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Radar: .agents/rules standard for path-scoped AI rules #22

Description

@caioribeiroclw-pixel

Market signal

The AGENTS.md ecosystem is moving beyond one root project file toward scoped rule files. The active proposal in agentsmd/agents.md#179 argues for a shared .agents/rules/ format because teams are copying the same conventions into Claude, Cursor, Windsurf, Copilot, Cline and other tool-specific rule directories.

Public discussion: agentsmd/agents.md#179 (comment)

Hypothesis

If .agents/rules/ converges around a small shared schema, Pluribus can become a useful generator/auditor for path-scoped rules across tools, not just root-level project context.

This should only move from radar to implementation when there is real evidence that the spec or user demand has stabilized.

Proposed compatibility questions

  • Should activation be first-class (always, paths, manual) instead of inferred from paths/globs?
  • How should Pluribus report fidelity loss when a target cannot represent a shared rule exactly (for example Copilot and manual-mention rules)?
  • Is .agents/rules/ meant to be a source format, an interchange format, or a native runtime format read by tools?
  • Should Pluribus generate .agents/rules/ from pluribus.md, import it into pluribus.md, or audit drift between it and tool-specific outputs?

Non-goals for now

  • Do not implement a speculative adapter before the AGENTS.md proposal has more signal.
  • Do not compete with AGENTS.md itself; keep root AGENTS.md for project-level guidance and treat scoped rules as a companion layer.
  • Do not silently degrade activation semantics across tools.

Validation signal

Move forward only if at least one of these happens:

  • the AGENTS.md proposal gets maintainer support, concrete schema changes, or multiple implementer comments;
  • a Pluribus user asks for path-scoped rule generation/audit;
  • a relevant directory/community thread points to .agents/rules/ as a real adoption path;
  • an existing Pluribus context/audit workflow cannot solve a concrete scoped-rules drift case without this layer.

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