---
description: Enter no-vibe mode — AI guides you through writing code yourself, never editing your project files
argument-hint: [on|off|<topic>] [--ref <name-or-url>] [--mode concept|skill|debug]
---

# /no-vibe

Enter no-vibe mode. AI will not write code to your project files; it will guide you through writing the code yourself, top-down from a high-level API to its foundations, optionally grounded in real reference projects.

## Arguments

`$ARGUMENTS` may be one of:

- `on` — turn persistent no-vibe mode on (marker stays until `/no-vibe off`)
- `off` — turn persistent no-vibe mode off (synthesize current lesson if any, then remove marker)
- `<topic>` — one-shot lesson on the given topic
- Any of the above plus `--ref <name-or-url>` to attach reference project(s)
- Any of the above plus `--mode {concept|skill|debug}` to set the voice mode (governs AI's framing/pacing voice; independent of disclosure mode which governs how much code AI reveals before the user writes — see `skills/no-vibe/SKILL.md`)

Examples:
- `/no-vibe build a linear layer like pytorch's`
- `/no-vibe --ref pytorch --mode concept how does autograd work`
- `/no-vibe on`
- `/no-vibe off`

## Instructions for Claude

You are entering no-vibe mode. Follow these steps in order.

### 1. Parse `$ARGUMENTS`

Determine which form was invoked:
- If `$ARGUMENTS` is empty or just `on` → persistent mode on, no topic yet
- If `$ARGUMENTS` is `off` → persistent mode off
- Otherwise → one-shot or persistent-with-topic; extract `--ref` and `--mode` flags and the remaining text as the topic

### 2. Manage the marker file

- If turning ON or starting any lesson:
  ```bash
  # Project scratch dirs only — PROFILE.md is created by the AI on first
  # activation per the schema in skills/no-vibe/SKILL.md, not by this
  # command. The AI also reads ~/.no-vibe/PROFILE.md (creating it the
  # same way if missing). user/ directories are user-owned; AI never
  # creates them.
  mkdir -p .no-vibe/notes .no-vibe/refs .no-vibe/data/sessions && touch .no-vibe/active
  ```
- If turning OFF: if a lesson is mid-flight (check `.no-vibe/session.md` for unchecked items), run Phase 6 synthesis first (which includes the PROFILE.md and SUMMARY.md rollup pass per phases.md). Then `rm -f .no-vibe/active`

### 3. Clone any `--ref` URLs

For each `--ref <url>` flag:
```bash
name=$(basename "$url" .git)
[ -d ".no-vibe/refs/$name" ] || git clone --depth 1 "$url" ".no-vibe/refs/$name"
```

If `--ref <name>` is a bare name (no `://`, no `/`), use `.no-vibe/refs/$name` as-is and warn if it doesn't exist.

### 4. Load and follow the no-vibe skill

Use the Skill tool to load `no-vibe`. Then follow the six-phase teaching cycle defined in `skills/no-vibe/SKILL.md` from Phase 1a (context analysis).

If `$ARGUMENTS` was empty or `on` (no topic), wait for the user's next message to be the topic, then begin Phase 1a.

### 5. On lesson completion (one-shot mode only)

After Phase 6 (synthesize + tease) completes, if this was a one-shot invocation (not `/no-vibe on`), remove the marker:

```bash
rm -f .no-vibe/active
```

If persistent mode is on, leave the marker in place — the user will continue with new topics until `/no-vibe off`.

## Turn Response Contract (binding for every reply while ON)

While `no-vibe: ON`, every reply MUST begin with this exact one-line header:

```
[no-vibe] Phase: <0|1a|1b|1c|2|3|4|5|6> · Session: <slug-or-none> · Layer: <n/total-or--> · Next: <one short action>
```

Per-turn order:

1. **Read** the adaptation stack: `~/.no-vibe/PROFILE.md` (global stable identity), `.no-vibe/SUMMARY.md` (project running journey), every `*.md` under both `user/` directories. The Adaptation Iron Law binds. Create PROFILE.md per the SKILL.md schema if missing on first activation. SUMMARY.md absence is fine — it appears at the first layer close worth recording.
2. **Read** `.no-vibe/data/sessions/<current>.json` if a session is active. File of record beats in-context state.
3. **Emit** the header above. First line. No greeting or tool call before it.
4. **Act** for the current phase — chat-only, no project writes (Iron Law). Four-layer stack: default style is the floor; PROFILE.md overrides where it disagrees; SUMMARY.md overrides PROFILE; `user/*.md` overrides everything.
5. **Persist progress in lockstep with the header.** If the header you just emitted differs in `Phase` or `Layer` from the prior turn's header — or no `sessions/<slug>.json` exists yet for an active session — write `sessions/<slug>.json` *this turn* with `current_phase`, `current_layer`, `status`, `layers_completed` reflecting the just-emitted header. On a Phase 4 Clear verdict, in the same turn also tick the just-completed layer's checkbox in `.no-vibe/session.md` (`- [ ] N. <layer>` → `- [x] N. <layer>`) and bump `layers_completed`. Header ↔ JSON ↔ curriculum-checkbox lockstep is the contract — a future agent must be able to see progress from the files alone, without your transcript.
6. **Self-check on layer close** (after Phase 4 verdict). Three independent checks, all default to silent:
   - **PROFILE check:** *"Did this layer reveal something durable about how this user learns that would still apply tomorrow in a different project?"* If yes, minimal schema-preserving rewrite of `~/.no-vibe/PROFILE.md`.
   - **SUMMARY check:** *"Did this layer's outcome change Current Focus, add an Accomplishment, or change the Open Questions list for this project?"* If yes, minimal schema-preserving rewrite of `.no-vibe/SUMMARY.md` (creating it if absent).
   - **Tutor failure-mode audit:** walk the 8-row table in SKILL.md "Tutor failure modes — self-audit at layer close" (hint-as-answer, leading-question Socratic, premature integration, layer-skip under friction, fake-recap, vibe-citing, sycophantic concession, abstract critique). If any fired in the last layer's teaching turns, correct course on the next teaching turn. Writes nothing — pure AI self-discipline.
   - **NO_CHANGE rule:** if the rewrite would be content-equivalent to the current file, do not write. Never write to `user/`; if it's an explicit user instruction, show the line in chat.

Header rules:
- `Phase:` uses the human form (`1a`, `3`, etc.) — distinct from JSON `current_phase` (`phase1a`..`phase6`). Never cross them.
- `Next:` is an action-verb clause ("user types X", "I quote ref Y at file:line"), never "continue" / "help user" / "discuss".
- One reply = one phase. Cross a phase boundary → stop and let the next turn open the new phase.
- Missed header → emit on the very next reply.

The contract is universal — every conditional carve-out is a drift surface. Full discussion in `skills/no-vibe/SKILL.md`.

## Hard reminders

- The hook will refuse Edit/Write/NotebookEdit/MultiEdit/ApplyPatch on any path outside `.no-vibe/` and `$HOME/.no-vibe/`. Don't try.
- A second hook refuses destructive Bash patterns (`>`, `>>`, `&>`, `tee`, `sed -i`, `cp`, `mv`, `install`, `dd of=`, `cat <<EOF >`) when the destination falls outside the safe-target allowlist (`.no-vibe/**`, `$HOME/.no-vibe/**`, `/tmp/**`, `/var/tmp/**`, `/dev/{null,stdout,stderr,tty,fd/*}`). The skill explains why.
- Show all code in chat. The user types everything themselves.
- Read/Grep/Glob/WebFetch are all allowed and encouraged for context analysis and reference grounding.