# Doctrine boot snapshot

The boot snapshot (`.doctrine/state/boot.md`) is the engine of every session.
It is a cache-friendly markdown file regenerated by `doctrine boot` and
`@`-imported into your agent harness at session start. It carries:

- The **routing table** — which skill governs which situation.
- The **core process** — the structure of every substantive task.
- The **guardrails** — commit policy, conventions, the no-code-without-plan gate.
- **Active governance** — policies, standards, and ADRs in force.
- **Memory signposts** — navigational pointers to the shipped orientation corpus
  (only `signpost`-type memories; concepts, patterns, and facts are
  discoverable via `doctrine memory find`/`retrieve`).

## How to influence it

You do not edit `boot.md` by hand. It is regenerated from:

- `.doctrine/governance.md` — the user-owned governance pointer; policies,
  standards, and ADRs referenced here are inlined into the snapshot.
- The shipped memory corpus — only `signpost`-type memories appear (concepts,
  patterns, and facts are discoverable via `doctrine memory find`/`retrieve`).
- Project-local ADRs, policies, and standards in force.

Add a reference in `.doctrine/governance.md`, run `doctrine boot`, and the
snapshot updates.

## Keeping it fresh

- `doctrine boot` regenerates the snapshot (the freshen-now ritual).
- `doctrine boot --check` is the disk sentry — it warns if the snapshot is stale
  or unpopulated, including empty governance sections.
- **Freshen-now ritual:** when you edit governance, run `doctrine boot` THEN
  restart or `/clear` the session. `boot` alone cannot refresh the
  already-inlined prefix — regenerate THEN clear.

The snapshot also carries a nudge comment in empty Policies and Standards
sections pointing to [[mem.signpost.doctrine.policies-standards]].

See [[mem.concept.doctrine.routing-gate]] for why the routing table matters,
and [[mem.signpost.doctrine.file-map]] for where these files live.
