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Run npx skillmds@latest add harshanandak/setup in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

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This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

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harshanandak (@harshanandak) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Setup by harshanandak — Agent Skill

Name: Setup
Author: harshanandak

Setup

Forge install & setup lifecycle. `forge setup` interactively configures Forge for your coding agents; `forge init [--profile minimal|standard|full]` writes the adoption config in a fresh repo; `forge doctor` reports whether the kernel DB is on a cloud/network path; `forge upgrade [--dry-run]` previews + self-heals upgrade readiness; `forge hooks install --global` installs native hooks; `forge reset --soft|--hard --force` and `forge reinstall --force` undo/redo the install; `forge recommend` lists suggested tools. Use when the user says "install/set up forge", "init forge", "adoption profile", "forge doctor", "upgrade forge", "install the hooks globally", or "reset/reinstall forge". Footguns: setup is interactive — pass `--yes` in automation; `doctor` only checks the kernel-DB filesystem class, NOT general health; `upgrade` self-heals Forge state, NOT the npm package; reset/reinstall need `--force`. NOT toggling a gate/rail (gates), NOT orienting in a set-up repo (status), NOT installing project deps (dev).

harshanandak d9cc02d 3 files · 6.5 KB Updated Sep 17, 2026

File contents

Getting Forge installed, configured, upgraded, and diagnosed in a repo. These are the bootstrap and maintenance commands — distinct from the everyday workflow stages.

Install & configure

forge setup                      # interactive agent configuration (Claude/Cursor/Codex …)
forge setup --yes                # non-interactive: accept defaults (use this in automation)
forge setup --agents claude,cursor --skip-external   # target specific harnesses, skip service prompts
forge setup --path <dir> --dry-run                   # preview against another dir, write nothing

forge setup is interactive by default. In any automated/agent context pass --yes (or --non-interactive) so it never blocks on a prompt.

Initialize a fresh repo

forge init --minimal             # shortcut for --profile minimal --yes
forge init --profile standard --harness claude,cursor
forge init --classification standard --dry-run       # preview the adoption config

forge init writes the Forge adoption config (.forge/config.yaml). The profile picks how much enforcement ships on: minimal (rails off) → standard → full. This configures the workflow; toggling an individual gate afterward is the gates skill.

Diagnose

forge doctor            # is the kernel DB on a cloud-synced / network path? (reliability signal)
forge doctor --json     # machine-readable

forge doctor is narrow: it reports the filesystem class of the Forge kernel database path (local / cloud-synced / network) so you can catch the reliability footgun of running the DB on OneDrive/Dropbox/a network share. It is not a general health check.

Upgrade readiness

forge upgrade --dry-run    # preview the planned self-heal, change nothing
forge upgrade              # apply safe self-heal steps to make the repo upgrade-ready

forge upgrade previews and applies safe self-heal steps for Forge's own state. It does not update the installed npm package — use your package manager for that.

Global hooks

forge hooks install --global                       # install native hooks for all harnesses
forge hooks install --global --harness codex       # scope to one harness (codex|hermes|all)
forge hooks install --global --dry-run             # preview

--global is the required consent flag — it opts you into installing hooks at the user level. (The other forge hooks subcommands — session-start, inbox-pickup, shepherd-events, memory-recall, capture — are machine-facing hook emitters the harness calls, not things you run by hand.)

Undo / redo the install

forge reset --soft --force     # remove .forge/ config only (keeps commands, rules, agents)
forge reset --hard --force     # remove ALL forge-managed files (keeps user-created files)
forge reinstall --force        # remove + re-run default setup in one step

reset and reinstall are destructive, so --force is required. reset with no --soft/--hard just prints usage.

Recommend tooling

forge recommend         # suggest tools/integrations for the current project

Boundaries

Toggling a single gate/rail (e.g. TDD, kernel-tracking) is gates — init writes the initial config; gates flips one afterward.
"Where am I / how is forge set up" in an already-configured repo is status / kernel, not setup.
Installing project dependencies (bun install) is dev, not forge setup.

---name: setupdescription: Forge install & setup lifecycle. `forge setup` interactively configures Forge for your coding agents; `forge init [--profile minimal|standard|full]` writes the adoption config in a fresh repo; `forge doctor` reports whether the kernel DB is on a cloud/network path; `forge upgrade [--dry-run]` previews + self-heals upgrade readiness; `forge hooks install --global` installs native hooks; `forge reset --soft|--hard --force` and `forge reinstall --force` undo/redo the install; `forge recommend` lists suggested tools. Use when the user says "install/set up forge", "init forge", "adoption profile", "forge doctor", "upgrade forge", "install the hooks globally", or "reset/reinstall forge". Footguns: setup is interactive — pass `--yes` in automation; `doctor` only checks the kernel-DB filesystem class, NOT general health; `upgrade` self-heals Forge state, NOT the npm package; reset/reinstall need `--force`. NOT toggling a gate/rail (gates), NOT orienting in a set-up repo (status), NOT installing project deps (dev).---Getting Forge installed, configured, upgraded, and diagnosed in a repo. These are the bootstrap and maintenance commands — distinct from the everyday workflow stages.# Install & configure```bashforge setup # interactive agent configuration (Claude/Cursor/Codex …)forge setup --yes # non-interactive: accept defaults (use this in automation)forge setup --agents claude,cursor --skip-external # target specific harnesses, skip service promptsforge setup --path <dir> --dry-run # preview against another dir, write nothing````forge setup` is **interactive by default**. In any automated/agent context pass `--yes` (or `--non-interactive`) so it never blocks on a prompt.# Initialize a fresh repo```bashforge init --minimal # shortcut for --profile minimal --yesforge init --profile standard --harness claude,cursorforge init --classification standard --dry-run # preview the adoption config````forge init` writes the Forge adoption config (`.forge/config.yaml`). The profile picks how much enforcement ships on: `minimal` (rails off) → `standard` → `full`. This configures the workflow; toggling an individual gate afterward is the **gates** skill.# Diagnose```bashforge doctor # is the kernel DB on a cloud-synced / network path? (reliability signal)forge doctor --json # machine-readable````forge doctor` is **narrow**: it reports the filesystem class of the Forge kernel database path (local / cloud-synced / network) so you can catch the reliability footgun of running the DB on OneDrive/Dropbox/a network share. It is **not** a general health check.# Upgrade readiness```bashforge upgrade --dry-run # preview the planned self-heal, change nothingforge upgrade # apply safe self-heal steps to make the repo upgrade-ready````forge upgrade` previews and applies **safe self-heal** steps for Forge's own state. It does **not** update the installed npm package — use your package manager for that.# Global hooks```bashforge hooks install --global # install native hooks for all harnessesforge hooks install --global --harness codex # scope to one harness (codex|hermes|all)forge hooks install --global --dry-run # preview````--global` is the required consent flag — it opts you into installing hooks at the user level. (The other `forge hooks` subcommands — `session-start`, `inbox-pickup`, `shepherd-events`, `memory-recall`, `capture` — are machine-facing hook emitters the harness calls, not things you run by hand.)# Undo / redo the install```bashforge reset --soft --force # remove .forge/ config only (keeps commands, rules, agents)forge reset --hard --force # remove ALL forge-managed files (keeps user-created files)forge reinstall --force # remove + re-run default setup in one step````reset` and `reinstall` are destructive, so `--force` is required. `reset` with no `--soft`/`--hard` just prints usage.# Recommend tooling```bashforge recommend # suggest tools/integrations for the current project```## Boundaries- Toggling a single gate/rail (e.g. TDD, kernel-tracking) is **gates** — `init` *writes* the initial config; `gates` *flips* one afterward.- "Where am I / how is forge set up" in an already-configured repo is **status** / **kernel**, not setup.- Installing project dependencies (`bun install`) is **dev**, not `forge setup`.

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