The vault

A vault is a directory you approve during a2l init. By default, it is ~/agent2learn on macOS and Linux, or %USERPROFILE%\agent2learn on Windows. It is separate from this project’s source checkout.

A map of the files

This example is simplified. Term, course, and module names come from your enrolment and course content tree.

agent2learn/
├── README.md
├── .a2l/
│   ├── manifest.json
│   ├── AUDIT.md
│   ├── history/
│   └── snapshots/
└── <term>/
    └── <course>/
        ├── INDEX.md
        ├── content/
        │   └── <module>/
        │       ├── lecture.pdf
        │       └── lecture.md
        ├── assignments/
        │   └── <title> <dropbox-id>/
        │       ├── README.md
        │       ├── instructions.html
        │       ├── instructions.md
        │       └── GROUNDING.md
        └── _meta/
            ├── content_map.json
            ├── assignments.json
            └── ai_policy.json

Assignment instructions appear when LEARN provides them. GROUNDING.md appears only after you run a2l ground.

Start with the index

The vault’s README.md points to terms and courses. Each course’s INDEX.md maps its modules, deadlines, assignments, and coverage. It follows the course hierarchy; it does not assume every instructor organizes material by week.

Originals and twins

An original file holds captured source bytes. Its adjacent Markdown twin is a locally generated text representation. The manifest records their relationship and hashes, so retrieval does not rely on similar filenames to decide what can be cited.

Conversion can omit a diagram or struggle with a scanned page. The original remains available for inspection, and the coverage report records known gaps.

Availability is explicit

_meta/content_map.json distinguishes metadata-only records, downloaded sources, usable twins, download or conversion gaps, integrity mismatches, unsupported formats, and excluded links.

An external or licensed target becomes a link stub. Seeing a topic in the index does not imply its contents were downloaded.

Revisions and your own work

Captured source revisions and changed generated twins are preserved under .a2l/history/. A locally modified twin is preserved before refresh. Keep your drafts as separate user files; the engine does not treat them as course evidence.

Manifest paths are relative to the vault. To move it, move the folder and run a2l init to approve the new location, then run a2l doctor.

Browser profiles and saved sessions are machine state, stored separately. Authenticate independently on each computer; never move sign-in state with a vault.