Setup Multirepo Git

Multi-Repo Git Workflow

This skill provides rules for working with multi-repo workspaces (multiple independent git repositories in one project directory) and a setup command for new projects.

Multi-Repo Git Rules

These rules apply whenever working in a project that has a .mgit.conf file in its root.

Always use mgit for service git operations

Rule: Use ./scripts/mgit <subcommand> <service> for all git operations on service repositories. This wrapper runs git -C under the hood but puts the subcommand first and service last, enabling permission patterns to distinguish safe vs dangerous operations.

Use root or . as the service name for the root repo.

Never use cd <service> && git ... (breaks auto-approval). Never run bare git add/status/commit expecting it to pick up service files — that targets the root repo.

# CORRECT — works from project root, auto-approvable for safe operations
./scripts/mgit status my-service --short
./scripts/mgit diff my-service
./scripts/mgit add my-service src/main/MyFile.scala
./scripts/mgit commit my-service -m "fix: something"
./scripts/mgit log my-service --oneline -5

# CORRECT — root repo operations
./scripts/mgit status root --short
./scripts/mgit diff .
./scripts/mgit add root AGENTS.md
./scripts/mgit commit . -m "docs: update agents"

# WRONG — requires manual approval (permission wildcards don't match mid-string)
git -C my-service status --short

# WRONG — changes directory, breaks auto-approval
cd my-service && git status --short

# WRONG — targets root repo, service folders are gitignored
git add my-service/src/main/MyFile.scala
git status  # only shows root repo changes

Which repo does a file belong to?

Check the first path component after the project root:

• If it matches a service name listed in .mgit.conf → use ./scripts/mgit <subcommand> <service>
• If it's a root-level file (AGENTS.md, docs/, scripts/, etc.) → use ./scripts/mgit <subcommand> root (or .)

Multiple services in one session

When committing changes across multiple services, run separate mgit commands for each service. Each service gets its own commit.

Git best practices

• Staging: Never use git add -A. Add specific files instead.
• Commits: Keep commits small and focused. Use Conventional Commits style.
• Remote: Never git push or git pull automatically — ask first. git fetch is allowed.
• Resets: Do not git reset --hard or checkout the whole project.

Setup Instructions

When invoked as /setup-multirepo-git, set up a new multi-repo workspace:

Step 1: Discover services

Scan the project root for subdirectories that contain their own .git/ directory:

# Find subdirectories with their own git repos
for dir in */; do
  [ -d "$dir/.git" ] && echo "${dir%/}"
done

Present the discovered list to the user for confirmation. They may want to add or remove entries.

Step 2: Create .mgit.conf

Create a .mgit.conf file in the project root with the confirmed service list:

# Multi-repo workspace configuration
# Presence of this file marks the project root for mgit
services=service-a,service-b,service-c

Step 3: Symlink the mgit script

Ensure a scripts/ directory exists, then create the symlink:

mkdir -p scripts
SKILLS_DIR="${SKILLS_DIR:-${CODEX_HOME:-$HOME/.codex}/skills}"
if [[ ! -d "$SKILLS_DIR" ]]; then
  SKILLS_DIR="${CLAUDE_HOME:-$HOME/.claude}/skills"
fi
ln -sf "$SKILLS_DIR/setup-multirepo-git/scripts/mgit" scripts/mgit

Verify the symlink works:

./scripts/mgit status <first-service> --short
./scripts/mgit status root --short

Step 4: Output permission patterns

Read the permission template from the skill resources and output it for the user:

SKILLS_DIR="${SKILLS_DIR:-${CODEX_HOME:-$HOME/.codex}/skills}"
if [[ ! -d "$SKILLS_DIR" ]]; then
  SKILLS_DIR="${CLAUDE_HOME:-$HOME/.claude}/skills"
fi
cat "$SKILLS_DIR/setup-multirepo-git/templates/permissions.json"

Tell the user to merge these patterns into their agent-specific local settings file. The allow patterns enable auto-approval for safe read-only operations. The ask patterns require confirmation for dangerous operations.

Step 5: Output AGENTS.md block

Read the AGENTS template from the skill resources and output it:

SKILLS_DIR="${SKILLS_DIR:-${CODEX_HOME:-$HOME/.codex}/skills}"
if [[ ! -d "$SKILLS_DIR" ]]; then
  SKILLS_DIR="${CLAUDE_HOME:-$HOME/.claude}/skills"
fi
cat "$SKILLS_DIR/setup-multirepo-git/templates/AGENTS-MGIT.md"

Tell the user to include this block in their project's AGENTS.md file, customizing the service names and any project-specific details.

Step 6: Confirm setup

Verify everything works:

1. readlink scripts/mgit — should show the symlink target
2. ./scripts/mgit status <service> — should show git status for a service
3. ./scripts/mgit status root — should show git status for the root repo
4. ./scripts/mgit status invalid-name — should error with valid service list