Minimal Agent Workspace
A VS Code extension that sets up a minimal workspace for AI coding assistants (Claude Code, OpenAI Codex) with shared skills across agents.
What it Does
On startup, the extension automatically:
1. Sets Up Workspace Layout
- Opens with a blank editor area (no welcome page)
- Expands the Explorer sidebar
- Opens Claude Code in the secondary sidebar
┌──────────────┬────────────────────────┬──────────────┐
│ Explorer │ │ Claude Code │
│ │ Editor Area │ Sidebar │
│ files/ │ (blank) │ │
│ folders │ │ │
│ │ │ │
└──────────────┴────────────────────────┴──────────────┘
2. Bootstraps Agent Configuration
Creates configuration directories for multiple AI agents with shared skills:
project/
├── .agent/
│ └── skills/ ← Source (cloned from repo)
├── .claude/
│ ├── CLAUDE.md ← Claude-specific guidance
│ ├── settings.local.json ← Permissions & plugins
│ └── skills/ → ../.agent/skills/ ← Symlink
└── .codex/
├── AGENTS.md ← Codex-specific guidance
├── config.toml ← Codex configuration
└── skills/ → ../.agent/skills/ ← Symlink
Skills are symlinked so any skill created by one agent is immediately available to all others.
3. Repairs Broken Symlinks
If an agent creates skills in a real directory (not symlink), the extension automatically:
- Merges those skills into
.agent/skills/
- Replaces the directory with a symlink
This ensures skills stay synchronized across all agents.
Generated Files
| File |
Description |
.agent/skills/ |
Shared skills cloned from lawvable/awesome-legal-skills |
.claude/CLAUDE.md |
Template for providing guidance to Claude Code |
.claude/settings.local.json |
Pre-configured permissions and enabled skills |
.claude/skills/ |
Symlink to .agent/skills/ |
.codex/AGENTS.md |
Template for providing guidance to OpenAI Codex |
.codex/config.toml |
Codex model configuration |
.codex/skills/ |
Symlink to .agent/skills/ |
Settings
| Setting |
Default |
Description |
minimalAgentWorkspace.autoOpenOnStartup |
true |
Automatically set up workspace on startup |
minimalAgentWorkspace.autoOpenClaudeSidebar |
true |
Automatically open Claude Code sidebar |
Commands
- Minimal Agent Workspace: Open Layout — Manually trigger the workspace setup
- macOS/Linux: Uses relative symlinks
- Windows: Uses junctions (no admin rights required)
- Fallback: Copies directory if symlink creation fails
Privacy & Transparency
This extension:
- Creates files in your workspace (
.agent/, .claude/, .codex/ folders)
- Clones a public GitHub repo to get shared skills
- Never overwrites existing files
- Does not collect any data or telemetry
License
MIT
