignores low-signal not_evaluated cases in latest-result reporting. The next resume shows only a compact previous-contract signal; detailed aggregates live in aictx report real-usage.

resume compiles Work State, handoff, recent summaries, failures, decisions, strategy hints, RepoMap, preferences, contract signals, and warnings into one compact operational capsule. It also writes generated local trace artifacts:

.aictx/continuity/resume_capsule.md
.aictx/continuity/resume_capsule.json

resume does not replace prepare_execution, finalize_execution, the startup banner, the final AICTX summary, or persistence. It is the canonical agent-facing continuity query.

Explainable loaded context

aictx resume --json includes a top-level loaded_context array.

This is compact, additive-only metadata explaining why each continuity item was selected for the resume capsule. It can include active Work State, unresolved carryover, failures, handoffs, decisions, strategy memory, and RepoMap hints. Active/carryover Work State is prioritized before completed handoffs. It does not remove, rename, or move existing resume fields such as capsule, execution_contract, task_state, startup_guard, or startup banner policy fields.

Each entry includes:

kind
source
source_id
summary
match_reasons
role
selection_reason
confidence
staleness
related_paths
rank

The field is informational. It helps agents and users inspect and debug why context was loaded, but it does not prove relevance or correctness, inspect hidden agent reasoning, or replace the execution contract. Output is bounded: the default total is compact, and --full can raise per-kind limits slightly but still does not dump unbounded memory.

When no explainable context is selected, loaded_context is present as an empty array:

{"loaded_context": []}

Structural entry points

When RepoMap is enabled and indexed, aictx resume --json can include top-level structural_entry_points and structural_context.

These are compact, bounded structural hints derived from RepoMap query results. They contain paths, scores, reasons, symbols, and small metadata, but never raw source code. Text resume output renders them as a short Structural entry points section only when entries exist.

Execution contracts may include expected_first_files with up to three RepoMap-derived paths. Finalize/contract compliance can then record structural_alignment as followed, partially_followed, ignored, or not_evaluated. This is audit-only and does not block execution.

Optional entrypoint arbiter

AICTX can optionally ask a configured runner-side entrypoint arbiter to classify whether a candidate starting point is relevant to the current task.

This is disabled by default. It runs only when an arbiter command is explicitly configured through environment variables such as:

AICTX_CODEX_ENTRYPOINT_ARBITER_COMMAND
AICTX_CLAUDE_ENTRYPOINT_ARBITER_COMMAND
AICTX_GENERIC_ENTRYPOINT_ARBITER_COMMAND
AICTX_ENTRYPOINT_ARBITER_COMMAND

The generated adapter contract also publishes official wrapper names such as aictx-codex-entrypoint-arbiter, aictx-claude-entrypoint-arbiter, and aictx-generic-entrypoint-arbiter.

The arbiter receives compact JSON on stdin and must return compact JSON on stdout:

{
  "relation": "continuation|adjacent|unrelated",
  "confidence": 0.0,
  "recommended_priority": "keep|demote|ignore",
  "reason_short": "short explanation"
}

AICTX treats the response as a ranking hint only. It does not grant credentials, service handles, runtime authority, secrets, or permissions, and it is not an enforcement layer.

Execution is timeout-bounded by ENTRYPOINT_ARBITER_TIMEOUT_SECONDS with a default of 2.0. If the arbiter is missing, times out, exits non-zero, writes malformed JSON, or returns an incomplete schema, resume silently falls back to deterministic local ranking and keeps producing valid JSON.

5. Agent execution

The agent works normally from the resume capsule. It should not inspect .aictx/ or run exploratory AICTX commands during normal startup.

Advanced public AICTX surfaces remain available for diagnostics, demos, and explicit user requests:

aictx advanced
aictx next --json
aictx map query "..."
aictx task status --json

6. Finalize execution

After work, integrations can call:

aictx internal execution finalize ...

finalize_execution() stores observed evidence and returns agent_summary_text, the compact user-facing final summary.

When a compatible resume contract and observable execution signals are available, finalize_execution() also evaluates contract compliance and appends a compact Contract: line to the final summary.

7. Next session

The next session can consume aictx resume --repo . --task "<task goal>" --json instead of discovering AICTX internals or starting from scratch.

If prior contract compliance data exists, the next resume includes only a compact previous-contract signal such as Previous contract: followed..

Public CLI vs internal runtime

Public CLI

Human-facing and advanced integration commands:

aictx install
aictx init
aictx resume --repo . --task "<task goal>" --json
aictx advanced
aictx next
aictx task ...
aictx map ...
aictx report real-usage
aictx clean
aictx uninstall

resume is the normal agent-facing continuity command. The other public surfaces are for setup, inspection, explicit control, debugging, demos, and cleanup.

Internal runtime CLI

Agent/hook-facing commands:

aictx internal boot --repo .
aictx internal execution prepare ...
aictx internal execution finalize ...
aictx internal run-execution ...

These are the runtime contract. Supported agents should use them automatically through repo instructions or hooks.

Important distinction:

internal boot = bootstrap/runtime diagnostic payload.
prepare_execution startup_banner_text = user-visible startup continuity banner.
aictx resume = compiled operational continuity capsule for the agent.

Agent integration model

AICTX is runner-aware, not runner-locked.

Codex-first

Codex support uses:

AGENTS.md;
optional global Codex files through aictx install --install-codex-global;
model instruction fallback files;
the same CLI/runtime contract.

Claude-aware

Claude support uses:

CLAUDE.md;
.claude/settings.json;
.claude/hooks/aictx_session_start.py;
.claude/hooks/aictx_user_prompt_submit.py;
.claude/hooks/aictx_pre_tool_use.py.

GitHub Copilot

GitHub Copilot support uses:

.github/copilot-instructions.md;
the same resume / finalize CLI contract with explicit Copilot identity;
repository custom instructions only, without hooks, wrappers, or non-standard Copilot files.

Generic fallback

Generic agents use:

repo instructions;
aictx resume --repo . --task "<task goal>" --json;
public inspection commands for diagnostics;
internal prepare/finalize/run-execution commands;
JSON/Markdown outputs.

Startup continuity and session identity

Startup identity is based on session context.

The visible startup continuity banner is produced through prepare/startup continuity, not by the raw internal boot diagnostic payload.

The canonical runtime banner header shape is:

<agent_label> · session #<n> · awake

Typical labels:

codex@repo-name
claude@repo-name
agent@repo-name

The banner is a compact resumption card. It can include:

Resuming: ...
Last progress: ... or Blocked: ...
Next: ...
Active task: ... Next: ...

The runtime canonical banner is English. Agents may localize labels and connective wording to the current user language, but must preserve facts, structure, file paths, commands, flags, test names, package names, and code identifiers.

Example:

codex@aictx · session #40 · awake

Resuming: branch-safe Work State finalize behavior.
Last progress: finalize behavior aligned with tests.
Next: tests/test_work_state_runtime.py
Active task: Improve public docs. Next: update installation guide.

The banner is intentionally not the whole handoff. The richer operational brief is the aictx resume capsule.

These two surfaces are related but different.

`aictx internal boot --repo .`

Boot is a runtime/bootstrap diagnostic surface. It can print:

ASCII banner;
boot summary;
user defaults;
effective preferences;
communication policy;
project registry;
model routing;
cost optimizer status;
task memory status;
failure memory status;
memory graph status;
consistency checks;
repo bootstrap state.

It is useful for diagnostics and runtime verification.

`startup_banner_text`

The visible agent startup banner is the compact continuity message intended for the user. It is surfaced through prepare/startup continuity and should be rendered by the agent at the start of the first visible response when policy says so.

Example shape:

codex@repo · session #40 · awake

Resuming: previous work.
Last progress: aligned runtime behavior with tests.
Next: tests/test_smoke.py

Handoffs and Decisions

Handoffs and Decisions are first-class continuity concepts. See Handoffs and Decisions.

They preserve:

how the previous execution ended;
recommended starting points;
explicit project or architecture decisions;
compact semantic repo continuity.

They differ from Work State:

Work State = current suspended task state.
Handoff = how the previous execution ended.
Decision = explicit project/architecture fact.

Continuity artifact model

Primary continuity artifacts:

.aictx/continuity/session.json
.aictx/continuity/handoff.json
.aictx/continuity/handoffs.jsonl
.aictx/continuity/decisions.jsonl
.aictx/continuity/semantic_repo.json
.aictx/continuity/dedupe_report.json
.aictx/continuity/staleness.json
.aictx/continuity/continuity_metrics.json
.aictx/tasks/active.json
.aictx/tasks/threads/<task-id>.json
.aictx/tasks/threads/<task-id>.events.jsonl
.aictx/strategy_memory/strategies.jsonl
.aictx/failure_memory/failure_patterns.jsonl
.aictx/area_memory/areas.json
.aictx/metrics/execution_logs.jsonl
.aictx/metrics/execution_feedback.jsonl
.aictx/metrics/contract_compliance.jsonl

Optional/latest-run artifacts:

.aictx/continuity/last_execution_summary.md
.aictx/continuity/resume_capsule.md
.aictx/continuity/resume_capsule.json
.aictx/repo_map/config.json
.aictx/repo_map/manifest.json
.aictx/repo_map/index.json
.aictx/repo_map/status.json

Stale context handling

AICTX does not inject one permanent memory dump into every agent session.

Each aictx resume --repo . --task "<task goal>" --json call builds a fresh task-specific capsule from current repo-local artifacts:

active Work State;
latest execution summary;
handoffs and decisions;
known failures;
strategy hints;
preferences and warnings;
optional RepoMap data.

Older context is treated as evidence, not truth:

Work State loading is branch-safe and can skip unsafe branch mismatches.
Failure Memory records observed failures; it does not prove future failures.
Strategy Memory records successful prior routes; it is a heuristic hint, not an instruction.
Resume capsules are generated trace artifacts and are regenerated per task.
Dedupe/staleness metadata keeps continuity bounded and inspectable.
Missing data remains missing, unknown, or not_evaluated depending on the surface.

Capability matrix

Capability	Main artifacts	Main consumers
Session identity	`session.json`	startup banner
Handoff	`handoff.json`, `handoffs.jsonl`	startup, next, prepare
Decisions	`decisions.jsonl`	prepare, next
Semantic repo memory	`semantic_repo.json`	prepare
Work State	`.aictx/tasks/*`	prepare, next, finalize
Branch-safe Work State	`git_context` in Work State	prepare, finalize
Failure Memory	`failure_patterns.jsonl`	prepare, finalize, report
Strategy Memory	`strategies.jsonl`	suggest, reuse, prepare
Area Memory	`areas.json`	strategy/failure/report
RepoMap	`.aictx/repo_map/*`	map commands, prepare
Execution Contract	`resume_capsule.json.execution_contract`	agent startup
Contract Compliance	`.aictx/metrics/contract_compliance.jsonl`	final summary, next resume, real-usage report
Execution Summary	`agent_summary_text`, `last_execution_summary.md`	final response, next session
Real usage report	metrics/memory artifacts	`report real-usage`
Doctor diagnostics	repo/runtime artifacts	`doctor --json`
Runner integrations	`AGENTS.md`, `.github/copilot-instructions.md`, `CLAUDE.md`, `.claude/*`	Codex, GitHub Copilot, Claude, generic agents
Cleanup	managed blocks, registry, global files	`clean`, `uninstall`

Work State runtime

Work State preserves active task state:

goal;
current hypothesis;
active files;
verified items;
unverified assumptions;
discarded paths;
next action;
recommended commands;
risks;
uncertainties;
source execution ids.

It lives under:

.aictx/tasks/active.json
.aictx/tasks/threads/<task-id>.json
.aictx/tasks/threads/<task-id>.events.jsonl

It can be updated by:

public aictx task ... commands;
explicit runtime payloads;
conservative finalize evidence.

It does not infer hidden intent from sparse signals.

Branch-safe Work State loading

When saved in a git repo, Work State includes git context:

available
branch
head
dirty
changed_files
captured_at

Evaluation outcomes include:

no_git_context
git_unavailable
same_branch
branch_changed_but_merged
branch_mismatch_unmerged
dirty_branch_mismatch

Core rule:

git merge-base --is-ancestor <saved_head> HEAD

Loading behavior:

Situation	Behavior
no git context	load conservatively
git unavailable	load conservatively with warning
same branch	load
same branch, changed HEAD	load with warning
branch changed, saved commit is ancestor of current HEAD	load with warning
branch changed, saved commit is not ancestor	skip
saved state dirty and branch changed	skip

Finalize must not update a Work State that prepare skipped for unsafe branch mismatch.

Execution contracts and compliance

See Execution Contracts and Compliance for the dedicated concept page.

At a high level:

resume -> execution_contract -> observed execution -> finalize compliance -> metrics -> next resume signal

Contract compliance is audit-only. It does not sandbox the agent or block execution. It evaluates only observed signals such as opened files, edited files, commands, tests, and errors.

Failure Memory and error events

Failure Memory stores observed failures as structured patterns.

Structured error events can include:

toolchain
phase
severity
message
code
file
line
command
exit_code
fingerprint

Recognized families include:

Python / pytest
mypy / ruff / pyright
npm
TypeScript
ESLint
Jest / Vitest
Go
Rust / Cargo
Java / Maven
.NET
C / C++
Ruby
PHP
generic unknown failures

Failure Memory can help later sessions recognize repeated failures, avoid ineffective paths, and connect later successful work to prior failure context.

Failed strategies are not reused as positive strategy hints.

Strategy Memory

Strategy Memory stores successful execution patterns. See Strategy Memory for the dedicated concept page.

It can consider:

task type;
prompt similarity;
overlapping files;
primary entry point;
commands/tests/errors;
area id;
recency;
observed execution evidence.

Failed strategies are retained for history/debugging but excluded from positive reuse.

Area Memory

Area Memory groups observed facts by repo area.

It can influence:

continuity loading;
strategy selection;
failure lookup;
report visibility.

Area ids are path-derived and deterministic. They are hints, not semantic proof.

RepoMap

RepoMap is optional and Tree-sitter based.

Commands:

aictx map status
aictx map refresh
aictx map query "..."

Artifacts:

.aictx/repo_map/config.json
.aictx/repo_map/manifest.json
.aictx/repo_map/index.json
.aictx/repo_map/status.json

RepoMap provides structural hints. It is not semantic understanding and is not required for core continuity.

In v6.3, RepoMap status is explicit about separate capabilities:

provider_available
index_available
query_available
refresh_available
last_refresh_status
files_indexed
symbols_indexed

This avoids treating provider_available:false as meaning no query can run. A previous index can remain queryable even when provider/refresh support is unavailable.

RepoMap is also used by resume as a context-planning signal. Work State tells the agent what was happening; RepoMap tells it where to look first; Execution Contracts record whether the observed execution followed the suggested structural path when enough evidence exists.

Execution Summary

finalize_execution() returns:

agent_summary
agent_summary_text

The detailed latest summary may be written to:

.aictx/continuity/last_execution_summary.md

Agents should treat agent_summary_text as the canonical compact user-facing final summary source. .aictx/continuity/last_execution_summary.md is the detailed diagnostic latest-run summary and should remain linked from the final summary when generated.

If finalize output is unavailable, the agent should say:

AICTX summary unavailable

Real usage report

aictx report real-usage builds a descriptive report from repo-local artifacts.

It may include:

strategy usage;
context/packet usage;
capture coverage;
failure counts;
error event metrics;
continuity health;
Work State visibility;
RepoMap status;
contract compliance history and aggregate rates.

It is not a benchmark and does not prove productivity/token savings.

aictx doctor --repo . --json is a read-only general diagnostic for support. It reports status: ok|warning|error, mode: general|release_readiness, a bounded checks array, and recommended_actions. Default mode checks CLI version, repo initialization, runner files, RepoMap provider/index/query/refresh status, capture quality, contract compliance health, and stale/duplicate memory. --release-readiness adds strict aictx release-gate checks for lifecycle smoke compatibility and Makefile/CI compatibility. It is not part of normal agent startup.

Cleanup and uninstall

aictx clean --repo . removes repo-local AICTX-managed state and unregisters the repo.

It may remove or update:

.aictx/;
AICTX Claude hooks;
AICTX-managed blocks in .github/copilot-instructions.md;
AICTX-managed blocks in AGENTS.md, CLAUDE.md, AGENTS.override.md;
AICTX entries in .claude/settings.json;
AICTX .gitignore entries.

aictx uninstall can also clean registered repos/workspaces, global Codex managed files/config, and the global AICTX home.

See Cleanup.

Deterministic vs heuristic behavior

Deterministic:

artifact paths;
schema fields;
branch-safe loading rules;
CLI contracts;
managed block markers;
cleanup target classes;
no hidden memory claims.

Heuristic:

task type inference;
area derivation;
strategy ranking;
failure similarity;
RepoMap query scoring;
next-action usefulness;
contract compliance scoring from observable runtime signals.

Heuristic outputs should remain bounded and explainable.

Limits

AICTX depends on agent/integration cooperation.

If an agent does not call prepare/finalize or pass observed facts, AICTX cannot record them.

Contract compliance depends on observed execution signals. If no compatible resume contract or no execution observation exists, compliance is reported as not_evaluated.

AICTX does not:

guarantee correctness;
guarantee speedups;
guarantee token savings;
replace review;
sandbox or enforce agent behavior;
autonomously repair the repo;
infer facts that were not observed.

Documentation map

Product and setup:

Core runtime concepts:

Operations and trust: