The Council

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Shared engineering and domain guidance for Claude Code and Codex.
The Council brings architecture, implementation, quality, security and testing
into substantive work, with eleven additional divisions when relevant. Work stays
in the main session by default; one bounded specialist helper can support a
concrete independent investigation or review.

Install · Claude Code ·
Codex · Architecture ·
Skills · Contributing

Choose your runtime

Both runtimes use the same source guidance. Their installers, discovery mechanisms
and hook support differ; installing files does not prove that hooks are active or
that an agent has run. See the compatibility contract.

Claude Code installation

macOS, Linux or WSL2:

git clone https://github.com/Nmor/the-council.git
cd the-council
./bootstrap/install.sh --dry-run
./bootstrap/install.sh
./bootstrap/verify.sh

Windows PowerShell:

git clone https://github.com/Nmor/the-council.git
Set-Location the-council
# Allow local scripts for this session if execution is restricted.
if ((Get-ExecutionPolicy) -eq 'Restricted') {
    Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope Process
}
.\bootstrap\install.ps1 -DryRun
.\bootstrap\install.ps1
.\bootstrap\verify.ps1

The session setting follows PowerShell's execution-policy guidance
and does not override an organization-managed policy.

The Claude installer backs up an existing destination before replacing its config
surface. Review the preview and installer options; --force / -Force
skips that backup. Start a fresh Claude Code session after installing. The optional
IDE templates can be staged by this installer; the VS Code template also includes
Codex preferences. Templates do not install either runtime's extension or CLI.

Codex installation

Requires Python 3.11+, Node.js 18+ and Git:

git clone https://github.com/Nmor/the-council.git
cd the-council
python3 bootstrap/codex.py install --dry-run
python3 bootstrap/codex.py install
python3 bootstrap/codex.py verify

On Windows, use py -3.11 or a newer Python. The installer preserves unrelated
Codex configuration and the Claude installation. Start a fresh Codex session, use
$council to select guidance, and review new or changed hooks in /hooks before
trusting them. verify checks installation integrity, not trust or task correctness.
See the Codex guide for existing-plan mappings, supported features
and removal.

For existing installations, use the reversible context migration
rather than replacing customized configuration without review.

How the Council works

1. Inspect the task, existing work and authoritative implementation plan.
2. Consider relevant architecture, implementation, quality, security and testing risks.
   Consult extended domain guidance when the task needs it.
3. Implement within the user's scope and authorization, preserving other work.
4. Verify with appropriate repository checks and review. Distinguish implemented,
   tested, installed, trusted and runtime-verified behavior.
5. Record evidence, remaining work and the next action in the same existing plan.

Routine tasks do not require a series of division speeches or extra model sessions.
Detailed review templates remain available for high-risk or explicitly deep reviews.
Imported guidance and hooks supplement native permissions; they cannot authorize
messages, pushes, deployment or other actions outside the user's request.

Sixteen divisions

The division reference describes specialist responsibilities and
escalation guidance. Source model labels and Claude tool names are runtime-specific
conventions; Codex uses native roles with the inherited parent model.

Context and learning

The source includes 26 short Floor rules, 187 Library rules, 134 skills,
39 specialist agents and 33 command workflows. Load only relevant guidance.
Codex defaults to one discoverable router and a catalog; a full discovery profile
is optional. Claude uses its concise working contract and Floor rules.

Measure instruction size with node scripts/token-budget.mjs --root . --check.
The eager Claude source contract is capped at 24,576 bytes; this measures source
instructions, not billed usage or a live session's complete context. Keep a clone
out of a parent .claude/ directory that Claude would also load as project guidance.

Learning procedures can record candidates and propose improvements. Automatic
Claude audit events are not automatically ported to Codex; keep Codex evidence in
the existing plan. Candidate promotion remains subject to review and authorization.
See context controls and runtime compatibility.

What's included

The SDLC and business skills cover requirements, incidents,
integrated releases, test strategy, data reconciliation, recovery drills,
entrepreneurship, pentesting and CISA-aligned audits. The skills catalog
also includes marketing strategy, SEO, content campaigns and brand creative
direction, with evaluation scenarios.
BRAG supports requested launch videos and creative deliverables
for both runtimes, including local media verification.

Documentation and verification

Run the verifier for your runtime and the repository checks relevant to your change.
A successful structural check does not certify every procedure, model response,
hook or deployed environment. Report skipped checks and unavailable capabilities.

Repository name and existing clones

The canonical repository is Nmor/the-council.
The product name is The Council. Use The Council for Claude Code or
The Council for Codex when referring to a particular runtime integration.

For an existing clone, update its remote without moving the working directory:

git remote set-url origin https://github.com/Nmor/the-council.git

Fork owners should use their own fork URL. Runtime directories such as .claude
and .codex, the CLAUDE.md filename, and existing internal state identifiers keep
their functional names. Renaming the product does not change those contracts or
rewrite historical release evidence.

License

MIT. Review the security policy for private vulnerability
reporting and the contribution guide before proposing changes.