Agent skill · nousresearch
llm-wiki
Karpathy's LLM Wiki: build/query interlinked markdown KB.
What it needs
About 12k tokens when loaded.
What this skill does
Karpathy's LLM Wiki Build and maintain a persistent, compounding knowledge base as interlinked markdown files. Based on Andrej Karpathy's LLM Wiki pattern. Unlike traditional RAG (which rediscovers knowledge from scratch per query), the wiki compiles knowledge once and keeps it current. Cross-references are already there. Contradictions have already been flagged. Synthesis reflects everything ingested. Division of labor: The human curates sources and directs analysis. The agent summarizes, cross-references, files, and maintains consistency. When This Skill Activates Use this skill when the user: Asks to create, build, or start a wiki or knowledge base Asks to ingest, add, or process a source into their wiki Asks a question and an existing wiki is present at the configured path Asks to lint, audit, or health-check their wiki References their wiki, knowledge base, or "notes" in a research context Wiki Location Location: Set via WIKIPATH environment variable (e.g. in ${HERMESHOME:-~/.hermes}/.env). If unset, defaults to ~/wiki. The wiki is just a directory of markdown files — open it in Obsidian, VS Code, or any editor. No database, no special tooling required. Architecture: Three Layers Layer 1 — Raw Sources: Immutable. The agent reads but never modifies these. Layer 2 — The Wiki: Agent-owned markdown files. Created, updated, and cross-referenced by the agent. Layer 3 — The Schema: SCHEMA.md defines structure, conventions, and tag taxonomy. Resuming an Existing Wiki (CRITICAL — do this every session) When the user has an existing wiki, always orient yourself before doing anything: ① Read SCHEMA.md — understand the domain, conventions, and tag taxonomy. ② Read index.md — learn what pages exist and their summaries. ③ Scan recent log.md — read the last 20-30 entries to understand recent activity. Only after orientation should you ingest, query, or lint. …
How to use it
Reference it in AdaL, Claude Code, Cursor or any coding agent — nothing to install:
@skills nousresearch/llm-wiki--4157cc