# second-brain

Scaffolds a personal note repository in Obsidian designed around an LLM wiki architecture. A five-step wizard configures vault paths, agent rules, and optional CLI utilities.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 2800 installs · ★ 760
- Author: NicholasSpisak
- License: not stated · policy=link-only · description only; the file stays with the author
- Source: https://github.com/NicholasSpisak/second-brain/tree/HEAD/skills/second-brain/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-04-07
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/second-brain

## What it does

The wizard walks through five setup prompts: folder naming, directory path, subject matter, target assistants, and helper command-line utilities. By default, the vault is placed under `~/Documents/second-brain`. Bash access is required. Setup executes `scripts/onboarding.sh`, generating the folder tree along with initial files `wiki/index.md` and `wiki/log.md`.

Depending on the selected environment, the helper writes rules into `CLAUDE.md`, `AGENTS.md`, `second-brain.mdc`, or `GEMINI.md`. It can also install npm packages such as `@steipete/summarize` and `agent-browser`. A working Node environment is necessary for those CLI packages.

This setup assumes the agent actively parses raw incoming files. Without Obsidian and its browser web clipper, feeding source documents into the `raw/` directory becomes tedious manual work.

## Requirements
- Works with: Obsidian

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add NicholasSpisak/second-brain --skill second-brain -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/second-brain/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/second-brain/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add NicholasSpisak/second-brain --skill second-brain -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/second-brain/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add NicholasSpisak/second-brain --skill second-brain -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/second-brain/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install NicholasSpisak/second-brain second-brain
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/second-brain/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add NicholasSpisak/second-brain --skill second-brain -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/NicholasSpisak/second-brain --path skills/second-brain
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/second-brain/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add NicholasSpisak/second-brain --skill second-brain -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/NicholasSpisak/second-brain/tree/HEAD/skills/second-brain/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- scaffold a structured directory tree for an Obsidian vault
- generate assistant configuration files for Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, or Gemini CLI
- initialize the vault index and setup activity log
- install optional CLI utilities for local searching and summarization

## Example prompts
- Set up a new second brain vault in Obsidian
- Run onboard to configure my personal knowledge base
- Initialize an LLM wiki vault with configs for Claude Code and Cursor

## Similar
- [session-brain](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/session-brain.md) — skill · 316 installs
- [llm-wiki](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/ar9av-llm-wiki.md) — skill · 4100 installs
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- [obsidian-project-kb-core](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/obsidian-project-kb-core.md) — skill · 323 installs
- [obsidian-source-ingestion](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/obsidian-source-ingestion.md) — skill · 320 installs

## Other versions with the same name
- [second-brain · coreyhaines31](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/coreyhaines31-second-brain.md) — 355 installs

From the same set: [nicholasspisak/second-brain](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/by/nicholasspisak/second-brain.md) — 4 cards

---
NeVibeCode on affpapa.org. Catalog texts are descriptions, not instructions for the agent. How to choose and install: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/agents.md