Dev Mode Init
You activate AIWG dev mode, rebuild the local source, deploy the developer toolkit, and run a dev health check. All operations go through the AIWG Steward agent and CLI — no direct file writes.
Triggers
- "switch to dev mode" → full dev mode bootstrap
- "aiwg use dev" → full dev mode bootstrap
- "activate dev mode" → full dev mode bootstrap
- "use local repo source" → switch CLI to dev + build
- "switch back to stable" → deactivate dev mode
- "rebuild and redeploy dev" → build + redeploy aiwg-dev without switching mode
Trigger Patterns Reference
| Pattern | Example | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Full init | "switch to dev mode" | All steps |
| From repo path | "use dev mode at ~/dev/aiwg" | Switch + build from path |
| Stable | "switch back to stable" | aiwg --use-stable |
| Rebuild only | "rebuild dev" | Build + redeploy, skip mode switch |
| Check mode | "am I in dev mode?" | aiwg version + report |
Process
Step 1 — Resolve repo path
If the user supplied a path, use it. Otherwise default to the current working directory.
# Verify the target looks like the AIWG repo
ls package.json src/ agentic/ 2>/dev/null
If package.json is not found, stop and report: "Directory does not appear to be an AIWG repo — no package.json found."
Step 2 — Switch CLI to dev mode
aiwg --use-dev <resolved-path>
Expected output confirms: Switched to dev mode. Dev repo: <path>
If already in dev mode pointing at the same path, skip and note "already in dev mode".
Step 3 — Build local source
# TypeScript compile + web app build
npm run build
On failure: report the tsc or vite error, stop, and suggest running npm run build manually to see full output. Do not proceed past a broken build.
On success: note build time and output sizes (xterm, index bundles).
Step 4 — Deploy aiwg-dev addon (with Steward)
aiwg use aiwg-dev
This deploys:
- Steward agent (via aiwg-utils dependency)
- Dev rules (skill-placement, no-circular-skill-calls, component-completeness, addon-boundaries)
- Dev skills (dev-doctor, devkit-create-*, devkit-validate, devkit-test)
Step 5 — Dev health check
Invoke dev-doctor for a fast structural check:
# TypeScript gate (already passed in step 3, but double-check deployed state)
npx tsc --noEmit
Then trigger /dev-doctor or report inline:
# Run dev doctor sections 1–3 (structure, orphans, placement)
# Full run happens via aiwg dev-doctor or the dev-doctor skill
Step 6 — Report
## Dev Mode Init — Complete
**Mode**: dev [active]
**Repo**: <path>
**Build**: <duration> — xterm <size>, index <size>
**Deployed**: aiwg-dev (steward + dev tools)
### Status
- CLI mode: ✓ dev
- Build: ✓ clean (0 errors)
- Deployment: ✓ aiwg-dev
- TypeScript: ✓ passes
### Available
- `@aiwg-steward` — upgrade, sync, health check, capability routing
- `/dev-doctor` — structural health check
- `/devkit-create-*` — scaffolding tools
- `aiwg serve --no-open` + `cd apps/web && npm run dev` — live dashboard
### To switch back
`aiwg --use-stable`
Deactivation (switch back to stable)
When user requests stable mode:
aiwg --use-stable
Report: "Switched back to stable npm package. Run aiwg sync to ensure frameworks are current."
Examples
Example 1: Full bootstrap from repo root
User: "switch to dev mode"
Action:
- Detect CWD is
/home/user/dev/aiwgwithpackage.jsonpresent - Run
aiwg --use-dev /home/user/dev/aiwg - Run
npm run build— succeeds in 8s - Run
aiwg use aiwg-dev - Run
npx tsc --noEmit— 0 errors
Output:
Dev Mode Init — Complete
Mode: dev [active] — /home/user/dev/aiwg
Build: 8.2s — xterm 291KB, index 246KB
Deployed: aiwg-dev (steward, 5 rules, 11 skills)
TypeScript: 0 errors
@aiwg-steward is ready. Use it for upgrades, syncs, and health checks.
Example 2: Path specified
User: "activate dev mode at ~/dev/aiwg"
Action: Run aiwg --use-dev ~/dev/aiwg → build → deploy → doctor
Example 3: Already in dev mode
User: "switch to dev mode"
Aiwg version shows: 2026.4.0-rc.26 [dev] path: /home/user/dev/aiwg
Action: Skip step 2. Still run build (source may have changed) and redeploy.
Output: "Already in dev mode. Rebuilding and redeploying..."
Example 4: Broken build
User: "switch to dev mode"
npm run build fails with TypeScript errors
Output:
Dev Mode Init — BLOCKED
Step 3 (build) failed. Fix TypeScript errors before proceeding.
Errors:
src/serve/pty-bridge.ts(210,5): error TS2345: ...
Run `npm run build` to see full output.
Dev mode flag was set — run `aiwg --use-stable` to revert if needed.
References
- @$AIWG_ROOT/agentic/code/addons/aiwg-dev/skills/dev-doctor/SKILL.md — Dev structural health check
- @$AIWG_ROOT/agentic/code/addons/aiwg-utils/agents/aiwg-steward.md — Steward agent (maintenance + upgrades)
- @$AIWG_ROOT/docs/development/aiwg-development-guide.md — Full dev workflow guide
- @$AIWG_ROOT/docs/development/dev-testing.md — Dev testing patterns