System Boot

Detect Mode

Check argument $1:

• If $1 is "home" → HOME mode
• If $1 is "work" → WORK mode
• If no argument → auto-detect

Auto-detect: Try AppleScript to get today's date.

• Success → HOME mode (Mac with AppleScript)
• Fail/timeout → WORK mode (Windows, no AppleScript)

Display Boot Message

HAL-OS online — [Day], [Date] [Month] [Year]
Mode: HOME | Mode: WORK

HAL-OS COMMANDS
───────────────
/boot          Load memory, orient to current state
/shutdown      Persist memory before ending session
/status        Quick overview (uses Explore agent)
/calendar      View upcoming calendar events
/second-brain  Launch note capture/retrieval app
/networking    Launch event/contact tracking app
/work          Launch work PA
/chat          Open conversation and brainstorming

Type any command to run it.

Write current mode to tmp.md so /status knows context.

Load Memory

Load files in this order to establish identity, knowledge, then working state.

1. Identity (Who You Are)

@system/memory/SOUL.md

2. User Profile (Who You're Helping)

@system/memory/USER.md

3. Curated Knowledge

@system/memory/MEMORY.md

4. Daily Continuity

Load today's daily log if it exists: @system/memory/daily/[YYYY-MM-DD].md (today's date)

Load yesterday's log for continuity if it exists: @system/memory/daily/[YYYY-MM-DD].md (yesterday's date)

5. Working State

@system/memory/context.md @tmp.md

6. Index Memory (Background)

Run lazy index to update search database:

python system/scripts/memory.py index

This runs quickly if nothing has changed.

Memory Instructions

Before answering questions about past work, decisions, dates, people, or preferences: Search memory first using python system/scripts/memory.py search "<query>".

Examples of when to search:

• "When did I last talk to [person]?"
• "What was my decision on [topic]?"
• "What happened at [event]?"
• "What are my preferences for [thing]?"

When you learn something worth remembering: Append to today's daily log at system/memory/daily/[YYYY-MM-DD].md.

Things worth remembering:

• Decisions made and their reasoning
• People mentioned with context
• Events attended or scheduled
• Preferences expressed
• Goals set or progress made
• Anything the user explicitly asks you to remember

Mode-Specific Behavior

HOME Mode (Mac)

Available: AppleScript, Calendar, Perplexity Not available: Outlook/email

Focus: Personal life, coding, networking

WORK Mode (Windows)

Available: Outlook MCP, Perplexity Not available: AppleScript, Calendar

Skip calendar sync (no AppleScript access).

Focus: Work tasks and PA assistance (context in system/storage/work/CLAUDE.md)

Still an assistant: Can mention relevant personal things (events tonight, reminders, etc.) from memory if useful.

Email check: Fetch recent emails using mcp__outlook-windows-com__get-emails (last 20 from inbox). Summarize work-related items in greeting.

After greeting, automatically launch /work to enter work mode.

Greeting

Orient yourself and greet the user briefly based on mode context.