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.SYSTEMX documentation

ALPHA — USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. .SYSTEMX is experimental and may change daily. Pin a reviewed release, keep recoverable backups, and validate it in your project. Template checks do not certify production readiness. See release policy.

Current alpha: 1.6.0-alpha.1 · Alpha1 branch

A portable operating standard for human and AI-assisted projects.

.SYSTEMX gives a project one versioned .SYSTEMX folder for shared context, master planning, task tracking, Agent 0 coordination, and durable memory. This wiki explains how to adopt that folder and use it throughout a project's life.

Use this template · Repository · Getting started · Command reference

The directory name is exactly .SYSTEMX on every platform. Keep the leading dot and uppercase letters. An optional local .systemx -> .SYSTEMX alias routes lowercase access to the same records. See exact casing and alias setup.

Tokens, money, and processing time

Focused current context, scoped worker memory, and a single task ledger can reduce repeated input and avoidable searches, planning, and tool calls. Fewer billable tokens can lower usage-based API costs; fewer repeated steps can save time. Results depend on the model, cache, output, tools, and workflow. There is no fixed savings guarantee. The efficiency guide explains the mechanisms, an illustrative calculation, and how to compare accepted outcomes fairly.

Choose your starting point

Your goal	Start here
Review alpha maturity, version pins, and migration	Release policy
Get help or report a security issue	Security and support
Learn the purpose, ownership, and design principles	About .SYSTEMX
Understand internals and lifecycle behavior	Technical Guide
Choose runtimes and integrate an existing project stack	Stack Guide
Set up a project for the first time	First-Time Setup
Copy a prompt to set up a new project or resume in another chat	New Chat Setup Prompt
Remove, restore, and verify installation cleanup	Uninstall and Cleanup
Understand canonical records and distribution requirements	Standard format
Adopt SYSTEMX in a project, OS directory, Drive folder, or chat	Getting started
Install, lock a version, or update defaults without replacing local files	Installation and updates
Add SYSTEMX as a CLI or Python library	Library integration
Coordinate a primary agent and scoped workers	Agent 0 and subagents
Organize project context, milestones, and LLM memory	Planning and memory
Track work from TODO to reviewed completion	Task workflow
Find syntax and flags	Command reference
Connect existing checks, builds, and deployment scripts	Configuration and quality
Resolve setup issues or prepare a release	Operations and troubleshooting
Review what each kind of verification actually proves	Evidence and acceptance
Merge an update while preserving active work	Upgrading
Improve the reusable template	Contributing

The operating model

1. Establish context. Record purpose, constraints, and authoritative sources.
2. Define outcomes. Connect master-plan milestones to concrete acceptance criteria.
3. Assign work. Agent 0 gives each task an owner, scope, and dependencies.
4. Work and verify. Capture relevant changes, checks, and evidence.
5. Review and remember. Accept completed work and preserve the facts needed for the next session.

The template is stack-neutral. Documentation works without a runtime; optional CLI tools require Python 3.9+ and use only the standard library. Your project supplies its own development tools and configured commands.

Sources of truth

The wiki teaches the workflow. The project's checked-in .SYSTEMX files hold its actual state. Start or resume at START-HERE.md. Task status belongs in WORK/TASKS.json; generated status pages are views of that ledger. WORK/FOCUS.json selects the objective and task/checkpoint pointers; CURRENT.md is generated from those canonical records. Memory supplies context and evidence references, while live state still needs verification.

These guides describe template 1.6.0-alpha.1. See Versions and changelog for release IDs and exact setup URLs. Each managed project selects its own default version and update policy without replacing its project records.

Scope and license

.SYSTEMX provides project records, standards, and optional command tools. It does not start agent processes, provide an application framework, or grant authority to external services. Project records ship blank, with only the agent.0 coordinator role registered. SYSTEMX is a project-maintained operating convention, not an external certification. Use validate --template to check a pristine distribution and validate for an adopted project. See the format guide for the distinction.

Maintained by Wayne Tech Lab LLC and distributed under the MIT License. Its source provenance records the relationship to the original SFWA-WTL-TEMPLATE operating folder.