Gold Standard Project Bootstrap

Gold Standard Project Bootstrap

Use this skill to help a repository grow a senior-engineering development system that matches the actual project. Keep the work generic until the repository has been inspected.

Operating Principles

• Inspect the repo first.
• Identify the package manager, scripts, framework, test tools, CI, runtime, deployment surface, ownership model, and risk areas.
• Propose a repo-specific setup before editing.
• Prefer Plan Mode first for new, unclear, risky, production-facing, or broad project setup work.
• Use Regular Mode only for approved implementation.
• Keep documentation small, practical, and project-scoped.
• Avoid copying rules from unrelated projects.
• Do not add project-specific assumptions without evidence from the repo.

Discovery Checklist

Before creating files, inspect:

• Project structure and main entry points.
• PACKAGE_MANAGER, lockfiles, and install commands already implied by the repo.
• Existing scripts for test, lint, typecheck, format, build, and preview.
• Framework, runtime, language versions, and environment files.
• Existing CI, release, deployment, and hosting configuration.
• Test tools and the current test surface.
• Risk areas such as authentication, authorization, payments, migrations, secrets, data deletion, production jobs, and external services.
• Existing docs, issue templates, PR templates, ownership files, and agent instructions.

Recommended Output

After discovery, propose a concise repo-local setup. Create or update files only after the user approves the implementation scope.

Common files to create when useful:

• AGENTS.md
• .github/workflows/quality.yml
• .github/pull_request_template.md
• .github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/checkpoint.md
• docs/BRANCH_PROTECTION_AND_CI.md
• docs/SENIOR_ENGINEERING_REVIEW_CHECKLIST.md
• docs/AUTONOMY_LEVELS.md
• docs/CODEX_AGENT_WORKFLOW.md
• .codex/config.toml
• .codex/agents/*.toml

Only create project-scoped .codex/config.toml and .codex/agents when they add clear value for the repository.

CI Quality Gates

• Use only the project's real scripts.
• Do not invent commands that are not present or clearly supported.
• Prefer the smallest useful gate first: install, lint, typecheck, test, build.
• If a script is missing, recommend adding it separately instead of hardcoding assumptions.
• Use placeholders in proposed templates until the actual command is confirmed, such as TEST_COMMAND and BUILD_COMMAND.

Boundaries

Do not:

• Install packages unless the user explicitly approves.
• Add secrets, tokens, billing changes, production database changes, deployments, external connectors, MCP servers, unsupervised browser or computer use, automations, auto-merge, or auto-deploy.
• Copy project-specific rules from another repo.
• Create bloated documentation.
• Touch production systems or external services as part of bootstrap work.

Final Report

Every implementation must end with:

• Files changed.
• Checks run and results.
• Risks or skipped items.
• Suggested next step.

Source: ardibabakan/gold-standard-codex-project-template — distributed by TomeVault.