Sync Check

Sync Check (Desktop)

Use this skill to verify the cross-device continuity setup before relying on capture-research-state or resume-research-state. Run it once after install and again whenever something looks off.

Checks (in order)

1. Vault root resolved? Prefer OBSIDIAN_VAULT_PATH; ask once if missing.
2. 00-Claude-Context/ exists at the vault root and is a normal (visible) folder.
3. Each of these files exists with valid frontmatter:
   • manifest.json
   • current-state.md
   • research-memory.md
   • preferences.md
   • decision-log.md
   • open-questions.md
   • task-ledger.md
   • paper-map.md
4. session-snapshots/ exists and is a directory.
5. The snapshot count in manifest.json is >= the number of .md files in session-snapshots/ (append-only invariant).
6. Newest snapshot, if any, has plausible frontmatter.

How to run

Prefer the bundled helper (one shell call, deterministic):

python "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/bin/research_sync_agent.py" validate --vault "{vault path}"

On Windows, fall back to py -3.12 ... if python is not on PATH. If neither is available, walk the schema in ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/references/context-schema.md by reading each file.

Result format

Always emit a short verdict:

Vault:           {path}
Status:          Ready | Not Ready
Newest snapshot: {filename or "none"}
Next action:     {one specific step}

For "Not Ready", Next action should be the single most useful step -- usually one of:

• python "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/bin/research_sync_agent.py" init --vault "{path}"
• "Set OBSIDIAN_VAULT_PATH to the vault root and re-run."
• "Edit {file} to restore frontmatter key {key}."
• "Sync provider is split-brain -- review snapshots {a} and {b} and pick one."

Don't enumerate every problem at once if there are many -- name the one that unblocks the next step. The user re-runs sync-check after fixing.

What sync-check should NOT do

• Never modify any vault file. It's read-only.
• Never run init automatically. The user explicitly invokes it.
• Never delete, rename, or relocate snapshots, even if they look stale.