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First Run

Workspace initialization

From your project root:

syndicate init

Initialization creates:

  • .syndicate/control.db (SQLite in WAL mode)
  • .syndicate/context.md
  • .syndicate/config.toml

These files are workspace-local and should be ignored by Git (.syndicate/ in .gitignore).

Normative basis: bootstrap_and_initialization_spec.md §18.2.

v1 deployment note This page describes the v1 local-embedded deployment. Team and enterprise deployments use syndicate-server; startup stages 2-10 shift to the remote control-plane side and the local client runs a reduced sequence.

Bootstrap stages (deterministic order)

On first syndicate invocation, the startup sequence runs in this fixed order:

  1. Configuration load
  2. Storage open
  3. First-run detection
  4. Schema migration (first run only)
  5. Genesis event (first run only)
  6. Default policy and identity bootstrap (first run only)
  7. Chain integrity verification
  8. Policy load
  9. Workspace binding
  10. Control plane readiness
  11. Accept proposals

Bootstrap fails closed; no partial ready state is allowed.

Normative basis: bootstrap_and_initialization_spec.md §12 and BI-006.

Launching the TUI

syndicate

At session start, the five-pane layout is visible:

  • title bar (session, governance mode, active provider, workspace, policy version)
  • left sidebar (session tree, specialist registry, navigation)
  • main pane (conversation/output/diff/evidence inspector)
  • right sidebar (live evidence stream, audit feed, trust state summary)
  • footer/chat (last turn summaries, mode badge, active input)

TUI five-pane layout

Normative basis: tui_build_spec.md §3 and operator_interface_spec.md.

Your first governed workflow

  1. Enter an objective in the footer input.
  2. The control plane creates a proposal.
  3. The proposal is converted to canonical form and evaluated by policy.
  4. If required, a checkpoint appears in the TUI as a pending decision.
  5. Approve with y, deny with n, or inspect with i.
  6. On approval, the control plane issues a permit.
  7. Execution proceeds, and evidence entries populate the right sidebar.

Important: the TUI renders pending decisions; it does not enforce policy or authorize execution.

Normative basis: governed_execution_spec.md §5 and §7, operator_interface_spec.md authority model.

Headless / CI first run

syndicate run --no-tui --objective "<text>"

In headless mode, mandatory checkpoints produce denial output and exit code 2.

syndicate run --no-tui --output json --objective "<text>"

Normative basis: cli_command_reference.md §6.1 and §6.3.

Audit chain verification

syndicate audit verify

A clean chain reports successful continuity verification and exits 0. Any mismatch, gap, or missing anchor fails verification.

Normative basis: cli_command_reference.md §8.4 and audit_and_evidence_model.md integrity requirements.

State location and precedence

  • Workspace state database: .syndicate/control.db
  • Config precedence: CLI flag > env var > project file > operator-level file > system file > embedded defaults
  • DB path precedence: CLI flag > SYNDICATECODE_DB_PATH > config > $XDG_DATA_HOME/syndicatecode/control.db

Normative basis: bootstrap_and_initialization_spec.md §4.2 and §10.1.

Non-guarantee callout A clean first run proves governance and initialization behavior, not model-output correctness and not elimination of hallucination risk.