What It Does
1
Creates ~/.grind/
The vault directory at
~/.grind/ is created if it doesn’t exist. This is where your encrypted
SQLite database and config files live.2
Generates an encryption key
A random AES encryption key is generated and stored in
~/.grind/.key. This key encrypts your
vault at rest. Do not lose it. There’s no recovery without it.3
Runs database migrations
The SQLite schema is applied (14 tables: users, quests, quest_logs, proofs, skills, rituals,
signals, forge_rules, forge_runs, trust_log, companion_settings, companion_insights,
conversations, messages).
4
Creates your user profile
Interactive prompts ask for your name and timezone. This creates the
users record that all
other data references.5
Optional: AI setup
You can configure an AI provider immediately or skip with
Ctrl-C and run grindxp setup
later. Grind works fully without an API key.