Why Rune?

Most skill ecosystems are either too many isolated skills (540+ that don't talk to each other) or rigid pipelines (A → B → C, if B fails everything stops).

Rune is a mesh — 64 skills with 203 connections + 40 signals across a 5-layer architecture. Skills call each other bidirectionally, forming resilient workflows that adapt when things go wrong.

Pipeline:  A → B → C → D         (B fails = stuck)
Hub-Spoke: A → HUB → C           (HUB fails = stuck)
Mesh:      A ↔ B ↔ C             (B fails = A reaches C via D→E)
           ↕       ↕
           D ↔ E ↔ F

Benchmark: With Rune vs Without Rune

We ran 10 standardized coding tasks on Claude Code — once without Rune (vanilla), once with Rune — and measured tokens, cost, duration, and correctness.

Headline Results

                Without Rune    With Rune     Delta
Avg Tokens:     541,400         454,491       ↓ 16%
Avg Cost:       $0.69           $0.65         ↓ 6%
Avg Duration:   2.3 min         2.1 min       ↓ 9%
Avg Tool Calls: 14              13            ↓ 7%
Correctness:    9/10            9/10          =

Where Rune Shines: Complex Tasks

| Task | Difficulty | Tokens | Cost | Duration | Tools | |------|-----------|--------|------|----------|-------| | Refactor 450-line component | Medium | -62% | -17% | -32% | -27% | | Full feature (auth + API + tests) | Complex | -36% | -29% | -31% | -27% | | Add Zod validation | Easy | -9% | -28% | -32% | 0% | | Dark mode across 6 components | Hard | ~0% | +10% | -7% | -6% |

Rune doesn't make Claude smarter — Claude already knows how to code. Rune makes Claude disciplined. The more complex the task, the more discipline matters.

"Without Rune, Claude writes code that works. With Rune, Claude writes code that lasts."

| # | Task | Diff | Tokens | Cost | Time | Correct | |---|------|------|--------|------|------|---------| | 1 | Zod Validation | Easy | -9% | -28% | -32% | ✅ → ✅ | | 2 | Fix N+1 Query | Easy | +12% | +25% | +3% | ❌ → ❌ | | 3 | Cursor Pagination | Med | +12% | +19% | -9% | ✅ → ✅ | | 4 | Security Review | Med | +13% | +32% | +3% | ✅ → ✅ | | 5 | Rate Limiting | Med | +12% | +5% | +5% | ✅ → ✅ | | 6 | Refactor Component | Med | -62% | -17% | -32% | ✅ → ✅ | | 7 | Dark Mode (6 files) | Hard | ~0% | +10% | -7% | ✅ → ✅ | | 8 | DB Migration | Hard | +52% | +11% | +49% | ✅ → ✅ | | 9 | Memory Leak Debug | Hard | +13% | +28% | -2% | ✅ → ✅ | | 10 | Full Auth System | Complex | -36% | -29% | -31% | ✅ → ✅ |

Methodology: Claude Code CLI headless mode (claude -p --output-format json), 10 tasks with fixture code, pattern-based correctness evaluation. Source: Benchmark/

What's New (v2.18.1 — Setup Installs Tier Skills, Not Just Hooks)

v2.18.1 (2026-05-17): Bug fix — rune setup --tier pro|business now copies the tier's skills/ directories into the Free plugin's skills/ folder. Before this fix, paid tiers shipped hooks only, so rune:autopilot (Pro) returned Unknown skill: rune:autopilot because the SKILL.md was at Pro/skills/autopilot/ but invisible to the Claude Code plugin runtime. New installTierSkills in compiler/commands/setup.js runs after installHooks, copies each <tierRoot>/skills/<name>/ into <runeRoot>/skills/, idempotent (skips existing — protects Free skills from clobber and user-edited Pro skills from stomp), with path-traversal guard + symlink rejection + partial-copy cleanup + version-drift detection. Paired with Pro autopilot-v1.5.0 (Step 0 LOAD now reads user-message context for plan path — same pattern cook uses). 25/26 setup tests pass (1 skipped on Windows — symlink test needs admin/dev-mode). Full CI 1444 tests.

Previous (v2.18.0 — Cross-Platform Reach + Discipline Tightening)

v2.18.0 (2026-05-15): Compiler grew from 8 → 13 platforms with five new adapters: Aider (per-skill aider/rules/ + auto-generated .aider.conf.yml read: array), GitHub Copilot CLI (.github/instructions/*.instructions.md w/ documented applyTo YAML), Gemini CLI (bundled GEMINI.md for single-file context), Qoder (.qoder/rules/ + AGENTS.md), Qwen Coder (qwen/skills/ + QWEN.md with @import). New adapter.generateExtraFiles() hook with path-traversal guard + frozen stats snapshot — replaces ad-hoc adapter special-cases (codex AGENTS.md migrated). Discipline tightening: design v0.6.0 adds Step 2.9 Rules 4/5/6 (measurable constraints, no #000/#fff/lorem ipsum, CJK-first font stack); skill-forge v1.9.0 adds soft examples/ convention for output-format skills; sentinel-env v0.4.0 expands Tier 8 binary detection (Bun, Cargo, Deno, Volta, asdf, proto). New CONTRIBUTING.md "What we don't accept" non-goals section. Source: graft from nexu-io/html-anything (Apache-2.0). CI 1435/1435.

Previous (v2.17.1 — One-Command Setup Wizard)

v2.17.1 (2026-05-06): New rune setup interactive wizard collapses the multi-step cd <project> && export RUNE_PRO_ROOT && rune hooks install --preset gentle --tier pro workflow into one command — auto-detects Pro/Business tiers across env var / sibling / well-known paths, asks for scope (current project / global) + preset, installs hooks. New --global flag on rune hooks install writes to ~/.claude/settings.json (every Claude Code session, regardless of project). Non-interactive mode via --here / --global / --tier / --preset / --dry flags. Anti-paywall — wizard ships in Free, NOT Pro/Business (tier-agnostic infrastructure UX). Doc sweep: README "One-Command Setup", HOOKS.md restructure, agent skill-routing row for "set up rune". CI 1376/1376.

Previous (v2.17.0 — Quarantine + Hook Drift Reporter)

v2.17.0 (2026-05-06): New L3 skill quarantine ships a PostToolUse advisory hook for untrusted external content (MCP user-content, WebFetch, upload Reads). Honest scope: hook lands [QUARANTINE-NOTICE] in next-turn additionalContext, biasing the model to treat prior external content as data — NOT structural defense. Layered against permissions.deny (egress) + integrity-check (state). Default trusted-MCP allowlist (linear / github / jira / atlassian / Drive / neural-memory) skips advisory; operator extends at ~/.claude/quarantine.d/trusted-mcp-allowlist.txt. Per-session disable via QUARANTINE_DISABLE=1. Wired into rune hooks install --preset gentle|strict. New rune doctor --hooks drift reporter. CI 1367/1367.

Previous (v2.16.1 — Skill Enrichment + Triage Workflow + Output Modes)

v2.16.1 patch (2026-05-02): ba v0.13.0 → v1.0.0 first stable major (no functional changes — maturity stamp). Doc/signal hygiene: CLAUDE.md "Current Wave" synced; 4 terminal-observability signals whitelisted in validate-signals.js. CI 1349/1349.

• debug v1.2.0 — Step 0: Build Feedback Loop — 10-rank ladder (failing test → curl → CLI snapshot → headless browser → trace replay → throwaway harness → fuzz → bisection → differential → HITL script). Codifies "the loop is the speed limit" — a fast deterministic pass/fail signal turns debugging into mechanical bisection. Skip if repro is already < 5s and deterministic; > 10 min loop construction triggers 3-Fix Escalation (architecture is the problem).
• plan v1.6.0 — Vertical Slice Mode — tracer-bullet task decomposition. Each task = end-to-end path through schema + API + UI + test, demoable on its own. AFK / HITL classification. Stops "horizontal layer" planning that blocks on the slowest layer.
• context-engine v1.2.0 — Caveman Output Mode — auto-activates on context ORANGE / RED (or /caveman). Strips filler / articles / hedging / pleasantries while preserving full technical accuracy (~75% output reduction). Auto-clarity exceptions for security warnings, destructive-action confirmations, multi-step sequences, root-cause diagnosis.
• ba v1.0.0 — Synthesis Mode + Out-of-Scope WRITE — when prior conversation has rich context (pasted spec, > 1000 words, continuation session), extract Requirements Document with source citations and confirm instead of re-interviewing. Step 1.6 closes the .out-of-scope/ write loop: explicit mid-elicitation rejections produce a durable .out-of-scope/<slug>.md record so future sessions don't re-litigate.
• context-pack v0.3.0 — Agent Brief Variant — durable handoff format for AFK agents (issue tracker queues, autopilot multi-session work). Behavioral over procedural; type names over file:line. Survives codebase drift between handoff and execution.
• review-intake v1.3.0 — Issue Triage Mode — new mode for issue tracker items (PR Review remains default). State machine: needs-triage → needs-info / ready-for-agent / ready-for-human / wontfix. Repro-first HARD-GATE for bugs (calls debug Step 0 if multi-component). Vague issues route to ba Synthesis Mode for grilling. AGENT-BRIEF emission for ready-for-agent.
• 5 new mesh signals — output.density.set, triage.classified, agent.brief.ready, outofscope.recorded + EXTERNAL_TRIGGER_SIGNALS whitelist concept (symmetric to INTENTIONAL_BROADCAST_SIGNALS).
• Validator cleanups — validate-skills.js Done-When regex relaxed (scope-aware, supports mode-based subsections); 9 pre-existing validation errors cleaned. validate-signals.js gained EXTERNAL_TRIGGER_SIGNALS set.
• Provenance — second graft pass from mattpocock/skills (MIT). Round 1 had silently grafted 7 patterns (improve-architecture, CONTEXT.md, design-it-twice, zoom-out, oracle-mode, grill, out-of-scope); Round 2 + 2b documented + extended.

Previous (v2.15.0 — Second Opinion + Cross-Provider + Routing Clarity)

• adversary v0.2.0 — Mode: oracle — when agent.stuck fires from debug (3 disproved hypotheses) or fix (2+ failed attempts), oracle-mode dispatches a stateless second-model pass with explicit "no prior context" framing. Bundle format is regex-validated ([SYSTEM] invariant role-priming + [USER] template + ### File N), token-capped (100k bundle, 4k per file, 12 files max), citation-required reply contract. Secrets auto-redacted. Breaks the confirmation-bias loop that scout's zoom-out (structural pivot) cannot.
• session-bridge v0.8.0 — Detach Mode — async escalation primitive. Heavy-model second-opinion calls (1-10 min wall time) no longer block the primary agent. .rune/oracle-pending/<sessionId>.json is the rendezvous file; idempotent dispatch (bundleHash-keyed); 10min default timeout; 24h orphan cleanup on session start. cook Phase 4 and team Phase 3 reattach via filesystem poll between adjacent tasks.
• context-engine v1.1.0 — Mode: preview — pre-flight cost gate. Caller emits context.preview BEFORE bundle build with file list + estimated tokens (chars × 0.25). Per-caller thresholds: adversary 50k/100k, team 30k/80k (per worker), review 40k/100k, audit 60k/120k. Action enum proceed | warn | block. Override via RUNE_CONTEXT_THRESHOLDS_<CALLER>. Stops team parallel workstreams from silently blowing $20 of Opus tokens.
• Cross-provider model mapping — 5 non-Anthropic adapters now translate model: opus|sonnet|haiku to provider-correct names. codex → gpt-5-pro / gpt-5 / gpt-5-mini. antigravity → gemini-3-pro / gemini-3-flash / gemini-3-flash-lite. opencode / openclaw / generic → tier:heavy / tier:mid / tier:light (provider-agnostic). claude / cursor / windsurf remain no-op (Anthropic backend understands native names).
• Routing clarity sweep — all 63 SKILL.md descriptions now double-quoted (YAML safety). 13 ambiguous-name skills got explicit "Use when…" routing hints so skill-router doesn't have to guess: ba, completion-gate, constraint-check, doc-processor, integrity-check, logic-guardian, onboard, preflight, sentinel-env, watchdog, worktree, hallucination-guard, mcp-builder.
• 4 new mesh signals — oracle.dispatched, oracle.response, oracle.failed, context.preview. All registered in Signal Catalog with full emit/listen mapping. agent.stuck listeners updated to include adversary in addition to scout.
• 1,331 tests — +71 from v2.14.0 across 5 new test files: adapter-model-mapping (18), oracle-bundle-format (19), oracle-pending-schema (16), context-preview-signal (13), skill-description-quality (5).

Previous (v2.14.0 — Deep Modules)

• improve-architecture skill (NEW L2, opus) — controlled vocabulary (Module / Interface / Implementation / Depth / Seam / Adapter / Leverage / Locality), numeric depth-leverage-locality scoring (1–5 each), 4 dependency categories, structured proposal payloads.
• TDD vertical-slicing HARD-GATE — test v1.3.0 catches "horizontal slicing" (5 tests before any GREEN), commit-pair audit trail, shape-test smell detector.
• .out-of-scope/ knowledge base — ba v0.11.0 reads, review-intake v1.2.0 writes. Stops re-litigation of rejected features.
• CONTEXT.md inline-sharpen + ADR 3-criteria gate — journal v0.4.0 only opens an ADR when sum ≥ 11 + each axis ≥ 3.
• Agent Brief durability — context-pack v0.2.0 regex smell tests block stale paths/line numbers.
• Design-It-Twice mode — brainstorm v0.6.0 with constraint-pinned parallel subagents + diversity score gate.
• Zoom-out + explore-first micro-utilities — scout v0.4.0 listens for agent.stuck; ba Step 2.0 HARD-GATE requires tool-call evidence.

Previous (v2.13.0 — Script Contract + Media Pack)

• @rune-pro/media pack v1.0.0 — new Pro pack: raster image generation across 5 providers (Codex CLI, DALL-E, Replicate, Stability AI, local SD), prompt engineering with 4-gate safety check (trademark, public-figure, prompt-injection, uncanny-precondition), batch asset pipeline with multi-resolution variants + WebP/AVIF conversion + EXIF strip.
• sentinel-env v0.3.0 — 9-tier binary detection for hard-dependency checks.
• skill-forge v1.8.0 — new Phase 5.25 "Script Contract" — helper scripts must follow stdout=paths / stderr=diagnostics / --json opt-in / semantic exit codes. HARD-GATE on pre-ship verification.
• OpenClaw adapter — generateManifest now declares artifactConvention.

Previous (v2.12.0 — Auto-Discipline)

• Runtime auto-discipline — rune hooks install wires native hooks on Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, Antigravity so preflight, sentinel, completion-gate auto-fire before tool use. No more "remember to invoke the skill."
• Three presets — strict (blocking gates), gentle (warnings, default), off (uninstall). Idempotent install / uninstall with full restore of user hooks.
• Multi-tier hook layering — --tier pro / --tier business stack paid-tier hooks on top of Free using a tier-tagged manifest at $<TIER>_ROOT/hooks/manifest.json. Free compiler stays tier-agnostic (MIT-clean).
• logic-guardian v0.3.0 — rune init now auto-seeds .rune/INVARIANTS.md with project-detected rules (money math, state machines, payment flows). Preflight reads it as a hard gate.
• session-bridge v0.7.0 — emits context.compact.imminent signal; cook/plan/team listen and checkpoint work before compaction.
• autopilot v1.1.0 (Pro) — honors the hooks manifest; runs overnight with the same blocking gates your interactive sessions enforce.
• Security — tier name sanitization (path-traversal-safe), precise statusLine detection (no false-positive uninstall of user commands), overrides migration for legacy hook entries.
• 1,152 tests — +31 from v2.11.0 covering hooks adapter, tier manifest loader, override migration, and review regressions.

Previous (v2.11.0)

• Mesh integrity — 8 dead wires fixed, 5 workflow gaps closed (hotfix chain, API versioning, monorepo mode, feature flags, dependency upgrade campaigns)
• audit v0.4.0 — DX Review Mode: Addy Osmani's 8 developer experience principles with scoring rubric and browser-pilot integration
• cook v2.4.0 — remediation cycle counter + upstream inconsistency protocol
• problem-solver v0.4.0 — Cynefin, SWOT, PESTLE, Porter's Five Forces, ethics framework
• plan v1.5.0 — autopilot suggested_next: autonomous execution path for Pro users after plan approval
• Autopilot routing — skill-router Tier 1 entry for Pro autopilot ("auto", "làm hết", "đi ngủ" → autonomous mode)

Previous (v2.10.0)

• marketing v0.4.0 — anti-AI copy rules (banned phrases, 5 hook types, specificity mandate), expanded SEO audit with schema markup guide (10 types + @graph pattern), programmatic SEO awareness (4 playbooks), optional Pro content-scorer/cro-analyst integration
• Pro growth pack v1.1.0 — 3 new skills (content-scorer, cro-analyst, marketing-psych) + 6 existing skills enriched with SEO Machine patterns

Previous (v2.8.0)

• Anti-Loop Intelligence — 7 core skills enriched with execution loop detection, saturation analysis, error pattern matching, artifact folding, budget-aware progression, and recovery policy routing
• cook v2.1.0 — observation/effect ratio tracking (detects stuck agents reading without writing) + budget-aware phase progression with hard caps on replans, quality retries, and session tool calls
• completion-gate v1.8.0 — execution loop audit: classifies tool calls as observation vs effect, flags imbalanced ratios and repeating sequences in gate reports
• scout v0.3.0 — info saturation detection: tracks entity discovery rate and content similarity to stop scanning when diminishing returns detected
• research v0.4.0 — diminishing returns detection: monitors new-entity ratio and result overlap across searches to skip redundant queries
• context-engine v0.9.0 — artifact folding: large tool outputs (>4000 chars or >120 lines) saved to .rune/artifacts/ with compact preview in context
• debug v1.0.0 — known error pattern catalog: 8 error archetypes (STATELESS_LOSS, MODULE_NOT_FOUND, TYPE_MISMATCH, ASYNC_DEADLOCK, etc.) with recovery hints + error fingerprinting for dedup
• fix v0.8.0 — recovery policy matrix: classifies errors into 8 types (INPUT_REQUIRED→PROMPT_USER, TIMEOUT→RETRY, POLICY_BLOCKED→ABORT, etc.) before attempting fixes
• Source attribution cleanup — removed all enrichment credit lines from skill files to reduce context noise

Previous (v2.7.0)

• Deep Knowledge — 8 core skills enriched with battle-tested patterns: context compaction, structured cumulative memory, milestone analysis, multi-provider adapters, AI-driven interview, prompt-as-API-contract, token budget tracking, incremental stream processing
• 946 Tests — compiler + signals + hooks + scripts + status + visualizer validation

Previous (v2.6.0)

• Mesh Signals — event-driven skill communication via frontmatter. Skills declare emit and listen signals; compiler builds a signal graph in skill-index.json. 23 signals across 15 core skills
• Signal Validation — scripts/validate-signals.js checks orphan listeners (hard error), unlistened emitters (warning), signal naming conventions
• Mesh Contract (v2.5.0) — .rune/contract.md project-level invariants enforced by cook + sentinel as hard gates
• Tier Override — Pro/Business packs override Free packs with skill-level merging
• Scripts Bundling — compiler copies scripts/ directories, resolves {scripts_dir} placeholders

Signal Graph

Skills communicate through declarative signals — no runtime event bus, just metadata for discovery, validation, and routing:

scout ──emit:codebase.scanned──→ plan, brainstorm
fix ────emit:code.changed──────→ test, sentinel, review, preflight, verification
test ───emit:tests.passed──────→ deploy
test ───emit:tests.failed──────→ debug
sentinel─emit:security.passed──→ deploy
debug ──emit:bug.diagnosed─────→ fix
deploy ─emit:deploy.complete───→ watchdog
cook ───emit:phase.complete────→ session-bridge

What Rune Is (and Isn't)

Rune started as a Claude Code plugin and now compiles to every major AI IDE. Same 64 skills, same mesh connections, same workflows — zero knowledge loss across platforms.

| | Rune Provides | Claude Code Provides | |---|---|---| | Workflows | 8-phase TDD cycle (cook), parallel DAG execution (team), rescue pipelines | Basic tool calling | | Quality Gates | preflight + sentinel + review + completion-gate (parallel) | None built-in | | Domain Knowledge | 14 extension packs (trading, SaaS, mobile, etc.) | General-purpose | | Cross-Session State | .rune/ directory (decisions, conventions, progress) | Conversation only | | Mesh Resilience | 203 skill connections + 40 mesh signals, fail-loud-route-around | Linear execution | | Cost Optimization | Auto model selection (haiku/sonnet/opus per task) | Single model | | | | | | Sandbox & Permissions | — | Claude Code handles this | | Agent Spawning | — | Claude Code's Task/Agent system | | MCP Integration | — | Claude Code's MCP protocol | | File System Access | — | Claude Code's tool permissions |

Common Misconceptions

| "Rune doesn't have..." | Reality | |---|---| | Task graph / DAG | team skill: DAG decomposition → parallel worktree agents → merge coordination | | CI quality gates | verification skill: lint + typecheck + tests + build (actual commands, not LLM review) | | Memory / state | session-bridge + journal: cross-session decisions, conventions, ADRs, module health | | Multi-model strategy | Every skill has assigned model: haiku (scan), sonnet (code), opus (architecture) | | Agent specialization | 62 specialized skills with dedicated roles (architect, coder, reviewer, scanner, researcher, BA, scaffolder) — each runs as a Task agent via Claude Code | | Security scanning | sentinel: OWASP patterns, secret scanning, dependency audit. sast: static analysis |

Install

One-Command Setup (recommended)

After installing the plugin, run the wizard once to wire hooks the way you want them — pick scope, pick tiers, done:

npx @rune-kit/rune setup

The wizard auto-detects what you have:

Rune Setup Wizard
──────────────────
Free version:    2.18.0 (cached)
Pro detected:    sibling (../Pro) (v1.1.0)
Business:        not detected

Where to install hooks?
  [c] Current project — D:/MyProject/.claude/settings.json
  [g] Global          — ~/.claude/settings.json
       (every Claude Code session, regardless of project)

Scope [c/g] (default c): g
Install Pro tier? [Y/n]: y
Preset [g/s] (default g): g

✓ Wired 5 hooks to ~/.claude/settings.json
  Verify: rune doctor --hooks

What does the wizard do? It writes Rune-managed entries to .claude/settings.json (project-local OR global) so Claude Code auto-fires preflight, sentinel, dependency-doctor, completion-gate, and quarantine at the right moments. With --tier pro, it also wires loop-circuit-breaker (auto-engages only in autopilot sessions).

Non-interactive mode (CI / scripted):

npx @rune-kit/rune setup --here --preset gentle --tier pro
npx @rune-kit/rune setup --global --preset strict --tier pro,business
npx @rune-kit/rune setup --here --no-tier --dry      # preview without writing

Claude Code (Native Plugin)

# Install via Claude Code CLI
claude plugin add rune-kit/rune

Or add manually in ~/.claude/settings.json under installed_plugins.

Full mesh: subagents, hooks, adaptive routing, mesh analytics. Run npx @rune-kit/rune setup afterward to wire hooks (see One-Command Setup above).

Cursor / Windsurf / Antigravity / Any IDE

# Compile Rune skills for your platform
npx @rune-kit/rune init

# Or specify platform explicitly
npx @rune-kit/rune init --platform cursor
npx @rune-kit/rune init --platform windsurf
npx @rune-kit/rune init --platform antigravity

This compiles all 64 skills into your IDE's rules format. Same knowledge, same workflows.

Platform Comparison

| Feature | Claude Code | Cursor / Windsurf / Others | |---------|-------------|---------------------------| | Skills available | 64/64 | 64/64 | | Mesh connections | 203 sync + 40 signals (programmatic) | 203 sync + 40 signals (rule references) | | Workflows & HARD-GATEs | Full | Full | | Extension packs | 14 | 14 | | Subagent parallelism | Native | Sequential fallback | | Lifecycle hooks | 8 hooks (JS runtime) | Inline MUST/NEVER constraints | | Adaptive model routing | haiku/sonnet/opus | Single model | | Mesh analytics | Real-time metrics | Not available |

Same power, different delivery. Claude Code gets execution efficiency; other IDEs get the same knowledge and workflows.

Quick Start

# Onboard any project (generates CLAUDE.md + .rune/ context)
/rune onboard

# Build a feature (full TDD cycle)
/rune cook "add user authentication with JWT"

# Debug an issue
/rune debug "login returns 401 for valid credentials"

# Security scan before commit
/rune sentinel

# Refactor legacy code safely
/rune rescue

# Full project health audit
/rune audit

# Respond to a production incident
/rune incident "login service returning 503 for 30% of users"

# Generate design system before building UI
/rune design "trading dashboard with real-time data"

# Bootstrap a new project from scratch (v2.1.0)
/rune scaffold "REST API with auth, payments, and Docker"

# Deep requirement analysis before building
/rune ba "integrate Telegram bot with trading signals"

# Auto-generate project documentation
/rune docs init

# Build an MCP server
/rune mcp-builder "weather API with forecast tools"

Auto-Discipline (Claude Code Hooks)

Turn Rune skills into ambient runtime — no more /rune preflight every time. Install once, skills auto-fire on relevant tool calls:

# Wire Rune quality gates into Claude Code (.claude/settings.json)
npx @rune-kit/rune hooks install --preset gentle

# Preset options:
#   gentle  — advisory, never blocks (default)
#   strict  — blocks tool call on BLOCK verdict
#   off     — uninstall

# Inspect current wiring
npx @rune-kit/rune hooks status

# Remove (preserves user-authored hooks)
npx @rune-kit/rune hooks uninstall

What gets wired:

| Event | Skill | When it fires | |---|---|---| | PreToolUse(Edit|Write) | preflight | Before Claude edits source files | | PreToolUse(Bash) | sentinel | Before shell commands (catches git commit, secrets) | | PostToolUse(Edit|Write) | dependency-doctor | After dependency manifest edits | | Stop | completion-gate | End of session — validates claims against evidence |

Rune only manages entries tagged with its command signature. User-authored hooks in the same events are preserved on install/uninstall.

Stacking paid tiers (Pro, Business)

Paid tiers ship their own hooks/manifest.json. Point Rune at the install root and pass --tier:

export RUNE_PRO_ROOT=~/rune-pro
rune hooks install --preset gentle --tier pro

# Stack Free + Pro + Business in one command
export RUNE_BUSINESS_ROOT=~/rune-business
rune hooks install --preset gentle --tier pro --tier business

Multi-platform: tier hooks compile to Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, and Antigravity with the same command — no Claude-only lock-in.

Architecture

5-Layer Model

╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║  L0: ROUTER (1)                                      ║
║  Meta-enforcement — routes every action               ║
║  skill-router                                         ║
╠══════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣
║  L1: ORCHESTRATORS (5)                                ║
║  Full lifecycle workflows                             ║
║  cook │ team │ launch │ rescue │ scaffold             ║
╠══════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣
║  L2: WORKFLOW HUBS (29)                               ║
║  Cross-hub mesh — the key differentiator              ║
║                                                        ║
║  Creation:    plan │ scout │ brainstorm │ design │     ║
║               skill-forge │ ba │ mcp-builder │ graft   ║
║  Development: debug │ fix │ test │ review │ db         ║
║  Quality:     sentinel │ preflight │ onboard │         ║
║               audit │ perf │ review-intake │           ║
║               logic-guardian                            ║
║  Delivery:    deploy │ marketing │ incident │ docs     ║
║  Rescue:      autopsy │ safeguard │ surgeon            ║
║  Security:    adversary                                ║
║  Velocity:    retro                                    ║
╠══════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣
║  L3: UTILITIES (27)                                   ║
║  Stateless, pure capabilities                         ║
║                                                        ║
║  Knowledge:   research │ docs-seeker │ trend-scout     ║
║  Reasoning:   problem-solver │ sequential-thinking     ║
║  Validation:  verification │ hallucination-guard │     ║
║               completion-gate │ constraint-check │     ║
║               sast │ integrity-check                   ║
║  State:       context-engine │ journal │               ║
║               session-bridge                           ║
║  Monitoring:  watchdog │ scope-guard                   ║
║  Media:       browser-pilot │ asset-creator │          ║
║               video-creator                            ║
║  Deps:        dependency-doctor                        ║
║  Workspace:   worktree                                 ║
║  Git:         git                                      ║
║  Documents:   doc-processor                            ║
║  Security:    sentinel-env                             ║
║  Memory:      neural-memory                            ║
║  Packs:       context-pack                             ║
║  Slides:      slides                                   ║
╠══════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣
║  L4: EXTENSION PACKS (14)                             ║
║  Domain-specific, install what you need                ║
║                                                        ║
║  @rune/ui │ @rune/backend │ @rune/devops │            ║
║  @rune/mobile │ @rune/security │ @rune/trading │      ║
║  @rune/saas │ @rune/ecommerce │ @rune/ai-ml │        ║
║  @rune/gamedev │ @rune/content │ @rune/analytics │    ║
║  @rune/chrome-ext │ @rune/zalo                         ║
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝

Layer Rules

| Layer | Can Call | Called By | State | |-------|---------|----------|-------| | L0 Router | L1-L3 (routing) | Every message | Stateless | | L1 Orchestrators | L2, L3 | L0, User | Stateful (workflow) | | L2 Workflow Hubs | L2 (cross-hub), L3 | L1, L2 | Stateful (task) | | L3 Utilities | Nothing (pure)* | L1, L2 | Stateless | | L4 Extensions | L3 | L2 (domain match) | Config-based |

*L3→L3 exceptions: context-engine→session-bridge, hallucination-guard→research, session-bridge→integrity-check

Cost Intelligence

Every skill has an auto-selected model for optimal cost:

| Task Type | Model | Cost | |-----------|-------|------| | Scan, search, validate | Haiku | Cheapest | | Write code, fix bugs, review | Sonnet | Default | | Architecture, security audit | Opus | Deep reasoning |

Typical feature: ~$0.05-0.15 (vs ~$0.60 all-opus).

Key Workflows

/rune cook — Build a Feature

Phase 0 RESUME     → detect existing .rune/plan-*.md, load active phase
Phase 1 UNDERSTAND → scout scans codebase, ba elicits requirements
Phase 2 PLAN       → plan creates master plan + phase files
Phase 3 TEST       → test writes failing tests (TDD red)
Phase 4 IMPLEMENT  → fix writes code (TDD green)
Phase 5 QUALITY    → preflight + sentinel + review (parallel)
Phase 6 VERIFY     → verification + hallucination-guard
Phase 7 COMMIT     → git creates semantic commit
Phase 8 BRIDGE     → session-bridge saves state, announce next phase

Multi-session: Phase 0 detects existing plans and resumes from the current phase. One phase per session = small context = better code.

/rune rescue — Refactor Legacy Code

Phase 0 RECON      → autopsy assesses damage (health score)
Phase 1 SAFETY NET → safeguard writes characterization tests
Phase 2-N SURGERY  → surgeon refactors 1 module per session
Phase N+1 CLEANUP  → remove @legacy markers
Phase N+2 VERIFY   → health score comparison (before vs after)

/rune launch — Deploy + Market

Phase 1 PRE-FLIGHT → full test suite
Phase 2 DEPLOY     → push to platform
Phase 3 VERIFY     → live site checks + monitoring
Phase 4 MARKET     → landing copy, social, SEO
Phase 5 ANNOUNCE   → publish content

Mesh Resilience

If a skill fails, the mesh adapts:

| If this fails... | Rune tries... | |---|---| | debug can't find cause | problem-solver (different reasoning) | | docs-seeker can't find docs | research (broader web search) | | scout can't find files | research + docs-seeker | | test can't run | deploy fix env, then test again |

Loop prevention: max 2 visits per skill, max chain depth 8.

Cross-Session Persistence

Rune preserves context across sessions via .rune/:

.rune/
├── decisions.md     — architectural decisions log
├── conventions.md   — established patterns & style
├── progress.md      — task progress tracker
└── session-log.md   — brief session history

Every new session loads .rune/ automatically — zero context loss.

Extension Packs

Domain-specific skills that plug into the core mesh:

| Pack | Skills | For | |------|--------|-----| | @rune/ui | design-system, components, a11y, animation | Frontend | | @rune/backend | api, auth, database, middleware | Backend | | @rune/devops | docker, ci-cd, monitoring, server, ssl | DevOps | | @rune/mobile | react-native, flutter, app-store, native | Mobile | | @rune/security | owasp, pentest, secrets, compliance | Security | | @rune/trading | fintech, realtime, charts, indicators | Fintech | | @rune/saas | multi-tenant, billing, subscription, onboarding | SaaS | | @rune/ecommerce | shopify, payment, cart, inventory | E-commerce | | @rune/ai-ml | llm, rag, embeddings, fine-tuning | AI/ML | | @rune/gamedev | threejs, webgl, game-loops, physics | Games | | @rune/content | blog, cms, mdx, i18n, seo | Content | | @rune/analytics | tracking, a/b testing, funnels, dashboards | Growth |

Rune Pro — $49 lifetime

Free Rune makes Claude disciplined. Pro makes Claude self-aware.

Context Intelligence — the headline Pro feature. Claude Code auto-compacts at random, wiping your session context. With Pro, Claude knows when context is filling up — and proactively saves decisions, progress, and discoveries before compact hits.

Free:  Claude is blind to context pressure → auto-compact → amnesia
Pro:   Claude sees real-time context % → saves state → compact → reloads → zero loss

How it works: rune-pulse (statusline) reads context_window.used_percentage from Claude Code, writes to temp file. context-inject hook injects warnings into Claude's context at 70% / 80% / 90%. Claude triggers session-bridge + neural-memory to persist everything. After /compact, session-start reloads .rune/ state — Claude picks up exactly where it left off.

Autopilot — approve a plan, walk away. Autonomous multi-session execution with zero-HIGH-tolerance quality gates, baseline regression checks, cross-phase coherence review, and structured completion reports. cook gets the job done. autopilot gets it done while you sleep.

Department Packs — 34 skills across 5 domains:

| Pack | What it does | |------|-------------| | Product | PRDs from user stories, roadmap prioritization, KPI dashboards, release comms, competitive analysis | | Sales | Account research briefs, call prep with objection handling, outreach sequences, pipeline health review | | Data Science | SQL exploration → visualization → statistical testing → ML eval, all in one flow | | Support | Ticket triage with SLA routing, KB article generation, escalation playbooks, support metrics | | Growth | Niche research, content scouting, SEO architecture, landing page generation, content health monitoring, data moats, content quality scoring, CRO psychology analysis, 74 marketing mental models |

All Pro packs plug into the core mesh — cook orchestrates them, sentinel gates them, team parallelizes them.

Get Rune Pro — rune-kit/rune-pro

Rune Business — $149 lifetime (includes Pro)

Pro handles departments. Business handles the company.

Business packs don't just add skills — they wire departments together. Finance pulls from sales pipeline. Legal audits product specs. Enterprise search indexes support KB. 40 cross-domain signals, zero manual context passing.

| Pack | What it does | |------|-------------| | Finance | Budget planning from sales pipeline data, P&L analysis, cash flow forecasting, compliance reporting | | Legal | Contract review with clause extraction, GDPR/SOC2 compliance checks, NDA triage, IP protection | | HR | JD generation, resume screening, structured interviews, comp benchmarking, onboarding workflows | | Enterprise Search | Cross-system knowledge retrieval with permission-aware filtering and knowledge graph |

4 packs, 26 skills, 118 reference files, 11 automation scripts. Business includes all Pro features because it depends on Pro data — finance can't forecast without sales pipeline, legal can't audit without product specs.

Get Rune Business — rune-kit/rune-business

Multi-Platform Compiler

Rune includes a 3-stage compiler that transforms SKILL.md files into platform-native rule formats:

skills/*.md → PARSE → TRANSFORM → EMIT → platform rules

8 transforms applied per platform:

1. Frontmatter: strip Claude Code-specific directives
2. Cross-references: rune:cook → @rune-cook.mdc (Cursor) / prose ref (Windsurf)
3. Tool names: Read, Edit, Bash → generic language
4. Subagents: parallel → sequential workflow
5. Compliance: inject enforcement preamble (non-Claude platforms)
6. Hooks: runtime hooks → inline MUST/NEVER constraints
7. Branding: Rune attribution footer

# Build for any platform
npx @rune-kit/rune build --platform cursor
npx @rune-kit/rune build --platform windsurf

# Validate compiled output
npx @rune-kit/rune doctor

See docs/MULTI-PLATFORM.md for the full architecture.

Documentation

| Doc | What's inside | |-----|---------------| | docs/GETTING_STARTED.md | Your first 5 minutes with Rune — install to first /rune cook | | docs/SKILLS.md | All 64 skills, searchable by intent and layer | | docs/SIGNALS.md | Canonical signal inventory — 25 events, emit/listen graph | | docs/ARCHITECTURE.md | 5-layer mesh architecture reference | | docs/VISION.md | Philosophy — what Rune is and isn't | | docs/HOOKS.md | Auto-discipline hooks per platform | | docs/TROUBLESHOOTING.md | Common issues + fixes | | CONTRIBUTING.md | How to contribute skills, packs, fixes | | CHANGELOG.md | Release history | | ROADMAP.md | What's next |

Numbers

Core Skills:       64 (L0: 1 │ L1: 5 │ L2: 30 │ L3: 28)
Extension Packs:   14 free + 6 pro + 4 business
Mesh Connections:  203 sync calls (rune doctor)
Mesh Signals:      40 signals · 50 emit/listen edges (rune doctor)
Connections/Skill: 3.2 avg
Platforms:         8 (Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, Antigravity, Codex, OpenCode, OpenClaw, Generic)
Compiler:          ~1400 LOC (parser + 8 transforms + 8 adapters + CLI)
Tests:             1,152+ (compiler + signals + status + visualizer + hooks + scripts + tier-hooks)
Pack Depth:        23 packs total (14 free + 5 pro + 4 business, all free packs rated Deep)

Acknowledgments

• UI/UX Pro Max (MIT, 42.8k★) — Design intelligence databases powering Rune's design skill and @rune/ui pack: 161 color palettes, 84 UI styles, 73 font pairings, 99 UX guidelines, 161 industry reasoning rules.

License

MIT