bootstrap-repo_skill

Overview

This skill bootstraps or refreshes a deterministic repo scaffold quickly and predictably. It creates or updates governance and structure artifacts (.codex folder, Tree.txt, governance docs) while avoiding duplicates and preferring in-place edits. Use only when explicitly invoked.

How this skill works

It performs a fast, shallow scan to detect existing scaffold files, stack hints, and obvious frontend/backend roots. You answer a short set of bounded multiple-choice questions (or reply 'defaults') to drive template selection. The skill applies deterministic templates from a local template store, creates missing files, updates existing ones in place, ensures .codex/telemetry exists, and writes a clean Tree.txt.

When to use it

• Initializing a new codebase with standard governance and layout
• Refreshing and enforcing a consistent scaffold for an existing project
• Onboarding new contributors who need predictable structure
• Before running higher-level planning or automation skills
• When you want a fast, template-driven standardization pass

Best practices

• Run the quick discovery step first; accept recommended defaults when unsure
• Answer the bounded 8–12 multiple-choice questions or reply 'defaults' to proceed fast
• Allow in-place minimal edits to existing files instead of full rewrites
• Keep the template folder at ~/.codex/templates/ up to date for domain profiles
• If stack inference is uncertain, defer creating a repo profile and run personalization later

Example use cases

• Start a new project with standard governance docs and a deterministic Tree.txt
• Refresh an older project to add .codex/telemetry and align governance notes
• Apply a minimal scaffold to a mono-repo detected as Python + Node
• Create a clear file tree excluding common build and cache directories
• Quickly produce a short completion report summarizing changes and next steps