Ironlint Init

IronLint Init

Start with IronLint's generic baseline, then help the user choose checks for their stack and installed linters. A check is two fields — files (a glob or list) and run (a shell command that exits nonzero to block); there are no engines or severities.

This skill is user-driven. Do not silently install tools or add checks. Every step below is a proposal the user accepts or declines.

Step 1: Run ironlint init

ironlint init writes a small, stack-agnostic starter .ironlint.yml and trusts it for you. It does not inspect manifest files or wrap linters:

ironlint init

This creates .ironlint.yml with generic starter checks (and, outside this Claude session, can also wire hooks into other agents — not needed here, the PreToolUse hook is already running). Review the generated checks.

Step 2: Wrap the project's linters as checks

For each linter the user has installed (ruff, biome, eslint, tsc, phpstan, clippy, …) that runs per file, propose a check that feeds the proposed content on stdin; any nonzero exit blocks:

checks:
  ruff-check:
    files: ["**/*.py"]
    run: "ruff check --quiet --stdin-filename \"$IRONLINT_FILE\" -"

Test each candidate against a sample file before adding it (see /ironlint-config for the fixture loop). Only add checks that pass on clean input and block on dirty input. Skip repo-wide tools that aren't per-file (e.g. cargo clippy) — they don't map to a per-file check; suggest running them as a pre-push step instead.

Step 3: Trust the config

ironlint init already trusted the config it scaffolded. If you hand-edit .ironlint.yml (Step 2), re-bless it:

ironlint trust

This records a sha256 of the config (and any files it extends:/.ironlint/scripts/) in the out-of-repo trust store at ~/.config/ironlint/trust.json — it does not write into .ironlint.yml. Any later edit invalidates the fingerprint, and ironlint check refuses to run until you re-trust.

Step 4: Verify

Edit any in-scope file. The PreToolUse hook runs ironlint and either passes (clean) or blocks (with the check's message). See the ironlint skill for how to read a block verdict.

Notes

• If .ironlint.yml already exists, do not overwrite it — ironlint init leaves an existing config untouched. Propose edits via /ironlint-config instead.
• There is no migration from older formats; ironlint rejects a pre-0.3 config (schema_version:/rules:) outright. Write checks fresh.
• Telemetry lands at .ironlint/log.jsonl, with a per-check breakdown in each record. The /ironlint-review skill consumes it.