Session Begin

Duplicate Detection (MUST — before anything)

Check all three:

1. Have I already completed this checklist in the current conversation?
2. Was SESSION_CONTEXT.md "Last Updated" modified today? (date-only field — sub-day relies on checks #1 and #3)
3. Did I already increment the session counter in this conversation?

If ANY true: "Session #N already active. What would you like to work on?" If ALL false: Proceed with full checklist.

When to Use

• Start of every AI work session
• User explicitly invokes /session-begin

When NOT to Use

• Session closure → /session-end
• State snapshot → /checkpoint
• Already ran this session → duplicate detection catches it

Hook Boundary

The SessionStart hook in JASON-OS v0.1 runs only check-mcp-servers.js (and compact-restore.js after compactions). Consolidation, cross-session validation, dependency install, and build are NOT handled by the hook yet — when those hooks land, update this section and remove the corresponding manual steps below.

Warm-Up (MUST — first output after duplicate detection passes)

"Starting Session #N pre-flight on [branch]. Will load context, check hook state, and surface any warnings."

Phase 1: Environment Setup (MUST)

1.1 Secrets Decryption Check (DEFERRED)

JASON-OS bootstrap has no scripts/secrets/ infrastructure. When an .env.local.encrypted + decrypt pipeline lands, restore the SoNash-style gate here (passphrase-via-stdin, never logged).

1.2 Cross-Session Validation (DEFERRED)

SessionStart hook does not yet do cross-session validation. When that hook work lands, restore the prior-session-missed-/session-end check here.

Phase 2: Context Loading (MUST)

2.1 Load Session Context (MUST)

• Read SESSION_CONTEXT.md — status, blockers, goals
• Increment session counter (MUST — verify not already incremented first)
• Output: "Session #N started on [branch]"

(ROADMAP.md read is DEFERRED — JASON-OS v0.1 does not have ROADMAP.md yet. Next Session Goals live in SESSION_CONTEXT.md for now.)

2.2 Branch Validation (MUST)

Report the current branch from git branch --show-current in the session announcement. If SESSION_CONTEXT.md documents a different branch (in Quick Status or Next Session Goals), warn the user before proceeding.

2.3 Stale Documentation Check (MUST)

git log --oneline -15

Compare recent commits against SESSION_CONTEXT.md's "Next Session Goals" and "Quick Status." If discrepancies found, present them: "Docs appear stale: [specifics]. Update now or defer?"

Let the user decide. Do not auto-update.

2.4–2.6 (DEFERRED)

Session-gap detection, consolidation status, and prior-research surface all depend on infrastructure not yet in JASON-OS (npm run session:gaps, scripts/run-consolidation.js, .research/research-index.jsonl). Restore when those land.

Phase 3: Health Scripts (DEFERRED — JASON-OS v0.1)

JASON-OS bootstrap does not yet wire any npm run health scripts. When any of patterns:check, review:check, lessons:surface, session:gaps, roadmap:hygiene, reviews:sync, reviews:check-archive, reviews:archive, hooks:analytics, crossdoc:check, or the velocity/task-dependency reports land, restore the SoNash-style block here and flip the script-failure- escalation rule (Critical Rule 4) from vacuous to live.

Until then: note "Health scripts: not yet wired (JASON-OS v0.1)" in the summary.

Phase 4: Warning Gates (MUST)

4.1 Hook Anomaly Gate (MUST)

Check .claude/state/hook-warnings-log.jsonl. If 10+ entries in last 7 days → warn. If fewer, skip silently.

(SoNash override-trend and health-score-drop sub-checks are DEFERRED — .claude/override-log.jsonl and .claude/state/health-score-log.jsonl do not exist in JASON-OS v0.1. Restore when those logs land.)

4.2 Warning Acknowledgment Gate (DEFERRED)

No .claude/hook-warnings.json or scripts/sync-warnings-ack.js in JASON-OS v0.1. When the warning-acknowledgment pipeline lands, restore the gate here.

4.3 Infrastructure Failure Gate (DEFERRED)

No .claude/state/session-start-failures.json, pending-test-registry.json, or decision-documentation hook-warnings entries yet. Restore when those systems land.

4.4 Technical Debt Snapshot (DEFERRED)

No docs/technical-debt/INDEX.md in JASON-OS v0.1. Restore when a tech-debt index lands (or adapt to a JASON-OS-native debt surface).

Phase 5: Summary & Goal Selection (MUST)

Summary Template

Present using this format:

Session #N — Pre-Flight Summary
Branch: [branch]
Working tree: [clean / N uncommitted]

Health scripts: not yet wired (JASON-OS v0.1)
Hook warnings: [none / N new entries in last 7d]
Deferred infrastructure: see BOOTSTRAP_DEFERRED.md

Next Goals (from SESSION_CONTEXT.md):
  [list ALL goals from the "Next Session Goals" section —
   do not truncate or cap the list]

Goal Selection (MUST)

After the summary: "Which goal would you like to focus on, or something else?" Reference the surfaced goals — do not use a generic open-ended prompt.

Closure Signal (MUST)

"Session #N pre-flight complete. Ready to work."

Done when: Session counter incremented, context loaded, hook state checked, goal selected.

Guard Rails

• Scope explosion: If 3+ scripts failed or 3+ findings surfaced, present a triage list: "Multiple issues found. Which to address now vs defer?" Do not auto-fix multiple issues.
• Disengagement: If user says "skip" or "let's work" mid-checklist, stop immediately. Present what's completed vs remaining. Proceed to goal selection.
• Compaction recovery: If compaction occurs mid-session-begin, re-read SESSION_CONTEXT.md. If counter was already incremented, do not re-increment. Resume from the last unfinished phase.

Integration

• Neighbors: session-end (receives session context), checkpoint (mid-session state)
• Handoff to session-end: SESSION_CONTEXT.md updated with session number and current work.
• Reference material: See REFERENCE.md for skill routing, code review procedures, and anti-pattern guidance.

Version History