NoteStore Lab Case Review

This skill should be used when the user asks to "review an Apple Notes case root", "set up NoteStore Lab MCP", "run notes-recovery-mcp", "ask one bounded question about a case", or "compare two NoteStore Lab case roots". It teaches install, first-success proof, and bounded case review without turning the repo into a hosted platform.

Use this skill when an agent needs to install, wire, or operate the NoteStore Lab review flow on one explicit case root or the public-safe demo surface.

What this skill teaches

• how to prove the workflow shape on demo artifacts first
• how to wire the local stdio MCP surface without pretending there is a hosted service
• how to inspect one case root at a time using derived artifacts first
• how to ask bounded, evidence-backed questions instead of free-form guessing

MCP capability surface

• read-only review surfaces: list_case_roots, inspect_case_manifest, select_case_evidence, inspect_case_artifact, and ask_case
• bounded workflows: run_verify, run_report, build_timeline, and public_safe_export
• one explicit case root at a time, local stdio only, with no live Notes store access

Product truth

• Recovery is the main product.
• AI and MCP are review layers, not the recovery engine.
• Stay local, copy-first, and case-root-driven.
• Prefer derived artifacts before raw copied evidence.
• Do not treat the live Notes store as a target.
• Do not describe NoteStore Lab as a hosted or multi-tenant platform.

First-success flow

1. Install or launch the shipped surface using references/install-and-mcp.md.
2. Run the public-safe proof path:
   • notes-recovery demo
   • notes-recovery ai-review --demo
   • notes-recovery ask-case --demo --question "What should I inspect first?"
   • notes-recovery doctor
3. Only after the demo path works, point the MCP server at one explicit Notes_Forensics_<run_ts> case root.
4. Keep all reasoning on copied evidence and derived artifacts, not on the live Notes store.

Preferred evidence order

1. Read review_index.md.
2. Read the verification preview and pipeline summary.
3. Use notes-recovery ask-case for one bounded operator question.
4. Use notes-recovery case-diff only when comparing two case roots.
5. Use notes-recovery public-safe-export when you need a shareable bundle.

Bounded MCP entry

bash

notes-recovery-mcp --case-dir ./output/Notes_Forensics_<run_ts>

Example prompts

• "Review this NoteStore Lab case root and tell me which artifact to inspect first."
• "Wire NoteStore Lab MCP to ./output/Notes_Forensics_2026-04-08_... and summarize the review-safe surfaces."
• "Compare these two case roots and tell me what changed at the manifest/review layer."
• "Generate a public-safe export plan for this case without exposing raw copied evidence."

Truth language

• Good: "repo-owned independent skill surface"
• Good: "local copy-first case review skill"
• Forbidden: "officially listed skill" without fresh host-side read-back
• Forbidden: "hosted Notes recovery platform"

Read next

• references/install-and-mcp.md
• references/usage-and-proof.md