---
type: Concept
tier: 00_INDEX
strand:
- onboarding
audience:
- all
difficulty: beginner
prerequisites: []
tags:
- quickstart
- onboarding
- guide
- beginner
sources:
- README.md
- wiki/index.md
last_sync: '2026-04-10'
confidence: 0.95
---

# Quickstart: Start Here

Welcome to **arifOS** — the Constitutional AI Governance System. This guide will orient you in 5 pages and point you toward deeper learning based on your role.

> **Motto:** *Ditempa Bukan Diberi* — Forged, Not Given.

---

## Is arifOS For You?

| You Are... | arifOS Helps You... |
|------------|---------------------|
| **AI Engineer** | Build governed AI systems with built-in safety rails |
| **Platform Architect** | Design constitutional infrastructure for AI deployments |
| **Safety Researcher** | Test constitutional constraints with measurable floors |
| **Compliance Officer** | Audit AI decisions with immutable, verifiable logs |
| **AI Agent** | Understand your constitutional boundaries and behavioral contract |
| **Human Sovereign** | Maintain final authority over AI systems (888 Judge) |

**arifOS is NOT for:**
- Rapid prototyping without safety constraints
- Unconstrained AI research
- High-frequency decisions (adds ~50-200ms latency per call)

---

## The 5-Page Journey

Read these five pages in order. Total reading time: ~30 minutes.

### Page 1: What is arifOS? (5 min)
**[[What-is-arifOS]]**

Learn the core philosophy:
- The Trinity Architecture (ΔΩΨ): Soul, Mind, Body
- The 13 Constitutional Floors (F1-F13)
- The Metabolic Pipeline (000-999)
- The motto: *Ditempa Bukan Diberi*

**Key takeaway:** arifOS is a constitutional kernel, not an app. It governs AI actions through physics-inspired constraints.

---

### Page 2: The Trinity (5 min)
**[[Trinity_Architecture]]**

Understand the three rings of governance:

| Ring | Symbol | Name | Question It Answers |
|------|--------|------|---------------------|
| **Δ** | Delta | Human (Soul) | *Who* is building this? Why? |
| **Ω** | Omega | Constitution (Mind) | *What law* governs all action? |
| **Ψ** | Psi | Machine (Body) | *How* do we execute safely? |

Learn about **W³ consensus**: Theory × Constitution × Manifesto ≥ 0.95

**Key takeaway:** No single ring can override another. All three must agree for high-stakes actions.

---

### Page 3: The 13 Floors (8 min)
**[[Floors]]**

Master the constitutional constraints:

**Hard Floors** (violation = VOID/block):
- **F1** Amanah — Reversibility
- **F2** Truth — Grounded claims
- **F9** Ethics — Anti-dark-patterns
- **F10** Conscience — No consciousness claims
- **F13** Adaptability — Safe evolution

**Soft Floors** (violation = CAUTION/warning):
- **F3** Tri-Witness — Consensus
- **F4** Clarity — Entropy reduction
- **F5** Peace² — Non-destruction
- **F6** Empathy — RASA listening
- **F7** Humility — Uncertainty band [0.03, 0.05]
- **F8** Genius — Systemic health
- **F11** Auditability — Transparent logs
- **F12** Resilience — Graceful failure

**Key takeaway:** Hard floors block; soft floors warn. All actions pass through all floors.

---

### Page 4: The Metabolic Loop (7 min)
**[[Metabolic_Loop]]**

Follow the 9-stage execution pipeline:

```
000_INIT → 111_SENSE → 333_MIND → 444_ROUT → 555_MEM → 666_HEART → 777_OPS → 888_JUDGE → 999_SEAL
```

| Stage | Function | Floors Active |
|-------|----------|---------------|
| 000_INIT | Session anchoring | F1, F9, F10 |
| 111_SENSE | Reality grounding | F2, F4 |
| 333_MIND | Constitutional evaluation | F2, F4, F7, F8 |
| 444_ROUT | Tool selection | F3, F11 |
| 555_MEM | Context retrieval | F1, F4 |
| 666_HEART | Safety critique | F5, F6, F9 |
| 777_OPS | Resource estimation | F4, F8 |
| 888_JUDGE | Final verdict | **ALL F1-F13** |
| 999_SEAL | Immutable audit | F1, F11 |

**Key takeaway:** Every request flows through this pipeline. Each stage applies specific floors.

---

### Page 5: The Tools (5 min)
**[[MCP_Tools]]**

Meet the **9+1 Constitutional Tools**:

**9 Governance Tools** (think, validate, reason):
1. `arifos_init` — Session anchoring
2. `arifos_sense` — Reality grounding
3. `arifos_mind` — Structured reasoning
4. `arifos_route` — Lane selection
5. `arifos_memory` — Context recall
6. `arifos_heart` — Safety critique
7. `arifos_ops` — Operational cost
8. `arifos_judge` — Constitutional verdict
9. `arifos_vault` — Immutable seal

**1 Execution Bridge** (act after SEAL):
10. `arifos_forge` — Execution bridge (requires judge SEAL)

**Key takeaway:** Governance (9 tools) and Execution (1 tool) are strictly separated. No action without SEAL.

---

## Choose Your Path

After the 5-page journey, follow the path that matches your role:

### Path A: Governance & Theory
*For researchers, ethicists, constitutional designers*

Continue reading:
1. **[[Concept_Godellock]]** — F7 Humility and the Overconfidence Threshold
2. **[[Philosophy_Registry]]** — 83 quotes, 5 G★ bands, deterministic selection
3. **[[Concept_Governance_Enforcer]]** — Structural hard-stops and floor realism
4. **[[Synthesis_OpenQuestions]]** — Active design tensions and blockers

Focus: Understanding *why* the constitution is designed this way.

---

### Path B: Runtime & Engineering
*For engineers building on arifOS*

Continue reading:
1. **[[Tool_Surface_Architecture]]** — Canonical spec and compatibility layers
2. **[[integration-patterns]]** — ChatGPT, Claude, IDEs, n8n, custom apps
3. **[[Concept_Metabolic_Pipeline]]** — 11-stage thermodynamic digestion
4. **[[ToolSpec_arifos_judge]]** — The constitutional verdict engine

Focus: Understanding *how* to integrate and use arifOS tools.

---

### Path C: Deployment & Operations
*For DevOps, SRE, platform teams*

Continue reading:
1. **[[Concept_Deployment_Architecture]]** — Horizon Gateway vs VPS Sovereign
2. **[[Concept_Vault999_Architecture]]** — 4-layer immutable audit ledger
3. **[[Audit_Surface_Fragmentation]]** — Drift detection and surface inventory
4. **[[Eigent_Backend]]** — Multi-agent desktop automation (H1+H2)

Focus: Understanding *where* and *how* to deploy arifos_

---

### Path D: Future & Strategy
*For architects, strategists, visionaries*

Continue reading:
1. **[[Roadmap]]** — Horizon 1/2/3 development roadmap
2. **[[Horizon_2_Swarm]]** — Governed autonomy, A2A protocols
3. **[[Horizon_3_Universal_Body]]** — Hardware sovereignty, WebMCP P2P
4. **[[GEOX]]** — Earth Witness, Reality Gatekeeper

Focus: Understanding *where arifOS is going* and *what's next*.

---

## First API Call (30 seconds)

Test that arifOS is operational:

```bash
# Health check
curl -s https://arifosmcp.arif-fazil.com/health

# Expected: {"status": "operational", "version": "2026.04.08", ...}
```

Or with the MCP client:

```python
# Initialize session
arifos_init(
    mode="status",
    declared_name="MyFirstAgent"
)

# Response: {"status": "ANCHORED", "floors_active": 13}
```

---

## Key Concepts Glossary

| Term | Definition |
|------|------------|
| **ΔΩΨ** | The Trinity: Delta (Human), Omega (Constitution), Psi (Machine) |
| **13 Floors** | Constitutional constraints F1-F13 that govern all actions |
| **000-999** | The 9-stage metabolic pipeline for processing requests |
| **9+1 Tools** | 9 governance tools + 1 execution bridge |
| **SEAL** | Verdict: all floors passed, action authorized |
| **VOID** | Verdict: hard floor violated, action blocked |
| **888_HOLD** | Verdict: human approval required |
| **SABAR** | Verdict: retry suggested (patience in Malay) |
| **W³** | Witness Cubed: Theory × Constitution × Manifesto |
| **VAULT999** | Immutable audit ledger for all decisions |
| **888 Judge** | Human sovereign (Muhammad Arif bin Fazil) with final authority |

---

## Common Questions

**Q: Do I need to self-host arifOS?**
A: For evaluation, use the hosted endpoint. For production with sensitive data, self-host.

**Q: What happens if a floor fails?**
A: Hard floors → VOID (blocked). Soft floors → CAUTION (proceed with warning) or 888_HOLD (escalate).

**Q: Can I modify the 13 Floors?**
A: F1, F2, F9, F10, F13 cannot be softened (constitutional invariants). Others can be adjusted via F13 protocol with human SEAL.

**Q: How much latency does governance add?**
A: ~50-200ms per action, depending on which floors are active.

**Q: Can AI agents override arifOS?**
A: No. The 888 Judge (human) holds final authority. AI agents operate within constitutional bounds.

---

## Next Steps

1. ✅ Read the 5 pages above
2. 🔀 Choose your path (A, B, C, or D)
3. 🧪 Make your first API call
4. 📚 Deep-dive into your path's recommended pages
5. 🔧 Start building with arifOS

---

**Remember:** *Intelligence is not a gift. It is a thermodynamic work process constrained by energy, time, and space. arifOS ensures AI pays the price.*

**DITEMPA BUKAN DIBERI** — Forged, Not Given.

---

**Start your journey:** [[What-is-arifOS]] → [[Trinity_Architecture]] → [[Floors]] → [[Metabolic_Loop]] → [[MCP_Tools]]
