FAQ
Is this just another memory bank?
No. A memory bank helps an agent remember information. Project Corpus also defines canonical identity, current operational state, evidence, exact next action, and authority boundaries.
Do I need MCP?
No. Use a direct local folder or manual file uploads. MCP is optional.
Is Project Corpus the Living Software Organism?
No. Project Corpus is an independently useful project-state Protocol and optional Runtime. Living Software Organism is a higher-level architecture and reference direction that can use Project Corpus as a foundation. Project Corpus does not require LSO.
What is Context Intelligence?
An optional 2.2.0 Runtime feature that builds a disposable index from scoped Markdown, retrieves source-backed context by authority and time, and assembles bounded Context Bundles for any AI agent.
Is a Context Bundle authoritative?
No. It is a non-authoritative guide to relevant sources. Read the canonical Markdown files before making an authority or current-state claim.
Does it require an LLM, vector DB, or external database?
No. The local index is rebuildable; no LLM, vector database, external database, or network is required.
Do I need Python or an installer?
No for the Markdown Protocol. Copy the V2 template and start working manually. Python 3.11+ is needed only for the optional local Runtime.
Can I use it with ChatGPT, Codex, or Claude?
Yes. Any client that can read Markdown can use manual mode. Clients with local file tools can use direct-folder mode.
Can the Runtime access my whole disk?
Not by project content alone. Controlled Runtime operations are bounded by its hard limits, an external owner trust grant that pins one physical root, project policy, and the client capability subset. Direct-folder mode remains governed by the permissions you give the AI client.
Is it a sandbox?
No. The Markdown Protocol is not a security sandbox. The optional Runtime provides scoped guarantees only in documented controlled modes on qualified local filesystems. It does not make a third-party client or MCP host safe.
Does it work on network drives?
Do not assume so. Network, FUSE, removable, and other unqualified filesystems are outside the Runtime's measured guarantees and controlled mutation fails closed when the filesystem is unqualified.
Can multiple agents edit at once?
Use one authoritative writer at a time. The Runtime has local writer controls for its supported single-project mode; it does not provide distributed locking or multi-project coordination.
Why PROJECT.md and STATUS.md?
Stable identity and operational state change at different rates. Separate canonical documents make authority clearer and reduce unnecessary conflicts.
Why not a database?
Markdown remains inspectable, portable, vendor-neutral, and usable without an installation. A database may be used by another tool, but it is not required to use this Protocol.
Does it send my whole project to the internet?
Project Corpus itself sends nothing. A cloud AI receives what you upload or what a connected tool reads for it. Review the client's data policy and share only what is needed.
Can I keep two projects in one Corpus?
No. Use a separate Corpus for each active project.
Can I rename the files?
V2 defines canonical paths and filenames; keep them unchanged so tools and clients can find the required records. Existing V1 projects keep their original names. Follow the migration guide to create a separate V2 destination.
Why Tasks and Reports?
A Task defines what is allowed and required. A Report records what was actually done and verified. Keeping them separate prevents a plan from being mistaken for evidence.
Does manual mode update my local files?
No. The AI returns replacement files. You back up and save them yourself.
Can I migrate V1?
Yes. The Runtime provides read-only migration planning and separate controlled, create-only V2 publication. V1 templates remain unchanged; see the migration guide before authorizing an apply step.
Is PyPI available?
Yes. The optional Runtime can be installed from PyPI with pip install project-corpus.