Setup Repo
This skill sets up or repairs a repository. The same rules apply whether the project is new or already initialized — inspect first, then apply each step.
Scope
This skill delivers repo scaffolding only: git initialization, .gitignore, .gitattributes, AGENTS.md, hooks, and skill installation. The summary in Step 9 is the final deliverable. Once it is delivered, this skill's work is complete — what happens next is the user's decision.
Step 1: Interview the user
Collect before touching any files:
- Project goal — one sentence: what is this project for?
- Tech stack — languages, frameworks, runtimes
- Skills — any specific agentic skills to add (optional)
If the project has tool constraints, also collect:
- Runtime targets — which runtimes need enforcement hooks (
GitHub Copilot CLI,OpenCode) - Tool constraints — package manager, task runner, formatter, linter, test runner, banned commands
- Strictness — hard-block or warning-only per category
If files already exist, scan them first and pre-fill answers to reduce friction. If the user skips the interview, infer everything from folder contents and note what was inferred in the summary.
Step 2: Explore the folder
Inspect the working directory before generating any files:
- Whether
.gitexists - Source and config files (detect the stack)
- Which setup surfaces already exist:
.gitignore,.gitattributes,AGENTS.md,hooks/,.github/hooks/,.opencode/plugins/,.agents/skills/
Don't guess the stack — use what you actually find.
Step 3: Initialize git
If .git already exists, skip and note it in the summary.
git init .Step 4: Create or update.gitignore
Read references/gitignore-patterns.md for comprehensive per-stack patterns.
Generate a .gitignore tailored to the detected stack, or merge missing patterns into an existing one. Always include the Universal section; add only the stack-specific sections that apply. Prefer additive edits; preserve existing custom patterns and comments.
Step 5: Create or update.gitattributes
Generate or update .gitattributes for cross-platform line-ending consistency and binary file handling:
* text=auto eol=lf
*.md text
*.json text
*.yaml text
*.yml text
*.toml text
*.sh text eol=lf
*.png binary
*.jpg binary
*.jpeg binary
*.gif binary
*.ico binary
*.svg binary
*.woff binary
*.woff2 binary
*.ttf binary
*.zip binary
*.tar.gz binary
*.pdf binaryAdd dist/** linguist-vendored if generated output directories are present.
Step 6: Create or update AGENTS.md
AGENTS.md must always be exactly 3–5 lines. No exceptions — new project or existing.
It is a tiny orientation card, nothing more. Do not put maintenance rules, tool policies, conventions, or commands in it.
# AGENTS.md
Project: <one-line purpose>
Stack: <only if genuinely multi-stack>
Key paths: <only if large multi-directory project>If the file does not exist, create it. If it exists and is longer than 5 lines, rewrite it to fit the template above — extract the essentials and discard the rest. Tool policy belongs in hooks/, not here.
Step 7: Capture tool constraints and generate hooks
If the project has tool preferences or restrictions, store them in hooks/tool-guard/ — not in AGENTS.md.
Create:
hooks/tool-guard/README.md— human summary of the policyhooks/tool-guard/policy.json— structured policy (runtimes, categories with preferred/blocked/mode, extra banned commands)
Then generate runtime-native enforcement:
- GitHub Copilot CLI →
.github/hooks/tool-guard.json+ scripts under.github/hooks/scripts/ - OpenCode →
.opencode/plugins/tool-guard/index.ts+ anyopencode.jsonwiring
Use the tool-guard skill when available. If existing hook files are present, update or extend them rather than duplicating. Ask before replacing enforcement logic the project already relies on.
Step 8: Install relevant skills
Install skills to .agents/skills/<skill-name>/SKILL.md — this is the only correct location.
| Stack / trigger | Skills to add |
|---|---|
| Docker | docker |
| GitHub Actions / CI | github-actions, github-actions-templates |
| .NET / C# | dotnet |
| Kubernetes | k8s-manifest-generator, k8s-security-policies |
| Any GitHub project | gh-cli, conventional-commit, git-advanced-workflows |
| Tool constraints / hooks | tool-guard |
- Search with
awesome-copilot-search_instructions - Load with
awesome-copilot-load_instruction - Write to
.agents/skills/<skill-name>/SKILL.md
If a skill is already installed and current, leave it. Refresh only if stale or explicitly requested.
Step 9: Summarize
✅ git init (or ⏭ already initialized)
✅ .gitignore created / updated / unchanged
✅ .gitattributes created / updated / unchanged
✅ AGENTS.md created / rewritten to 3–5 lines
✅ hooks/tool-guard/ created / updated
✅ Runtime hooks for: GitHub Copilot CLI, OpenCode
✅ Skills added/refreshed: conventional-commit, gh-cliNote anything that could not be completed and what action the user may want to take next.
Your work is complete. Deliver this summary and return control to the user. The next step is theirs to decide.