version: "1.0.0" name: rules-distill description: The protocol for extracting cross-cutting principles from skills and distilling them into global workspace rules. license: MIT metadata: ciel-version: 1.0.0 ciel-extension: ciel.yaml

CIEL ADAPTATION: Rules Distill (Principle Extraction)

This skill formalizes the mechanism by which CIEL evolves its global ruleset. It applies the "Deterministic Collection + LLM Judgment" principle to identify cross-cutting behaviors that should be promoted from individual skills to mandatory rules.

The Distillation Workflow

Phase 1: Inventory (Deterministic)

The system exhaustively scans the installed skill registry (Ciel/skills/) and the current ruleset to create a baseline inventory of principles.

Phase 2: Cross-Read & Match (Judgment)

An Auditor sub-agent cross-references all skills to find principles that meet the Promotion Criteria:

1. Ubiquity: The principle appears in 2+ distinct skills.
2. Actionability: It can be written as a "Do X" or "Don't do Y" instruction.
3. Risk: There is a clear violation risk if the principle is ignored.
4. Novelty: It is not already sufficiently covered in the existing rules.

Phase 3: Review & Execution

Proposed rule updates (Append, Revise, or New File) are presented to the user for explicit approval. Manual approval is mandatory; CIEL never modifies its own ruleset automatically.

Output Format

Each proposal must include:

• Principle: The exact rule text.
• Evidence: List of skills where the principle was observed.
• Violation Risk: What happens if this rule is broken.
• Verdict: Append | Revise | New Section | New File.

Anti-Patterns

• Over-Abstraction: Creating vague rules (e.g., "Code should be clean") that are not actionable.
• Skill Leakage: Moving language-specific hacks that belong in a skill into the global ruleset.
• Automated Refactoring: Modifying rules without a user-in-the-loop review.