beardrive/plugin/commands/init.md

---
description: Start syncing a project in this folder — create a new BearDrive project or connect an existing one, whole folder or a shared subfolder, and start the sync daemon
argument-hint: "[folder] [--name <project> | --project <p-id>] [--shared <dir>]"
---

Start syncing a project with BearDrive. Arguments: `$ARGUMENTS` (optional
folder, optional `--name`/`--project`/`--shared`).

Follow these steps:

1. **Check the bdrive CLI is installed**: run `command -v bdrive`. If
   missing, offer to install it (`brew install runbear-io/tap/beardrive`,
   or `go install github.com/runbear-io/beardrive/cmd/bdrive@latest`) and
   wait for the user's choice before installing.

2. **Sign in if needed**: run `bdrive login --status`. With no server or a
   stale token, run `bdrive login` (tell the user a browser window is
   coming; it completes by itself). Default server is beardrive.ai; pass a
   self-hosted URL if the user mentioned one.

3. **Detect knowledge tooling** (skip if the folder already contains
   `.bdrive/` — then just run `bdrive init --yes`; it resumes syncing,
   including after a rename/move). Check, in order — first match wins,
   ask if two match (full playbook: the beardrive skill's "Connecting
   knowledge tooling" section):

   - **gbrain** (`gbrain.yml`, or a gbrain MCP server / brain-first
     CLAUDE.md block) → offer to sync the brain's shared subfolder as its
     own project; never a brain root.
   - **OKF wiki** (markdown with OKF frontmatter) → offer: connect the
     wiki dir via `--shared`, or keep it PR-gated and create a new shared
     folder.
   - **Wiki-ish folder** (`docs`/`wiki`/`notes` full of markdown) → check
     `git log -- <dir>`; dormant → recommend connecting it, active PR
     traffic → recommend a new shared folder. Offer an OKF upgrade
     (`openknowledge from`) after connecting, as a separate consent.
   - **Nothing / empty** → offer a starting point in this order:
     OKF (recommended), gbrain, blank, describe-it.

4. **Initialize** — two hard rules:

   - **Never sync a repo root**: inside a repo, knowledge syncs as a
     scoped subfolder via `--shared`. A dedicated knowledge folder
     (empty dir, standalone vault) may be the mount itself.
   - **One transport per folder**: a git-tracked dir must leave git
     tracking before it syncs (`git rm -r --cached <dir>` + gitignore;
     stage it, let the user commit). Offer one-way git snapshots if they
     want a git record; `bdrive log -p <path>` covers history for most.

   ```sh
   bdrive init --name <project> --yes            # dedicated knowledge folder
   bdrive init --name <project> --shared wiki    # in a repo: only ./wiki syncs
   ```

5. **Verify**: run `bdrive status <folder>` and confirm the daemon is
   running and pending is 0. Summarize: project name/id, what syncs, and
   that edits propagate to every team member within seconds. Offer a
   consent-gated CLAUDE.md note and tell the user how teammates connect
   (invite link → `bdrive init` → same `--shared` scope, which is
   per-device).

For the full team setup (CLAUDE.md guidance + per-project sync hooks in
`.claude/settings.json`), suggest `/beardrive:install` instead.