Corrections: - File count: 22 → 23 files (actual count verified) - Line count: ~6,200 → ~5,600 lines (verified with wc -l) - Version history: Listed all 6 specialties explicitly (itil, devops, prompt-engineering, data-analysis, sccm, TEMPLATE) - Added LEGACY.md to full documentation list All metrics now reflect actual v6 system state.
Frank v6 - Modular AI Assistant Framework
Version: 6.0
Architecture: Skills-Centric Modular System
Philosophy: Pick up and go - zero environment coupling, maximum portability
🚀 Quick Start
Option 1: Core Only (Universal Assistant)
Load just the core for a friendly, mentoring assistant with universal capabilities:
Load: v6/Frank.core.agent.md
You get:
- Upbeat, friendly, mentoring personality
- 7 universal personas (Project Manager, Information Architect, Technical Writer, QA Analyst, Editor, Communications Lead, Business Analyst)
- 8 base commands:
/quickstart,/create,/review,/refactor,/document,/communicate,/consult,/help
Option 2: Core + Skills (With Reasoning Techniques)
Add advanced reasoning techniques for complex problem-solving:
Load:
- v6/Frank.core.agent.md
- v6/skills/style.cot.instructions.md (Chain-of-Thought)
- v6/skills/style.tot.instructions.md (Tree-of-Thought)
- v6/skills/style.craft.instructions.md (C.R.A.F.T. framework)
You get: Core + step-by-step reasoning, multi-path exploration, structured prompt creation
Option 3: Core + Specialty (Domain Expert)
Load a specialty module for domain-specific expertise:
Frank for DevOps:
Load:
- v6/Frank.core.agent.md
- v6/specialties/specialty.devops.instructions.md
Commands: /docker, /ansible, /compose, /traefik
Frank for Data Analysis:
Load:
- v6/Frank.core.agent.md
- v6/specialties/specialty.data-analysis.instructions.md
Commands: /analyze, /query, /visualize, /model, /clean
Frank for IT Service Management:
Load:
- v6/Frank.core.agent.md
- v6/specialties/specialty.itil.instructions.md
Commands: /ticket, /rca, /sop, /itil
See: All Available Specialties
Option 4: Multi-Specialty Composition
Combine multiple specialties for cross-domain expertise:
Load:
- v6/Frank.core.agent.md
- v6/specialties/specialty.devops.instructions.md
- v6/specialties/specialty.data-analysis.instructions.md
- v6/skills/style.advanced-reasoning.instructions.md
You get: DevOps + Data Science hybrid with advanced reasoning
📁 Architecture Overview
Frank v6 uses a 3-layer modular architecture:
Layer 1: CORE (required)
└── Frank.core.agent.md - Universal personality and base capabilities
Layer 2: SKILLS (optional, technique-focused)
├── style.craft.instructions.md - C.R.A.F.T. framework for prompts
├── style.cot.instructions.md - Chain-of-Thought reasoning
├── style.tot.instructions.md - Tree-of-Thought reasoning
├── style.rag.instructions.md - Retrieval-Augmented Generation
├── style.advanced-reasoning.instructions.md - Overview of all techniques
├── style.markdown.instructions.md - Markdown formatting standards
└── style.mermaid.instructions.md - Diagram creation
Layer 3: SPECIALTIES (optional, domain-focused)
├── specialty.devops.instructions.md - Docker, Ansible, IaC automation
├── specialty.prompt-engineering.instructions.md - LLM optimization
├── specialty.data-analysis.instructions.md - SQL, Python, statistics
├── specialty.sccm.instructions.md - Endpoint management (SCCM/Intune)
├── specialty.itil.instructions.md - IT service management
└── specialty.TEMPLATE.instructions.md - Create your own specialty
Layer 4: KNOWLEDGE (reference materials)
├── example.CoT-Prompting.md - Chain-of-Thought examples
├── example.ToT-Prompting.md - Tree-of-Thought examples
├── example.RAG-Token.md - RAG examples
├── example.ReAct.md - ReAct protocol examples
├── example.ITILv4.instructions.md - ITIL framework reference
└── example.Meta-Prompting.md - Meta-prompting examples
Key Principle: Load only what you need. Core works alone, skills enhance reasoning, specialties add domain expertise.
🎯 Available Specialties
DevOps & Site Reliability Engineering
File: specialty.devops.instructions.md
Commands: /docker, /ansible, /compose, /traefik
Expertise: Container orchestration, infrastructure automation, Traefik routing, safe deployment strategies
Use When: Troubleshooting Docker/Compose, writing Ansible playbooks, designing IaC solutions
Prompt Engineering & LLM Optimization
File: specialty.prompt-engineering.instructions.md
Commands: /optimize, /craft, /reason, /evaluate, /patterns
Expertise: LLM optimization, C.R.A.F.T. framework mastery, reasoning technique integration
Use When: Creating production prompts, optimizing existing prompts, integrating CoT/ToT/RAG
Data Analysis & Visualization
File: specialty.data-analysis.instructions.md
Commands: /analyze, /query, /visualize, /model, /clean
Expertise: SQL, Python (Pandas, Matplotlib, Seaborn), statistical modeling, SCoT methodology
Use When: Analyzing datasets, writing queries, creating visualizations, statistical analysis
Modern Endpoint Management
File: specialty.sccm.instructions.md
Commands: /sccm, /intune, /comanage, /package, /troubleshoot
Expertise: SCCM/Intune, Co-management, compliance policies, Win32 app packaging
Use When: Managing endpoints, deploying apps, configuring compliance, migrating to Intune
IT Service Management (ITIL v4)
File: specialty.itil.instructions.md
Commands: /ticket, /rca, /sop, /itil
Expertise: Incident Management, Problem Management, Knowledge Management, ITIL v4 framework
Use When: Resolving incidents, conducting RCAs, creating IT documentation, applying ITIL principles
🛠️ VS Code Integration
Method 1: Workspace Instructions (Recommended)
- Open VS Code Settings (Ctrl+,)
- Search for "GitHub Copilot Chat: Instructions File"
- Set to:
${workspaceFolder}/v6/copilot-instructions.md - Reload VS Code
The copilot-instructions.md file pre-configures common loading patterns.
Method 2: Manual Loading
In any Copilot Chat, use #file to reference:
@workspace Load #file:v6/Frank.core.agent.md and #file:v6/specialties/specialty.devops.instructions.md
Now help me troubleshoot this Docker Compose issue...
Method 3: Direct File Reference
Copy the content you need directly into your chat context, or use VS Code's "Add to Chat" feature on the files.
See: copilot-instructions.md for pre-configured patterns
💡 Usage Examples
Example 1: Creating a Technical Document
User: "I need to create API documentation for our REST service"
Frank (Core): "I'll guide you through creating comprehensive API documentation.
Let me use the Technical Writer persona and Documentation workflow..."
[Walks through structure, audience, content gathering, drafting]
Example 2: DevOps Troubleshooting
User: "My Docker Compose stack won't start, getting network errors"
Frank (Core + DevOps): "I'll help diagnose this. Triggering DevOps SRE persona.
Let me gather diagnostics..."
[Requests specific outputs, analyzes logs, proposes minimal fix with verification steps]
Example 3: Data Analysis with Reasoning
User: "Analyze Q1 sales data and identify trends"
Frank (Core + Data Analysis + CoT): "I'll analyze this using Structured Chain-of-Thought.
## 1. Clarify & Define
Your objective: Identify sales trends in Q1 data
Key sources: sales table, customers table
Success criteria: Actionable insights with visualizations
## 2. Repository Check
[Reviews existing scripts]
## 3. Plan & Methodology
[Outlines analytical steps]
..."
Example 4: Root Cause Analysis with ITIL
User: "Email server has been slow all week, need to find root cause"
Frank (Core + ITIL): "I'll conduct a root cause analysis using ITIL Problem Management.
Triggering Problem Manager persona with Tree-of-Thought analysis..."
[Gathers timeline, generates hypotheses, evaluates evidence, documents RCA]
Example 5: Multi-Specialty Composition
Load: Core + DevOps + Data Analysis
User: "Help me analyze Docker container metrics and visualize resource usage"
Frank: "This combines my DevOps and Data Analysis expertise.
I'll use Docker diagnostic commands to gather metrics, then Python/Pandas for analysis..."
[Bridges both domains seamlessly]
🎨 Creating Custom Specialties
Want to add your own domain expertise? Use the template:
-
Copy the template:
cp v6/specialties/specialty.TEMPLATE.instructions.md v6/specialties/specialty.legal.instructions.md -
Customize sections:
- Replace placeholder text with your domain
- Define 2-5 expert personas
- Create 3-7 slash commands
- Document 2-5 key workflows
- Reference relevant skills
-
Test integration:
Load: v6/Frank.core.agent.md + v6/specialties/specialty.legal.instructions.md -
Share (optional): Your custom specialty can be shared with others - just distribute the file!
See: specialty.TEMPLATE.instructions.md for detailed guidance
📚 Documentation
-
ARCHITECTURE.md: Comprehensive architecture guide (500+ lines)
- Design principles
- File organization
- Loading patterns
- Multi-specialty composition
- Migration from v4/v5
- Troubleshooting
- Version history
-
copilot-instructions.md: VS Code integration guide
- Pre-configured loading patterns
- Quick start templates
- Multi-specialty examples
-
Individual files: Each skill and specialty has inline documentation
🔄 Migration from Earlier Versions
From v5 (FrankGPT.consolidated-instructions.md)
v5 approach: Single monolithic file with all capabilities
v6 approach: Modular - load only what you need
Migration path:
- Core functionality: Use
Frank.core.agent.md(replaces universal personas) - IT operations: Use
specialty.itil.instructions.md(replaces ITIL/incident workflows) - DevOps: Use
specialty.devops.instructions.md(replaces Docker/Ansible sections) - Prompting: Use
specialty.prompt-engineering.instructions.md(replaces prompt optimization)
Benefit: Smaller context window, faster loading, compose only what you need
From v4 (Multiple agents/ files)
v4 approach: Separate agent files (Data Analyst, SCCM Tutor, etc.)
v6 approach: Specialties that compose with shared core
Migration path:
agents/Data Analyst.agent.md→specialty.data-analysis.instructions.mdagents/SCCM Tutor.agent.md→specialty.sccm.instructions.md- Custom agents → Create using
specialty.TEMPLATE.instructions.md
Benefit: Shared core personality, multi-specialty composition, portable structure
🏗️ Design Principles
1. Portability First
- Zero environment coupling: No hardcoded paths, no system-specific references
- Relative paths only: All cross-references use
../skills/,../knowledge/patterns - "Pick up and go": Copy the v6/ folder to any system and it works
2. Modularity
- Core is self-sufficient: Works alone without dependencies
- Skills enhance: Add reasoning techniques as needed
- Specialties compose: Load multiple domains without conflicts
- Knowledge is reference: Shared examples available to all layers
3. Versioning
- All files tagged:
version: 6.0in frontmatter - Compatibility tracked:
compatibleWith: Frank.core v6+ - Forward compatible: v6+ notation allows future evolution
4. Multi-Specialty Support
- No command conflicts: Each specialty uses domain-specific commands
- Shared skills: Multiple specialties can reference same CoT/ToT/RAG modules
- Conflict resolution: When overlaps exist, documentation explains disambiguation
📊 Project Structure
v6/
├── README.md ← You are here
├── ARCHITECTURE.md ← Detailed architecture guide
├── copilot-instructions.md ← VS Code integration
├── Frank.core.agent.md ← Core personality (REQUIRED)
├── skills/ ← Reasoning techniques (OPTIONAL)
│ ├── style.advanced-reasoning.instructions.md
│ ├── style.cot.instructions.md
│ ├── style.craft.instructions.md
│ ├── style.markdown.instructions.md
│ ├── style.mermaid.instructions.md
│ ├── style.rag.instructions.md
│ └── style.tot.instructions.md
├── specialties/ ← Domain expertise (OPTIONAL)
│ ├── specialty.data-analysis.instructions.md
│ ├── specialty.devops.instructions.md
│ ├── specialty.itil.instructions.md
│ ├── specialty.prompt-engineering.instructions.md
│ ├── specialty.sccm.instructions.md
│ └── specialty.TEMPLATE.instructions.md
└── knowledge/ ← Reference examples
├── example.CoT-Prompting.md
├── example.ITILv4.instructions.md
├── example.Meta-Prompting.md
├── example.RAG-Token.md
├── example.ReAct.md
└── example.ToT-Prompting.md
Total: 23 files, ~5,600 lines, fully modular
🔧 Troubleshooting
Frank isn't responding to specialty commands
Check: Are you loading both Frank.core AND the specialty?
# Correct:
Load: Frank.core.agent.md + specialty.devops.instructions.md
# Incorrect (core alone doesn't have /docker):
Load: Frank.core.agent.md
Commands from multiple specialties conflict
Check: Do the specialties actually conflict, or are they complementary?
/docker(DevOps) and/analyze(Data Analysis) don't conflict- If true conflict exists, specify domain: "Use DevOps /troubleshoot" vs "Use Data Analysis workflow"
Skills aren't being applied
Check: Skills are passive references - specialties or core must explicitly invoke them
- Frank.core references C.R.A.F.T. framework for prompt evaluation
- specialty.prompt-engineering deeply integrates all skills
- Loading skills alone without core/specialty won't trigger behaviors
Cross-references not working
Check: All paths are relative from v6/ root
- Correct:
../skills/style.cot.instructions.md - Incorrect:
/skills/style.cot.instructions.mdor absolute paths
🚀 Roadmap
v6.1 (Future)
- Additional specialties: Security, Cloud Architecture, Database Design
- Enhanced multi-specialty conflict resolution
- Knowledge base expansion with more examples
v7.0 (Future)
- Dynamic specialty loading based on conversation context
- Auto-detection of required skills
- Specialty versioning and compatibility matrix
🤝 Contributing
Want to contribute a specialty or improve existing modules?
- For new specialties: Use
specialty.TEMPLATE.instructions.mdas your starting point - For improvements: Ensure changes maintain v6 compatibility
- For bug fixes: Update version metadata if behavior changes
- Share: Custom specialties can be shared as standalone files
Principles:
- Maintain portability (no environment coupling)
- Use relative paths
- Document in frontmatter
- Include examples in workflows
- Test with Frank.core independently
📜 Version History
v6.0 (April 2026)
Major refactor: Monolithic → Modular architecture
Changes:
- ✅ Created 3-layer system (Core → Skills → Specialties)
- ✅ Created 6 specialties (itil, devops, prompt-engineering, data-analysis, sccm, TEMPLATE)
- ✅ Zero environment coupling achieved
- ✅ Multi-specialty composition support
- ✅ Full documentation (ARCHITECTURE.md, README.md, LEGACY.md)
Migration: v4/v5 → v6 (see Migration section above)
v5.0 (2024-2025)
- Single consolidated file: FrankGPT.consolidated-instructions.md
- Monolithic approach with all capabilities included
- IT operations focus with ITIL integration
v4.0 (2023-2024)
- Multiple agent files in agents/ folder
- Separate: Data Analyst, SCCM Tutor, custom agents
- Core instructions in instructions/ folder
📞 Support
Documentation:
- Quick start: This file (README.md)
- Architecture deep-dive: ARCHITECTURE.md
- VS Code setup: copilot-instructions.md
- Template guide: specialty.TEMPLATE.instructions.md
Need help?
- Review ARCHITECTURE.md for detailed patterns
- Check individual specialty files for domain-specific guidance
- Load
specialty.prompt-engineering.instructions.mdto optimize your own prompts
📄 License
This is a personal AI assistant framework. Use, modify, and extend as needed for your projects.
Frank v6: Modular. Portable. Composable. Pick up and go. 🚀