TheVeller Clone Software Repo → 3-Software
Single-shot skill: take a GitHub link, clone it into 02_Programs/3-Software/<repo> with the defenses this vault needs (it lives inside Google Drive, and HTTPS git auth is broken here). Output is a tight "what landed + how to run it" summary.
When to use
User pastes a GitHub URL (or owner/repo) and wants it on local disk to work with terminal agents. NOT for: re-cloning the GPT Chain _initiatives-software repos (that's [[gpt-chain-refresh]]), or creating a brand-new project from scratch (that's a Lovable/scaffold flow).
Environment facts (must honor)
- HTTPS auth is broken → always clone over SSH. The script rewrites
https://github.com/OWNER/REPO→git@github.com:OWNER/REPO.gitautomatically. See[[reference-github-https-broken-use-ssh]]. - Vault is inside Google Drive → Drive flips permission bits and can corrupt
.gitover time. The script setsgit config core.fileMode falseand runsgit fsckright after clone. See[[project-code-repos-under-gdrive-corrupt]]. - Target is always
02_Programs/3-Software/<name>. Existing repos there (e.g.distilledbrew,preview-canvas-studio) are cloned as plain subfolders — no companion vault page is required.
Workflow
Step 1 — Run the clone script
bash .claude/skills/clone-software-repo/scripts/clone-to-software.sh <url|owner/repo> [target-name]
- Accepts
https://github.com/OWNER/REPO[.git],git@github.com:OWNER/REPO.git, bareOWNER/REPO, or a…/tree/BRANCHlink (branch is honored). [target-name]is optional — defaults to the repo name. Use it to avoid a name clash or rename on disk.- Add
--dry-runto print the parsed owner/repo/target without cloning (use it if the URL looks unusual before committing). - The script refuses to overwrite an existing folder (exit 3) — never clobber.
The script prints a final block: path, branch, latest commit, stack/install, whether .env and agent docs (AGENTS.md/CLAUDE.md) are present.
Step 2 — Report to the user
Relay a tight summary:
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Repo | owner/repo |
| Landed at | 02_Programs/3-Software/<name> |
| Branch · latest | main · sha "msg" |
| Install | e.g. bun install |
Has .env / agent docs |
yes/no |
Then the obvious next step: cd "02_Programs/3-Software/<name>" && <install>, and (if no .env but an .env.example exists) note they'll need to fill secrets. If the repo has no AGENTS.md/CLAUDE.md, offer to scaffold one so terminal agents have context (don't auto-create).
Failure modes
- Bad/unparseable URL (exit 2): show what was passed; ask for a clean
owner/repoor full github.com link. - Target exists (exit 3): don't overwrite. Offer a different
[target-name], or confirm before removing the old one. - Clone failed (exit 4): almost always SSH key / access (private repo, wrong org). Confirm
ssh -T git@github.comworks and the user has access; HTTPS is NOT a fallback here. - fsck corrupt right after clone (exit 5): Drive interfered mid-clone. Remove the partial dir and retry; if it recurs, clone OUTSIDE Drive and symlink, or mark the folder available-offline first.
Notes
- No commits, installs, or dev servers are run by this skill — it clones + configures + reports. The user runs install/dev themselves (or asks next).
- Multiple repos: invoke once per URL (keeps each clone's output clean). For a batch, loop the script over the list in one Bash call.
Related
[[reference-github-https-broken-use-ssh]]·[[project-code-repos-under-gdrive-corrupt]]02_Programs/3-Software/SETUP_MAPPING.md— optional richer per-project vault structure if a repo graduates to a tracked project- Sibling:
[[gpt-chain-refresh]](refresh existing cloned repos)