Start ArkGate. Trust the doctor.

Install the package, apply a compact contract and host router, then run doctor. Day-to-day is place + gate—not a skill shopping list.

Commands

Four lines. That is the product.

npm install -D arkgate typescript

npx arkgate start

npx arkgate start --apply

npx arkgate-check --doctor

start → doctor → day-to-day (place + gate)
Optional skill pack / autopilot only after skills when you want guided shape work—not default step 2.

What start creates

Contract, router, CI plan.

Preview first

npx arkgate start shows the files and commands it would write—safe dry look before you commit the tree.

Apply the compact setup

--apply installs a compact ark.config.json, host-oriented router / agent guidance, and a CI plan for the architecture check. No install lifecycle scripts. Works with npm, pnpm, and yarn.

Doctor as control plane

Doctor reports one status light (Suggest / Adapt / Enforce / Enforce · design-weak) and one primary next action. When stuck, run doctor and do action #1.

Day-to-day

Keep writing with your agent. Placement and the write gate protect edges; required CI owns the hard merge boundary. See hosts for hard vs advisory write.

Next actions

After doctor is clean enough to work.

Make arkgate-check --strict-merge a required CI status on main.
Install host gates for the tools you actually use (examples): npx arkgate-check --install-agent-gates --tools claude,cursor,codex,grok · also antigravity, opencode — full matrix on Hosts.
Read the Use path for status lights and shape residual.
For hosts, CI, brownfield, and power CLI: the Develop path.

Optional skill pack

Full /ark-* skills (explore, autopilot, place, …) are expert depth—not onboarding. Install only when you want that guided path:

npx arkgate-check --install-agent-gates --skills-only --force

Aliases ark / ark-check / ark-mcp still work. Prefer project-local npx arkgate over a stale global binary.

How it works Use docs