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Run npx skillmds@latest add pngdeity/pkg-bootstrap 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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Who published Pkg Bootstrap?

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

Pkg Bootstrap by pngdeity — Agent Skill

Name: Pkg Bootstrap
Author: pngdeity

Pkg Bootstrap

Initialize a new Arch Linux package in the repository. Use when adding a new package, creating a PKGBUILD from scratch, bootstrapping from an upstream AUR or Arch GitLab source, or setting up a package for the first time — even if the user doesn't explicitly mention "bootstrap" or "PKGBUILD."

pngdeity d0bde51 2.8 KB Updated Sep 17, 2026

File contents

Package Bootstrap Workflow

When adding a new package to packages/:

Create the package directory and a minimal PKGBUILD. For packages that mirror an existing Arch or AUR package, define the upstream source variable and the maintainer demotion flag:
- _upstream_aur_pkg for AUR packages
- _upstream_arch_repo for official Arch GitLab packages
- _demote_upstream_maintainer=true to automatically demote upstream maintainers to contributors
- _pkgname=<canonical-name> to declare the canonical software name (set on ALL packages in a variant family, including the base). If the package is standalone with no variants, omit _pkgname.
- For gemini-cli variants, add _use_common_gemini_settings=true
- _deploy_aur=true if this package should be published to the AUR by the CI/CD pipeline
- For CPU-optimization variants, set _repo_subarch (e.g., "x86_64_v3") — mutually exclusive with _deploy_aur If the package is entirely custom and does not mirror any upstream PKGBUILD, omit the _upstream_* variables and define a standard source array directly. In this case, skip step 2 and proceed to step 3.
For mirrored packages, run the bootstrap script. Look up the upstream version from the source repository (AUR web interface, Arch GitLab tags, or release page) before running:
```
bash scripts/sync-package.sh <pkgname> <version>
```
This fetches the upstream PKGBUILD, initializes tracking state, applies declarative identity rules (demotion, asset sync), and updates hashes. Only one invocation is needed.
Set up version checking from within the package directory:
```
pkgctl version setup
```
This generates a valid .nvchecker.toml from the PKGBUILD source array.
Create a package-local AGENTS.md ONLY if the package has non-standard build requirements, undocumented quirks, or specific environmental constraints. Otherwise skip this step. The file must follow the Hierarchical Policies in the root AGENTS.md.
Register the package in the root .nvchecker.toml for global version monitoring.

Run the full verification sequence:

namcap PKGBUILD
makepkg --printsrcinfo > .SRCINFO
pkgctl build
pkgctl diff --list

Gotchas

The sync-package.sh script expects the upstream source variable to be set correctly. If the upstream package uses a non-standard name, verify the variable before bootstrapping.
pkgctl version setup must be run inside the package directory. The .nvchecker.toml it generates is package-specific.

---name: pkg-bootstrapdescription: Initialize a new Arch Linux package in the repository. Use when adding a new package, creating a PKGBUILD from scratch, bootstrapping from an upstream AUR or Arch GitLab source, or setting up a package for the first time — even if the user doesn't explicitly mention "bootstrap" or "PKGBUILD."---## Package Bootstrap WorkflowWhen adding a new package to `packages/`:1. Create the package directory and a minimal `PKGBUILD`. For packages that mirror an existing Arch or AUR package, define the upstream source variable and the maintainer demotion flag: - `_upstream_aur_pkg` for AUR packages - `_upstream_arch_repo` for official Arch GitLab packages - `_demote_upstream_maintainer=true` to automatically demote upstream maintainers to contributors - `_pkgname=<canonical-name>` to declare the canonical software name (set on ALL packages in a variant family, including the base). If the package is standalone with no variants, omit `_pkgname`. - For `gemini-cli` variants, add `_use_common_gemini_settings=true` - `_deploy_aur=true` if this package should be published to the AUR by the CI/CD pipeline - For CPU-optimization variants, set `_repo_subarch` (e.g., `"x86_64_v3"`) — mutually exclusive with `_deploy_aur` If the package is entirely custom and does not mirror any upstream PKGBUILD, omit the `_upstream_*` variables and define a standard `source` array directly. In this case, skip step 2 and proceed to step 3.2. For mirrored packages, run the bootstrap script. Look up the upstream version from the source repository (AUR web interface, Arch GitLab tags, or release page) before running: ```bash bash scripts/sync-package.sh <pkgname> <version> ``` This fetches the upstream PKGBUILD, initializes tracking state, applies declarative identity rules (demotion, asset sync), and updates hashes. Only one invocation is needed.3. Set up version checking from within the package directory: ```bash pkgctl version setup ``` This generates a valid `.nvchecker.toml` from the PKGBUILD source array.4. Create a package-local `AGENTS.md` ONLY if the package has non-standard build requirements, undocumented quirks, or specific environmental constraints. Otherwise skip this step. The file must follow the Hierarchical Policies in the root `AGENTS.md`.5. Register the package in the root `.nvchecker.toml` for global version monitoring.6. Run the full verification sequence: ```bash namcap PKGBUILD makepkg --printsrcinfo > .SRCINFO pkgctl build pkgctl diff --list ```## Gotchas- The `sync-package.sh` script expects the upstream source variable to be set correctly. If the upstream package uses a non-standard name, verify the variable before bootstrapping.- `pkgctl version setup` must be run inside the package directory. The `.nvchecker.toml` it generates is package-specific.

Frequently asked questions