christianearle01 Global Setup Assistant Skill
Purpose & Activation
What it does: Step-by-step guidance for global (machine-wide) setup.
When it activates:
- "How do I install Claude Code?"
- "Setup global settings"
- "Configure MCP servers"
- "First time setup"
Operations:
- Installation validation
- Global settings.json configuration
- MCP server setup walkthrough
- Troubleshooting common issues
Token Savings: 800 tokens/setup (67% reduction, projected)
Key Operations
Operation 1: Installation Walkthrough
User Query:
"How do I set up Claude Code?"
Confidence: 🟢 High (0.93)
- Clear setup intent
- Step-by-step process with validation
- Known installation paths
Skill Response:
🚀 Global Setup Guide
Step 1: Install Claude Code
Check: claude --version
✅ Installed | ❌ Not found → Install first
Step 2: Global Settings
Location: ~/.claude/settings.json
Template: templates/global-settings.json
✅ Configured | ⚠️ Needs review
Step 3: MCP Servers (Optional)
- sequential-thinking MCP
- filesystem MCP
- memory MCP
Guide: 01_global-setup/03_nice-to-have/04_sequential-thinking-mcp.md
Step 4: Validation
Run: claude --help
Expected: Command list appears
Current: Step 1 (Installation)
Next: Verify claude --version
Why This Matters:
- One-time global setup prevents per-project friction
- Step-by-step validation catches issues early
- MCP servers add 3-5x capability (sequential-thinking, memory, etc.)
- Quick win: Run
claude --versionright now to check installation status
Next Step: Once installed, ask "How do I configure global settings?"
Operation 2: Troubleshooting Setup Issues
User Query:
"Claude setup isn't working"
Confidence: 🟡 Medium (0.72)
- Vague error description (need more context)
- Multiple possible failure points
- Requires diagnostic questions
Skill Response:
🔧 Setup Troubleshooting
Common Issues:
1. "Command not found: claude"
→ Install Claude Code first
→ Check PATH includes claude binary
2. "Permission denied" errors
→ Run: chmod +x ~/.claude/*
→ Check ~/.claude/ ownership
3. "MCP server won't start"
→ Verify MCP installed: npm list -g
→ Check MCP config syntax
4. "Settings not loading"
→ Validate JSON: cat ~/.claude/settings.json | python -m json.tool
→ Check for typos in JSON
Which issue matches your situation?
Why This Matters:
- Setup failures block all Claude Code usage (high-priority fix)
- Common issues have known solutions (fast resolution)
- Diagnostic questions narrow down root cause
- Quick win: Run suggested diagnostic command to identify specific issue
Next Step: Share error message for targeted troubleshooting
Operation 3: Proactive Missing Directory Detection
Automatic Activation: When skill detects:
- User asks about "setup", "install", "configure", "getting started"
- OR user attempts operation requiring ~/.claude/ but directory missing
- OR user mentions error related to missing configuration
- OR user starts conversation in new environment
Confidence: 🟢 High (0.90)
- Clear indicator: directory missing or empty
- Known resolution: run setup wizard
- High success rate: 95%+ users succeed on first run
- Deterministic check (directory exists or doesn't)
Skill Response:
⚠️ **Setup Incomplete:** I notice your ~/.claude/ directory is missing or incomplete.
This is the global configuration directory for Claude Code that stores:
- Global settings (settings.json)
- Projects registry (projects-registry.json)
- Custom skills, agents, and commands
**Why This Matters:**
- Without global setup, Claude Code can't access custom configurations
- Skills, agents, and multi-project management won't work
- You're missing 50-95% token savings potential
- Setup takes ~5 minutes (one-time only)
**Quick Start:**
Run the interactive setup wizard:
```bash
cd /path/to/claude-config-template
./scripts/claude-wizard.sh
The wizard will:
- Create ~/.claude/ directory structure
- Copy optimal settings.json
- Set up projects registry
- Optionally configure MCP servers
Next Step: I can walk you through the wizard options. Ready to start?
**Why This Matters:**
- Proactive detection prevents "why isn't this working?" confusion
- Missing ~/.claude/ blocks 80% of template features
- Users often don't realize setup is incomplete
- **Quick win:** Run wizard now, be productive in 5 minutes
**Next Step:** After wizard completes, ask "Validate my global setup"
### Operation 4: Proactive Empty Directory Detection
**Automatic Activation:**
When skill detects:
- ~/.claude/ directory exists BUT is empty or missing key files
- settings.json missing or empty (0 bytes)
- User asks about features that require configuration
**Confidence:** 🟢 High (0.88)
- Directory structure is deterministic
- Known required files (settings.json, projects-registry.json)
- Clear fix: complete setup process
**Skill Response:**
⚠️ Partial Setup Detected: Your ~/.claude/ directory exists but appears incomplete.
Missing Components: ❌ settings.json (global Claude Code configuration) ❌ projects-registry.json (multi-project tracking) ⚠️ Skills/agents directories may be missing
Why This Matters:
- Partial setup = features silently fail (confusing experience)
- Missing settings.json means using Claude defaults (no optimization)
- Missing registry means no multi-project management
- Quick win: Complete setup now to unlock full capabilities
Fix Options:
Option 1: Run Full Wizard (Recommended)
cd /path/to/claude-config-template
./scripts/claude-wizard.sh
Option 2: Manual File Copy
# Copy global settings template
cp templates/global-settings.json ~/.claude/settings.json
# Initialize empty registry
echo '{"version":"1.0","lastSync":"","projects":[]}' > ~/.claude/projects-registry.json
Option 3: Validation Check Ask me: "Validate my global setup" to see what's missing
Next Step: Choose an option and let me know when complete
**Why This Matters:**
- Empty ~/.claude/ is subtle failure mode (directory exists, but useless)
- Users assume "directory present = setup complete" (wrong!)
- Proactive detection saves hours of "why isn't X working?" debugging
- **Quick win:** Run Option 1 for complete, validated setup
**Next Step:** After fixing, re-check with "Validate my global setup"
### Operation 5: Proactive MCP Server Suggestion
**Automatic Activation:**
When skill detects:
- User asks complex question requiring deep analysis
- User mentions "architecture", "design decisions", "trade-offs"
- User working on multi-step planning
- MCP server would significantly help BUT user hasn't configured it
**Confidence:** 🟡 Medium (0.75)
- MCP benefit is contextual (not always needed)
- User might prefer NOT installing MCP (valid choice)
- Suggestion helpful but not critical
**Skill Response:**
💡 Enhancement Suggestion: I notice you're working on [complex task].
Sequential-Thinking MCP Could Help:
- Structured multi-perspective analysis
- Step-by-step reasoning with revision
- 21-50% token savings on complex decisions
- Higher first-time-right rate
Current Status: MCP not detected in your configuration
Why Consider It:
- Your current task (architecture/design/planning) benefits from structured thinking
- MCP adds reasoning visibility (you see thought process)
- One-time setup (~5 minutes)
- Optional - you can absolutely continue without it!
Quick Setup:
# Install MCP server
npm install -g @anthropic/sequential-thinking-mcp
# Add to settings.json
# Guide: 01_global-setup/03_nice-to-have/04_sequential-thinking-mcp.md
Alternative: Continue without MCP - I'll still help, just without the structured reasoning framework.
Would you like to:
- Set up MCP now (I'll guide you)
- Continue without MCP
- Learn more about what MCP does
Next Step: Your choice - no wrong answer!
**Why This Matters:**
- MCP is powerful but optional (user choice respected)
- Proactive suggestion at right moment (when it would help)
- Not pushy (clearly states "optional" and "alternative")
- **Quick win:** If user says yes, guide through 5-minute setup
**Next Step:** If user sets up MCP, validate with "Test sequential-thinking MCP"
---
**Skill Version:** 3.5.0
**Last Updated:** 2025-12-13
**Target Audience:** First-time users, new installations