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+# AGENTS
+
+> **Note:** this file is staged in `cproof-context` for review. Its
+> destination is the **cproof** repo root, not this one. It is **not**
+> agent instructions for the `cproof-context` repository itself.
+
+Project-level agent instructions for cproof (terminal XMPP client, fork of
+Profanity).
+
+## Agent context bundle
+
+Detailed architecture, patterns, testing, build, playbooks, and known
+pitfalls for this project live in a separate repository:
+
+- **Repo:** https://git.jabber.space/devs/cproof-context
+- **Pinned commit:** `22977846a3b2c1727ae6aeeaa1de70971bc0136e46b131febac7591df7d72e75`
+  (branch `draft/split-context`)
+
+Bump the pinned commit explicitly when the context bundle is updated. Do
+not track a moving branch.
+
+## Load order
+
+On session start (before doing meaningful work in this repo):
+
+1. Read `SKILL.md` from the pinned commit — the always-loaded entry hint.
+2. Read `INDEX.md` — map of every context file with churn labels and
+   "When to load" guidance.
+3. Pull individual files from the bundle on demand, driven by the task
+   and the `INDEX.md` "When to load" column. Do **not** preload the whole
+   bundle.
+4. Always scan `gotchas.md` before completing a non-trivial task.
+5. If working on a feature branch listed under `wip/` (currently
+   `wip/feat-ai.md` for branch `feat/ai`), load that file as well — the
+   stable bundle layers describe `master` only.
+
+## Hard rules for this project
+
+- **Build inside Docker.** Use `Dockerfile.debian` at the repo root. Do
+  not run `./autogen.sh`, `./configure`, or `make` on the host shell. See
+  `build/docker.md` in the context bundle.
+- **`make check` is the only routine test entry point.** Functional tests
+  (`tests/functionaltests/`) and benches (`tests/bench/`) are not part of
+  CI; run them locally inside the Docker image when needed.
+- **Treat path / identifier references in the context bundle as claims
+  to verify.** They were authored against a specific cproof commit; grep
+  the live tree before relying on them.
+- **`master` is the canonical baseline.** Feature-branch surface (e.g.
+  `src/ai/` on `feat/ai`) is documented only under `wip/<branch>.md` in
+  the context bundle. Do not assume branch-specific files exist on
+  `master`.
+
+## Where agent context does NOT live
+
+- This file is the only project-level agent instruction. There is no
+  parallel `CLAUDE.md`, `.cursorrules`, or per-tool variant.
+- User-specific preferences (language, commit-trailer policy, identity)
+  belong in the agent runtime's user-memory, not in this file.
+
+## Updating the bundle
+
+Edits to architectural / pattern / test / build documentation land in the
+`cproof-context` repo, not here. After a context-bundle PR merges,
+update the pinned commit hash above in the same PR cycle that consumes
+the new content.