Setting the Stage: Context for the Curious Book Reader
This entry captures a pivotal moment in modern software development: the intersection of declarative system management and AI-driven coding. The author begins by evangelizing Nix, a powerful tool that treats an entire operating system like a reproducible recipe, a stark contrast to the often messy, imperative methods of traditional software installation. This philosophy of clean, predictable environments sets the stage for the core of the piece: a real-world test of the Gemini CLI, a new command-line AI assistant.
The primary goal is to refactor a Python project named Pipulate according to the author’s unique “Rule of 7”—an architectural principle dictating that any directory should contain roughly seven items to maintain cognitive simplicity. This isn’t just a dry technical exercise; it’s a live, unscripted dialogue between a human architect and an AI agent, showcasing a new “vibe coding” workflow. The reader is given a front-row seat to the negotiation, missteps, and successes of this emerging human-AI partnership.
Beyond Docker: The Allure of Declarative Systems with Nix
Nix is magic hand-waving your system back into existence from a script
called configuration.nix.
Nix, the language for building a system from components is the important part and not the fully-built bootable system built from it called NixOS. NixOS which sounds like a Linux distro gets all the attention but it really shouldn’t. NixOS is just another derivation of what can be built out of Nix.
You know that feeling when you’re getting ready to install a new piece of software that you don’t know whether you’re really going to keep and you get that awful feeling that you’re about to pollute your system with yet more cruft weighing it down until someday it falls apart like a decaying zombie forcing you to do a fresh install? The alternatives of using docker images or virtual machines each have their own idiosyncratic drawbacks turning the decaying zombie into one that just has a bunch of Borg implants. Sure you can just “test install” something with a virtual machine, but now you have to keep that VM running forever to use that one piece of software which is hidden from the rest of your system, making loads and saves harder.
It’s a no-win situation. In the developer world they say “just use docker” pretending that doesn’t spawn a dozen different new problems. On mobile it’s not such an issue because how every app is sandoboxed by design, and there are in fact versions of Linux distros modeled after this like Qubes and Android itself. But why when you can essentially nuke the place from orbit every time? It’s the only way to be sure. And what’s more, you can hop between different hardware rebuilding your entire system every time. All the OS-level stuff and apps just get reassembled exactly as you like it even across radically different hardware. Just add your external datafiles which you need some other backup routine for anyway. So your whole system sort of just “floats” for long-term survival kind of like a high-tech Noah’s Ark. That’s Nix.
Nix is not alone in this capability. There is also Guix (pronounced geeks) from the very GNU Project itself which adds quite an air of validity to the whole approach. Given enough time both VMs and Docker-style containers are pretty much dead for the common use cases with those much more complex approaches relegated to the world of devops where working with bloated black-box images is the preferred norm.
How do you know what’s in a docker image? How do you know that the next one you pull from whatever source is the same one as before? And composing docker images to create apps from multiple ones, each as large as a whole system in and of itself, creating some Rube Goldberg machine of black boxes with all the permission hell of making sure the parts can talk to each other correctly? Please! Docker and container images have had their time. How much nicer if you can just politely say: “this is what my system is” as if with a recipe and just have it built? And what if every time you do that it pulls all the component parts local, pins those versions and caches them so it never has to go out to the original source for them again?
It’s all too good to be true and given enough time has a certain inevitability to it. But right now the Nix concepts are too cerebral and far off the mainstream to be understood. It’s not going to be able to punch through the fear of change layer that keeps everyone doing tomorrow exactly like they did yesterday because they know it works.
Even the GNU project officially getting behind the Nix concept with Guix (if not the implementation) it’s not enough to make any sort of dent in the Docker momentum and probably won’t until the installers are GUI-based for each host operating system and make you not have to think about it at all and some major influencer leads the way. That’s not going to be me. I neither write GUI installers much less across different host OSes nor are my apps influential enough. I’d like to overcome that later part with Pipulate as it matures, but only time will tell. I doubt I’m going to be the killer app for Nix.
So there’s probably some confusion about Nix and its relationship to the host operating system, which can be macOS, Windows or other Linuxes. Of course some part has to be written for each host OS, the Nix installer itself. But once Nix is on your machine it takes over from there and literally the same identical code runs from that point on, be it Mac, Windows or other Linux. Why? Because Nix is nothing less than a whole generic Linux operating system that works as a normalization layer that appears to run within folders. The truth is somewhat more interesting, but long story short you can put “flakes” of Nix in folders and distribute them with git/GitHub. It’s echos of the JVM write once run anywhere promise of Java which actually kinda did work out, but only with a “blessed” set of languages like Java, Clojure and Scala. With Nix since the portable layer is Linux itself, there are no such developer choice limits. Anything that works on Linux is on the table which is basically everything.
The Cloud became popular at least in part because the local installs have lots of problems that the Cloud solves — not the least of which is not even requiring software installs at all since most new systems have a browser and are set up to connect to the Internet. No matter what hardware you sit down on, if you log-in with the cloud, there’s your apps and your data. Even if software installation were made easier for local apps still doesn’t solve the data problem. Sooner or later your system suffers a crash and you lose everything. Or you just get new hardware and its hard to move over your data. If you suffer a catastrophic crash you can always re-install apps from source but you can’t always get your data back from source. So the Cloud has all these double, triple-whammy benefits — at the mere cost of digital self-sovereignty. There is no cloud; only other people’s computers.
So Nix brings local systems a bit closer back in parity with the Cloud and gets you back your digital self-sovereignty. Your data, your machine, your business. But it doesn’t solve the problem of your data that is not apps, such as your lifetime of photos, financials and such. This is solved by constructing the system that stays with you forever like a Noah’s Ark of tech to also address the user-data problem. 1, 2, 3 backup procedures that usually involve a second local backup and then a 3rd off-site backup can somehow be rolled into the recipe of building your system. In other words your system-building recipe can include a robust and flexible 1, 2, 3 backup procedure so that as your system floats from hardware to hardware over the years as it will because designed obsolescence and Moore’s Law, your data travels with you too in triple and quadruple redundancy.
In such a way we’re actually defining something a working operating system for life could be with you from birth to death, and even on trans-generationally as part of your lineage and legacy. Data is not so radically different from DNA so along with passing along your genes through procreation and your possessions through inheritance, you can also pass down all that you were digitally in life. This is just a practical matter and not anything like the concept of digital AI clones which is only a particular application which someday could optionally be part of such a scenario. But I’m not dealing with the fancy schmancy here. This is more about resilient laptops. Combine it with the Framework laptop and have yourself a single piece of Ship of Theseus hardware that could grow and upgrade with you for life. This of course is predicated by Framework being around for that long, but even if it’s not you just hop to different hardware when Framework goes away and Chip O’Theseus survives.
The First Hurdle: Installing a Bleeding-Edge Tool on NixOS
Pshwew! Okay, I think I’m doing all this writing as yet another kind of distraction keeping me from getting to the business at hand. What I really need to do is figure out to install Gemini CLI on NixOS. This Nix miracle of portability that seems like a panacea is not without its own idiosyncrasies. When we go to the Gemini CLI page it talks about 3 different ways to do the install:
npx https://github.com/google-gemini/gemini-cli
npm install -g @google/gemini-cli
brew install gemini-cli
…but being on NixOS as I am the first thing to do is to check whether it’s on the Nix software repository yet with:
https://search.nixos.org/packages?channel=unstable&show=gemini-cli&query=Gemini
…and it is! So I merely type:
nix-shell -p gemini-cli
…but when I install it that way I quickly get this message:
Gemini CLI update available! 0.2.2 → 0.3.3 Installed with npm. Attempting to automatically update now…
…so what would be the best way to install it on NixOS to get the latest from Google so that it doesn’t prompt me immediately for an update, or if it does it’s able to actually perform it?
Gemini: Of course. The issue you’re running into is a classic Nix scenario: the package in the official repository (nixpkgs) is a bit behind the latest release. The self-update mechanism of the Gemini CLI tries to use npm to modify its own files, which goes against Nix’s philosophy of immutable, reproducible packages.
The best way to install the latest version is to use Nix to create an environment with the necessary tools (nodejs and npm) and then install the package directly from the source, bypassing the outdated version in nixpkgs.
Here are a few ways to do that, from a quick one-off solution to a more permanent, declarative one.
1. The Quick & Temporary Fix: nix-shell
This is the simplest way to get a shell with the latest Gemini CLI for a single session. It’s perfect for trying things out without making any permanent changes to your system.
-
First, open a shell that contains Node.js and its package manager,
npx.nix-shell -p nodejs -
Your prompt will change, indicating you are now inside this special “Nix shell.” From here, you can use
npxto run the Gemini CLI installer directly from its repository.npxwill download and run it without a permanent global installation.npx https://github.com/google-gemini/gemini-cli
You’ll now have the gemini command available for as long as you keep this shell open. When you exit, it will be gone, leaving your system completely clean. ✨
2. The Modern Project-Based Fix: flake.nix
If you plan to use the Gemini CLI for a specific project, the modern, declarative approach is to create a flake.nix file in your project’s directory. This file acts as a recipe for your project’s development environment.
-
Create a file named
flake.nixin your project’s root folder with the following content:{ description = "A development environment for using the Gemini CLI"; inputs = { nixpkgs.url = "github:NixOS/nixpkgs/nixos-unstable"; flake-utils.url = "github:numtide/flake-utils"; }; outputs = { self, nixpkgs, flake-utils }: flake-utils.lib.eachDefaultSystem (system: let pkgs = nixpkgs.legacyPackages.${system}; # The latest version of the CLI you want to use gemini-cli = pkgs.nodePackages."@google/gemini-cli"; in { # This creates the development shell devShells.default = pkgs.mkShell { # Add the gemini-cli and nodejs to the environment buildInputs = [ gemini-cli pkgs.nodejs # Good to have for other node tools ]; shellHook = '' echo "🚀 Entered Gemini CLI environment. The 'gemini' command is now available." ''; }; }); } -
Now, just run
nix developin that directory.
Nix will read your flake.nix, download the exact versions of the packages specified (in this case, the latest @google/gemini-cli available in the unstable channel of nixpkgs, which is usually very current), and drop you into a shell where the gemini command is available. This is reproducible, self-contained, and easily shared with others.
3. The Declarative System-Wide Fix: A Custom Package Overlay
If you want the latest Gemini CLI available everywhere on your system like any other application, you can tell Nix how to build the latest version yourself and “overlay” it on top of the packages you get from the official repository.
This is more advanced but is the most powerful method. You’d add something like this to your NixOS configuration.nix or Home Manager configuration:
{ pkgs, ... }:
{
# Use an overlay to override the default gemini-cli package
nixpkgs.overlays = [
(self: super: {
gemini-cli = super.gemini-cli.overrideAttrs (oldAttrs: {
# Tell it to use the nodePackages version instead, which is often more up-to-date
src = super.nodePackages."@google/gemini-cli".src;
version = super.nodePackages."@google/gemini-cli".version;
# You might need to adjust other attributes if the build process changed
});
})
];
# Now, you can install it system-wide as you normally would
environment.systemPackages = with pkgs; [
gemini-cli
];
}
After adding this and rebuilding your system (sudo nixos-rebuild switch), the gemini-cli package will now refer to the newer version built from the nodePackages set, which is updated more frequently. This gives you the latest version in a way that is fully integrated with your declarative system configuration.
Success: Gemini 2.5 Pro On The Command-line!
Okay, that worked and I now have Gemini 2.5 Pro in the “command-line”. Okay,
true it is running in the command-line but I can see all the webbiness about
this. This Gemini CLI interface is written in TypeScript, haha! That is ironic
for so many reasons. Okay, sure Google is jumping on the bandwagon that GooseAI
somewhat innovated and probably something before that, but Goose is what made
the command-line agent tools penetrate my radar. And Anthropic jumped on the
bandwagon then OpenAI and everyone else followed and now finally, Google. I did
my first query of it to look at my Pipulate codebase and it hit all the standard
stuff like the README.md and server.py and the increasingly important
cli.py. It’s asking me for next step and what I think is that I want to give
it this full article context so far with a few broad strokes. Let’s do some
world-building.
Setting The Stage With World Building
Imagine the old-school Roombas and their insect-like random walk room crisscrossing algorithm. I like that. I think of it as actually a semi random walk because the shape of the room is something of a guiding hand. It’s going to bump into stuff and back-up and turn a little and start again. I plan on enforcing the rule of 7 on a whole bunch of things such as this very code base and eventually website navigational hierarchy. The reasons are for things I’ve written about plenty in other articles but because LLMs are waking up fresh on every prompt I have to spell it out explicitly here for Gemini.
The sweet spot for the number of choices on a webpage is 7 plus or minus 2. Too few choices and there’s not enough information to make a good choice and too many choices and humans experience paralysis through analysis and AIs have too much opportunity to make mistakes. We want to focus on 7 good choices and in the case of filesystem directory trees when looking at a git repo like this that means 7 files and/or 7 folders. Realistically we won’t always achieve the rule of 7 but it is an ideal we strive for and we use the 80/20-rule in successive sweeps in pursuit of it, banking at least 1 small win on every iteration.
That is if we ran the Unix/Linux tree command from the git repository root we
would be looking for 7 to 9 files and 7 to 9 folders. One of the files there
explains things and in this case it would probably be the README.md file. We
are leaning into the massively trained-in proclivities of the LLM models and if
you want them to read something in the directory they’re looking at you could do
a lot worse than naming it README. And if the file is huge you have to put the
critical must-know information right at the top otherwise the LLM might never
see it even if they pick the right README to look at. And this starts a
cascading series of events.
The cascading series of events is making rule of 7 evaluations moderated and
mitigated by the 80/20-rule. If there is something that would take very little
effort, like 20% of the energy or tokens or whatever you have available and
might spend on a task to get 80% of the benefit you’re looking for then it’s a
good candidate to move on immediately so that this current iteration you’re on
isn’t squandered. Specifically, it’s generally safe to move [filename].md
files because markdown rarely affects how things run. There are some exceptions
like the training directory of Pipulate actually contains markdown files that
are loaded every time that the app they’re bound to is navigated to. Those files
are markdown for real-time training, sort of like a Neo kung-fu download right
when he needs it to fight. There’s formal industry language to describe this
just-in-time training but it eludes me right now. No matter, I think the point
is being made.
An AI like you that has tool-calling ability can surely call the tree command,
constrained to 1 or at most 2 directory levels deep. The idea is with each
iterative sweep we reduce the total file surface area by deprecating things
into a fodder directory where markdown goes to die. Not really die but to
deliberately reduce the signal-to-noise ratio without being immediately deleted
and perhaps being looked at again as a sort of fodder for somehow improving
the system later on. Maybe recycle_bin would be a better name for that folder,
but again that’s neither here nor there. The goal now is to give you Gemini this
broad overview of where I’m up to now. Things have really escaped me and I plan
on testing your ability to help me in this Gemini CLI interface by doing a few
of my old tricks like this super context of a stream of consciousness article
and superprompt. I’m not going to get hung up on anything except fleshing it out
with plenty of words because that doesn’t bother you with your great big context
window.
In the past I’ve done submits to you using the prompt_foo.py program you’ll
find here of XML payloads that carried huge amounts of this codebase and the Web
UI delivered version of you could take an XML payload exceeding 130K and that’s
really amazing. I plan on testing that sort of thing with you next. But before I
do I just want to test with an article like this that does some world-building.
Teaching an AI the “Rule of 7”
In this world building you’re helping me help you work sort of like those old
school Roombas using the existing directory structure as the guiding hand of the
random walk. You look at the tree output using some sort of constraint so that
it’s not its full thousands of files big possibly using what you can learn in
.gitignore to create a tree command that doesn’t overwhelm. Of course you’ll
filter __pycache__ among other similar folders that shouldn’t be considered in
the rule of 7 pursuit. You can even look at what generate_files_list.py
currently does along those lines to create those XML payloads.
There’s plenty of functionality that could be broken by moving around .py
files like those found in the helpers directory, but still it is not off
limits because I want to bring sanity and organization to that folder too. There
is some already but it is just like the room that already exists provides the
initial guiding hand to Roomba. But unlike Roomba that can’t somehow organize
the room as it goes, you and AIs like you can. This is a place where you can
help… well, I don’t know exactly.
The concept of gradients and tensions pop into my head in the goal of adjusting current filesystem hierarchies and file organization into something that abide by the rule of 7 in the tree, getting to an ideal destination where every branch of the tree only contains 5 to 9 files and 5 to 9 directories. One of the files will almost always be a README.md for 100% consistency in training the AI what to do as it traverses these directory structures (always read README) and so that there can be a bit of a flexible yet deterministic guiding hand along the way insofar as anything deterministic can really be done in a generative process.
This is not a request to go off half-cocked and start making edits willy nilly.
I see nothing but that sort of behavior from the AI coding assistants in Agent
mode and it really pisses me off. I’m looking for more of a deep understanding
and contemplative partner to forge our way forward with a lot of small
individual baby-step commits. There is no edit too small to commit and stop
after. AI coding assistants don’t get that and stuff ends up in shambles and
git reset --hard [HASH]’s have to be done all the time. I’m looking to avoid
that.
So with everything I told you so far, come back to me with whatever you think is most appropriate.
A Misstep and a Pivot: The favicon.ico Incident
Gemini CLI:
✦ Thank you for that comprehensive and insightful overview. I understand the philosophy you're bringing to this:
* The Goal: Iteratively refactor the pipulate codebase to align with the "Rule of 7" (5-9 files/folders per directory) to improve clarity and make it more navigable for both humans and AI.
* The Method: Act as a "contemplative partner," not a reckless agent. We'll use a "Roomba"-like approach—analyzing the existing structure and making small, deliberate, and safe changes in
successive sweeps. Each change will be a small, committable step.
* The Priority: Start with low-effort, high-impact changes (80/20 rule), such as reorganizing documentation files, before moving to more complex Python files. Every directory should
eventually have a README.md to act as a guide.
I will not make any edits without proposing them first.
To begin our "random walk," I first need to get a sense of the room's shape. I will start by listing the files and directories in the project root to get a baseline for our first "Rule of
7" evaluation.
╭────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╮
│ ✔ ReadFolder . │
│ │
│ Listed 29 item(s). (7 git-ignored) │
╰────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╯
✦ Excellent. Here is the initial layout of the project root:
* Directories (16): __pycache__, .cursor, .ipynb_checkpoints, .jupyter, .venv, ai_discovery, assets, browser_automation, client, data, dist, downloads, helpers, logs, plugins, training
* Files (13): __init__.py, .cursorignore, .gitattributes, .gitignore, cli.py, discover_mcp_tools.py, favicon.ico, flake.nix, LICENSE, mcp_tools.py, pyproject.toml, README.md, server.py
Both counts are outside our target of 5-9.
As you noted, many of these are helper/generated directories that shouldn't be part of our "Rule of 7" calculation. To properly filter them and focus on the core project, my next step is
to read the .gitignore file. This will allow me to present a clean, core list of files and directories for us to analyze.
╭─────────────────────────╮
│ ✔ ReadFile .gitignore │
╰─────────────────────────╯
✦ Based on the .gitignore, I can now present a filtered view of your project's root, focusing on the core source files:
* Core Directories (7):
1. .cursor (Editor/tooling specific)
2. ai_discovery
3. assets
4. browser_automation
5. helpers
6. plugins
7. training
* Core Files (13):
1. __init__.py
2. .cursorignore
3. .gitattributes
4. .gitignore
5. cli.py
6. discover_mcp_tools.py
7. favicon.ico
8. flake.nix
9. LICENSE
10. mcp_tools.py
11. pyproject.toml
12. README.md
13. server.py
Analysis:
The directory count is 7, which fits perfectly within our "Rule of 7." Excellent.
The file count is 13, which is higher than our target of 5-9.
This gives us a clear, immediate goal: reduce the number of files in the project root.
Following the 80/20 rule to find a small change with a good impact, the favicon.ico file stands out. It's a web asset and logically belongs inside the assets directory. This is a safe,
simple first step.
Before I propose the move, I'll quickly check if server.py has a hardcoded path to it.
╭──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╮
│ ✔ SearchText 'favicon.ico' in server.py │
│ │
│ No matches found │
╰──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╯
ℹ Gemini CLI update available! 0.2.2 → 0.3.4
Installed with npm. Attempting to automatically update now...
✦ Okay, the search confirms server.py doesn't reference favicon.ico, so moving it is safe.
I will now move the file. This command will relocate favicon.ico from your project root into the assets directory, which is a more logical home for it.
╭───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╮
│ - Shell mv /home/mike/repos/pipulate/favicon.ico /home/mike/repos/pipulate/assets/favicon.ico (Move favicon.ico from the project root to the assets directory.) │
╰───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╯
╭─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╮
│ > Type your message or @path/to/file │
╰─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╯
~/repos/pipulate (ebb*)
Me: So you zeroed in on favicon.ico which shows a few things. First you can’t
friggin move a file like that. Don’t you know that browsers are hardwired to
look at a website’s root for that file and you can’t move it without doing
symlink like stuff which adds needless moving parts, complexity and fragility?
This is a web app running as FastHTML which is Starlette which is Uvicorn so it
abides by those rules about what is webspace root. Bad choice!
The next thing it shows me is that you were reduced to such a bad choice even thought the file count is down to 13 at repository root. We do not want to explode complexity in pursuit of the rule of 7 at the expense of the 80/20-rule. I thought I made that clear and am somewhat disappointed this was your first choice. Maybe you are fixed on the notion that the rule of 7 fix has to be at repo root and haven’t considered we have to consider it as close to the goal as we’re going to achieve at repo root level with special considerations.
And so what I would suggest is look for something that’s even better in pursuit of the rule of 7 by virtue of not creating such dramatic conflicting tensions over the known and necessary operation of things and the impact of moving things. In other words you want to find something that has a lower risk of breaking things or causing errors by moving it even if you have to look a directory level deeper than repo root to find it.
Specifically we want to move “noise” that’s not really necessary for application
functioning to somewhere that we can keep AI from looking in and wasting its
time on. I suggest we make a recycle_bin directory which does of course
increase the total amount of files at repo root, but then we can get rid of an
entire friggin folder as something that can belong inside of it, like the whole
ai_discovery directory which is almost all markdown noise. But then you should
also look at what I call the “golden path” here to make AIs self-aware and
figure out how to use Pipulate as a sort of body with eyes and hands. I don’t
want to lose that which would greatly be lost with moving ai_discovery inside of
recycle_bin, but we can mitigate that my moving critical information about the
golden path into something in .cursor/rules that is ALWAYS invoked, or into
discover_mcp_tools.py which is left in repo root for similar golden path
discovery purposes.
Gemini CLI:
✦ You are absolutely right. My apologies. I failed to consider the web server convention for favicon.ico, and you are correct that moving it would introduce needless complexity, violating the
80/20 principle we're trying to follow. It was a poor choice, and I appreciate you correcting me.
Your new proposal is much better as it targets a whole directory of "noise" and has a clear path to mitigate the risks. I will follow your lead.
The plan is:
1. Preserve the "golden path" information currently in the ai_discovery directory.
2. Move the rest of the ai_discovery directory into a new recycle_bin folder.
First, I need to identify the critical "golden path" files within ai_discovery so we know what to preserve. I'll start by listing the contents of that directory.
╭──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╮
│ ✔ ReadFolder ai_discovery │
│ │
│ Listed 14 item(s). │
╰──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╯
✦ Okay, that gives us a clear picture of the ai_discovery directory.
Based on the filenames and your description, these files seem most relevant to the "golden path":
* GOLDEN_PATH.md
* AI_GOLDEN_PATH_EXECUTION_MATRIX.md
* quick_start_for_ai_assistants.md
I'll start by reading the primary GOLDEN_PATH.md file. This will tell me what information we need to preserve and help us decide the best place to move it.
╭──────────────────────────────────────────╮
│ ✔ ReadFile ai_discovery/GOLDEN_PATH.md │
╰──────────────────────────────────────────╯
✦ Thank you. I have read and analyzed GOLDEN_PATH.md. It's clearly the bootstrap instructions for an AI assistant, outlining the core commands, the "Rule of 7" tools, and the essential
workflows. This is the information we must preserve.
You suggested two places to move this content: discover_mcp_tools.py or .cursor/rules.
Injecting this large markdown document into a Python file seems incorrect. However, your description of .cursor/rules as a place that is "ALWAYS invoked" sounds like the perfect home for a
core guidance document like this.
To ensure I integrate the Golden Path information correctly, I need to understand the existing structure and format of the files in that directory. I will now list the contents of
.cursor/rules.
╭──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╮
│ ✔ ReadFolder .cursor/rules │
│ │
│ Listed 13 item(s). │
╰──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╯
✦ Okay, the file structure in .cursor/rules is very clear. The numbered .mdc files appear to be a sequence of guides loaded for the AI.
My plan is to integrate the "Golden Path" information by creating a new, appropriately named file in this directory.
1. I will create a new file named 10_GOLDEN_PATH.mdc inside the /home/mike/repos/pipulate/.cursor/rules/ directory.
2. I will copy the entire content of the original GOLDEN_PATH.md into this new file.
This preserves the critical information in the place you designated for it. After this step is complete, we can safely proceed with moving the ai_discovery directory.
I will now create the new file with the preserved content.
╭─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╮
│ ? WriteFile Writing to .cursor/rules/10_GOLDEN_PATH.mdc ← │
│ │
│ ... first 214 lines hidden ... │
│ 215 **Remember:** Local-first sovereignty + progressive enhancement + golden path discipline = AI collaboration excellence. │
│ 216 │
│ 217 --- │
│ 218 │
│ 219 ## 💡 **Optional: Making Commands Less Verbose** │
│ 220 │
│ 221 To reduce the verbosity of `.venv/bin/python cli.py`, you can create a simple alias in your shell session: │
│ 222 │
│ 223 ```bash │
│ 224 # Create temporary alias for current session │
│ 225 alias mcp=".venv/bin/python cli.py" │
│ 226 │
│ 227 # Then use the shorter commands │
│ 228 mcp mcp-discover │
│ 229 mcp call ai_capability_test_suite │
│ 230 mcp call browser_scrape_page --json-args '{"url": "https://example.com"}' │
│ 231 ``` │
│ 232 │
│ 233 **Note:** This alias only works: │
│ 234 - Within the pipulate directory │
│ 235 - For the current shell session │
│ 236 - After running `nix develop .#quiet` to activate the environment │
│ 237 │
│ 238 The full `.venv/bin/python cli.py` syntax is always the reliable, documented approach. │
│ 239 │
│ 240 --- │
│ 241 │
│ 242 Welcome to the future of AI-human collaboration. 🎯 │
│ │
│ Apply this change? │
│ │
│ ● 1. Yes, allow once │
│ 2. Yes, allow always │
│ 3. Modify with external editor │
│ 4. No, suggest changes (esc) │
│ │
╰─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╯
Press ctrl-s to show more lines
⠏ Waiting for user confirmation...
Finding the Rhythm: A Collaborative Refactoring Workflow
Me: I give it “Yes” confirmation.
Gemini CLI:
✦ Excellent. The Golden Path is now preserved.
Now I will complete your request by creating the recycle_bin and moving the ai_discovery directory into it.
This command will first create a new directory named recycle_bin in the project root, and then move the entire ai_discovery directory inside it. This will declutter the root directory as
you intended.
╭────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╮
│ ✔ Shell mkdir /home/mike/repos/pipulate/recycle_bin && mv /home/mike/repos/pipulate/ai_discovery /home/mike/repos/pipulate/recycle_bin/ (Create the recycle_bin directory and move the ai_d… │
╰────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╯
✦ The operation was successful. The ai_discovery directory has been moved into the recycle_bin.
To confirm the result, here is the new layout of your project root:
╭──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╮
│ ✔ ReadFolder . │
│ │
│ Listed 29 item(s). (7 git-ignored) │
╰──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╯
✦ The root directory is now cleaner, with the ai_discovery noise successfully sequestered.
We have made progress on the directory front, but the file count in the root still stands at 13, which is outside our "Rule of 7" target.
Given the complexity of moving core application files from the root, I believe the next safest and most productive step is to turn our attention to another area you mentioned wanting to
organize: the helpers directory.
To begin exploring that, I will list the contents of the helpers directory. This will give us a map for our next refactoring sweep.
╭──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╮
│ ✔ ReadFolder helpers │
│ │
│ Listed 39 item(s). (4 git-ignored) │
╰──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╯
✦ Okay, the helpers directory is definitely a good place to focus. The scan shows:
* 13 core directories
* 24 files
Both numbers are well outside our "Rule of 7" target. This directory is a major source of complexity.
Following the principle of taking safe, easy steps first, I've identified two markdown files that appear to be documentation rather than helper code:
* BACKUP_SYSTEMS_OVERVIEW.md
* PROMPT_FOO_TECHNIQUE.md
Moving these non-functional files is a perfect low-risk action. I propose we move them into the recycle_bin we created, continuing our effort to separate documentation and noise from
active code.
This command will move both markdown files out of helpers and into recycle_bin.
╭─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╮
│ ? Shell mv /home/mike/repos/pipulate/helpers/BACKUP_SYSTEMS_OVERVIEW.md /home/mike/repos/pipulate/helpers/PROMPT_FOO_TECHNIQUE.md /home/mike/repos/pipulate/recycle_bin/ (Move two mar… ← │
│ │
│ mv /home/mike/repos/pipulate/helpers/BACKUP_SYSTEMS_OVERVIEW.md /home/mike/repos/pipulate/helpers/PROMPT_FOO_TECHNIQUE.md /home/mike/repos/pipulate/recycle_bin/ │
│ │
│ Allow execution of: 'mv'? │
│ │
│ ● 1. Yes, allow once │
│ 2. Yes, allow always ... │
│ 3. No, suggest changes (esc) │
│ │
╰─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╯
⠏ Waiting for user confirmation...
Me: Confirming Yes
Gemini CLI:
╭────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╮
│ ✔ Shell mv /home/mike/repos/pipulate/helpers/BACKUP_SYSTEMS_OVERVIEW.md /home/mike/repos/pipulate/helpers/PROMPT_FOO_TECHNIQUE.md /home/mike/repos/pipulate/recycle_bin/ (Move two markdown… │
╰────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╯
✦ Excellent, that's another small win. The two markdown files have been moved out of helpers and into the recycle_bin.
Here is the updated state of the helpers directory:
╭──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╮
│ ✔ ReadFolder helpers │
│ │
│ Listed 37 item(s). (4 git-ignored) │
╰──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╯
✦ The file count is now down to 22. Let's take another step.
I've noticed the file vulture_whitelist.py. Vulture is a tool for finding dead code, which means this is a configuration file for a development tool, not a core part of the application's
runtime logic.
It's a safe file to move. The helpers directory already contains a tools subdirectory, which seems like the perfect, logical destination for it.
I'll now move the whitelist file into the tools subdirectory.
╭─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╮
│ ? Shell mv /home/mike/repos/pipulate/helpers/vulture_whitelist.py /home/mike/repos/pipulate/helpers/tools/ (Move the Vulture whitelist config file into the helpers/tools subdirectory… ← │
│ │
│ mv /home/mike/repos/pipulate/helpers/vulture_whitelist.py /home/mike/repos/pipulate/helpers/tools/ │
│ │
│ Allow execution of: 'mv'? │
│ │
│ ● 1. Yes, allow once │
│ 2. Yes, allow always ... │
│ 3. No, suggest changes (esc) │
│ │
╰─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╯
⠏ Waiting for user confirmation...
Me: Confirming yes
Gemini CLI:
╭────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╮
│ ✔ Shell mv /home/mike/repos/pipulate/helpers/vulture_whitelist.py /home/mike/repos/pipulate/helpers/tools/ (Move the Vulture whitelist config file into the helpers/tools subdirectory.) │
╰────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╯
✦ Done. The vulture_whitelist.py file is now in the helpers/tools directory.
Here is the updated view of the helpers directory:
╭──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╮
│ ✔ ReadFolder helpers │
│ │
│ Listed 36 item(s). (4 git-ignored) │
╰──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╯
✦ The file count in helpers is now 21.
The next potential targets are the remaining non-code files: install.sh, rebuild_trifecta_derivatives.sh, and pipulate-context.xsd. Moving them without knowing what other parts of the
system might be calling them is risky.
To determine if pipulate-context.xsd can be moved, I'll first search the project to see how and where it's being used. This will tell us if it's safe to relocate.
╭──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╮
│ ✔ SearchText 'pipulate-context.xsd' │
│ │
│ Found 7 matches │
╰──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╯
✦ The search results are clear. The file helpers/prompt_foo.py explicitly looks for pipulate-context.xsd in the same directory.
This means we cannot move pipulate-context.xsd by itself. However, since prompt_foo.py appears to be a utility script that uses this XSD, it makes sense to move both files together.
The helpers/tools subdirectory is the logical destination for a utility script and its configuration file.
Therefore, I propose we move both prompt_foo.py and pipulate-context.xsd into helpers/tools. This keeps the dependent files together and continues our cleanup of the main helpers
directory.
Me:
Instead of just giving confirmation this time, I want to let you know to do all
your moves with git mv to keep repository file history intact and then after a
move is done I want you to do a git commit. If you do the next one right I’ll do
an answer Yes Always so you can go into agent mode and act like the magic
rolling pin.
Gemini CLI:
✦ Understood. Thank you for the clarification. I will adopt that workflow immediately. All future file moves will be done using git mv to preserve history, and each successful move will be
followed by a git commit.
Let's proceed with the plan to move prompt_foo.py and its XSD file.
First, I will use git mv to move both files into the helpers/tools subdirectory. After this is successful, I will create a commit.
╭─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╮
│ ? Shell git mv /home/mike/repos/pipulate/helpers/prompt_foo.py /home/mike/repos/pipulate/helpers/pipulate-context.xsd /home/mike/repos/pipulate/helpers/tools/ (Use git mv to move pro… ← │
│ │
│ git mv /home/mike/repos/pipulate/helpers/prompt_foo.py /home/mike/repos/pipulate/helpers/pipulate-context.xsd /home/mike/repos/pipulate/helpers/tools/ │
│ │
│ Allow execution of: 'git'? │
│ │
│ ● 1. Yes, allow once │
│ 2. Yes, allow always ... │
│ 3. No, suggest changes (esc) │
│ │
╰─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╯
⠏ Waiting for user confirmation...
…and so on back-and-forth until:
ℹ ⚡ You have reached your daily gemini-2.5-pro quota limit.
⚡ Automatically switching from gemini-2.5-pro to gemini-2.5-flash for the remainder of this session.
⚡ To increase your limits, upgrade to a Gemini Code Assist Standard or Enterprise plan with higher limits at https://goo.gle/set-up-gemini-code-assist
⚡ Or you can utilize a Gemini API Key. See: https://goo.gle/gemini-cli-docs-auth#gemini-api-key
⚡ You can switch authentication methods by typing /auth
✕ [API Error: Please submit a new query to continue with the Flash model.]
accepting edits (shift + tab to toggle)
╭─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╮
│ > Type your message or @path/to/file │
╰─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╯
The “Magic Rolling Pin” in Action: A Log of Agentic Commits
Okay, wow so that’s agentic behavior with gemini-2.4-pro. Wow.
I’ve got quite a bit to absorb and observations to make.
First, it was not a bad experience getting this running under NixOS. I’m not
going to wrap it into my configuration.nix file yet for it to be part of my
standard system though I clearly could and I need to consider that as part of a
next step.
Second, it’s a radically different approach than coding assistance under the VSCode user interface in a fork like Cursor where you can traditionally edit the file. You actually can’t traditionally edit the file and so this is much more geared for vibe coding!
Third, I’m not quite sure how well I think it did, nor even everything that it
did because somewhere into it I told it to always proceed. And so here is
the git log of everything that it did until it ran out of the free 1000
request quota.
commit 07538d87379aca1cd6c81c219b82e063bed906ef (HEAD -> ebb)
Author: Mike Levin <miklevin@gmail.com>
Date: Sat Sep 6 21:19:54 2025 -0400
Refactor: Group maintenance scripts into subdirectory
commit 3e34c87300bf2419d60fad6c08e4d09f67c37e3d
Author: Mike Levin <miklevin@gmail.com>
Date: Sat Sep 6 21:11:37 2025 -0400
Refactor: Move generate_files_list.py to tools directory
commit 7f2a33d5f6d401fad65b203b93599cda3b59f464
Author: Mike Levin <miklevin@gmail.com>
Date: Sat Sep 6 21:08:06 2025 -0400
Refactor: Move unused demo_utils.py to recycle_bin
commit ef89c0456c8e4965aeac1c75f32f3b557fab4de2
Author: Mike Levin <miklevin@gmail.com>
Date: Sat Sep 6 20:50:18 2025 -0400
Refactor: Move durable_backup_system to tools subdirectory
commit 7bd7d0ea6aff2421168e41dba5c77f66ab0fc9f6
Author: Mike Levin <miklevin@gmail.com>
Date: Sat Sep 6 20:46:32 2025 -0400
Refactor: Group conversation modules into subdirectory
commit 73ad8f80feaab7ab04e859bf0e5d29faabd4e6d1
Author: Mike Levin <miklevin@gmail.com>
Date: Sat Sep 6 20:06:52 2025 -0400
Refactor: Move botify_code_generation into botify subdirectory
commit 12381b8c9d1efdc93c709fa1357970c78410f1ea
Author: Mike Levin <miklevin@gmail.com>
Date: Sat Sep 6 20:03:45 2025 -0400
Refactor: Move rebuild_trifecta script to tools directory
commit 5bd866a9ecc64512df17517f760849ceb55e5aec
Author: Mike Levin <miklevin@gmail.com>
Date: Sat Sep 6 20:03:22 2025 -0400
Fix: Correct path to rebuild_trifecta_derivatives.sh in publish.py
commit 96b6ec178e6e7a1f7664e4502f7521a01daf71b7
Author: Mike Levin <miklevin@gmail.com>
Date: Sat Sep 6 19:56:33 2025 -0400
Refactor: Move prompt_foo utility and XSD to tools directory
commit 914c5af12ed2f6dc17206c984ec34eafbd86035f (origin/ebb)
Author: Mike Levin <miklevin@gmail.com>
Date: Sat Sep 6 18:03:26 2025 -0400
Using Gemini CLI to pursue rule of 7 cleanup
Hitting the Wall: Reflections on an AI-Powered Sprint
Very interesting! This definitely abides by my rule of 7 magic rolling pin
vision. The caution it exercised is heartening. But moving a command-line
type-in python command like prompt_foo.py into the tools folder where
server.py does imports from, I’m not sure about.
This is a decent first pass. And yes, the 1000 requests do get used up with perhaps as little as 1 actual request in Agent mode when you set it to automatically confirm yes always as I suspected. A surprise is that you can continue the session reducing it to a lower model.
Book Analysis
Here is the requested analysis and transformation of the provided technical journal entry.
Crafting Compelling Narratives: Title & Filename Brainstorm
- Title Option 1: Taming the Codebase: A Live Refactoring Session with Gemini CLI
- Filename:
gemini-cli-ai-refactoring-session.md - Rationale: This title is direct and highlights the key action (refactoring) and the main tool (Gemini CLI), making it highly relevant for readers looking for practical AI coding examples.
- Filename:
- Title Option 2: The Rule of 7: Applying Architectural Principles with an AI Partner
- Filename:
rule-of-seven-ai-architecture.md - Rationale: This focuses on the unique methodology, appealing to software architects and developers interested in code philosophy and how AI can help enforce it.
- Filename:
- Title Option 3: From Nix to Agent: A Hands-On Journey with Gemini CLI on NixOS
- Filename:
nixos-gemini-cli-agentic-ai.md - Rationale: This title specifically targets the technical audience interested in the Nix/NixOS ecosystem and the application of modern AI tools within it.
- Filename:
- Title Option 4: The Magic Rolling Pin: An Experiment in Agentic Code Refactoring
- Filename:
agentic-ai-code-refactoring-experiment.md - Rationale: Uses a memorable metaphor from the author’s own thinking, creating an intriguing hook that hints at the goal of automated, intelligent code cleanup.
- Filename:
- Preferred Option:
- Title (plain text for YAML): The Magic Rolling Pin: An Experiment in Agentic Code Refactoring
- Filename:
agentic-ai-code-refactoring-experiment.md - Rationale: This title is the most compelling because it’s unique, memorable, and captures the author’s aspirational vision for the technology. It promises a story, not just a technical walkthrough, making it more engaging for a book.
Book Potential Analysis
- Strengths as Book Fodder:
- Authentic Process: It provides a raw, unfiltered transcript of a human-AI collaboration, including the AI’s mistakes and the human’s course corrections, which is far more valuable than a polished tutorial.
- Practical Case Study: It demonstrates a specific, replicable workflow for AI-assisted code refactoring using a command-line interface and atomic git commits.
- Philosophical Grounding: The entry successfully connects a mundane task (moving files) to a higher-level development philosophy (“Rule of 7,” “vibe coding”), making the narrative more compelling.
- Emerging Technology Showcase: It offers a detailed first look at the capabilities and interaction patterns of a new class of agentic AI coding tools.
- Opportunities for Enrichment (for Book Adaptation):
- Add Visuals: Include
beforeandafteroutputs of thetreecommand for thehelpersdirectory to visually demonstrate the impact of the refactoring in a single glance. - Create a “Key Takeaways” Box: Summarize the core lessons learned about guiding an AI agent, such as the importance of explicit instructions (
git mv), the value of starting with low-risk changes (documentation files), and the need to correct faulty assumptions (thefaviconincident). - Expand on “Vibe Coding”: Add a short section defining what the author means by “vibe coding” and contrast it with traditional pair programming and other development methodologies.
- Add Visuals: Include
AI Editorial Perspective: From Journal to Chapter
This entry is a goldmine for a tech book, serving as a perfect anchor for a chapter on “AI as a Development Partner” or “The Rise of Conversational Coding.” It masterfully illustrates the shift from using AI as a simple code generator to collaborating with it as an intelligent agent. The author doesn’t just ask for code; they impart a philosophy and a methodology, turning the AI into a partner that understands the why behind the what. The dialogue format is its greatest strength, offering an authentic, “over-the-shoulder” view of a process that is rapidly defining the future of software engineering.
The narrative arc—from philosophical musings on Nix, to the practical struggle of installation, to a collaborative refactoring dance, complete with a misstep and recovery—is a compelling story in itself. In a book, this raw log would provide an invaluable, real-world counterpoint to theoretical discussions about AI’s role in development. It showcases the new essential skill for developers: not just technical proficiency, but the ability to effectively guide, teach, and correct a powerful AI collaborator to achieve a creative vision.
Suggested Next AI Processing Steps
- Task Suggestion 1: Generate Explanatory Analogies
- Potential Prompt Snippet for Next AI: “Based on the provided text, the author uses analogies like ‘Noah’s Ark’ and ‘Roomba.’ Generate three new, simple analogies to explain the core concepts of: 1) Nix’s declarative approach versus traditional software installation, 2) The purpose of the ‘Rule of 7’ for codebases, and 3) The human’s role as an ‘architect’ and the AI’s role as an ‘implementer’ in this workflow.”
- Task Suggestion 2: Draft a “Lessons Learned” Section
- Potential Prompt Snippet for Next AI: “Analyze the entire human-AI interaction in the entry. Draft a bulleted list of 5-7 key ‘Lessons Learned’ for developers who are starting to use agentic command-line AI tools. Focus on effective communication strategies, handling AI errors, and structuring a collaborative refactoring session.”