| name | wtf:setup |
| description | This skill should be used when a user wants to set up WTF in a new repository, verify their environment is ready, check that GitHub CLI is installed and authenticated, install required gh extensions, or ensure the .github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/ templates are in place — for example "set up wtf", "run setup", "check my environment", "install wtf templates", or "verify everything is configured". Run once per repo when onboarding, or when a contributor joins the project. |
Setup
Pre-flight check and installer for the WTF workflow. Validates the GitHub CLI, installs required extensions, ensures .github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/ contains all required templates, creates all lifecycle labels, and installs the PR template so both agents and humans can create structured issues and pull requests.
Process
1. Verify gh is installed
gh --version
If not found: tell the user that the GitHub CLI is required, link them to https://cli.github.com, and stop. Do not proceed until gh is confirmed installed.
2. Verify gh is authenticated
gh auth status
If not authenticated: tell the user to run gh auth login and stop. Do not proceed until authentication is confirmed.
3. Check and install required extensions
gh extension list
Check the output for both of the following extensions. For each that is missing, install it:
gh extension install yahsan2/gh-sub-issue
gh extension install torynet/gh-issue-dependency
If installation fails (e.g. network error, permissions), warn the user that relationship tracking will be unavailable until the extension is installed. Note the failure — it will be included in the final status report.
After attempting installation, verify the command syntax for any newly installed extension:
gh sub-issue --help
gh issue-dependency --help
Record two booleans for the final report:
gh-sub-issue-available: true if yahsan2/gh-sub-issue is installed and workinggh-issue-dependency-available: true if torynet/gh-issue-dependency is installed and working
4. Detect repo context
gh repo view --json nameWithOwner -q .nameWithOwner
If this fails (not inside a git repo, or no GitHub remote), warn the user and note that issue creation will not work until the repo is connected to GitHub. Continue to the template check regardless.
5. Check issue templates
Check whether .github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/ exists and contains all four required templates:
ls .github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/
Required files:
BUG.mdEPIC.mdFEATURE.mdTASK.md
For each missing file, copy it from this skill's bundled references:
mkdir -p .github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE
cp skills/setup/references/BUG.md .github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/BUG.md
cp skills/setup/references/EPIC.md .github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/EPIC.md
cp skills/setup/references/FEATURE.md .github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/FEATURE.md
cp skills/setup/references/TASK.md .github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/TASK.md
Only copy files that are missing — do not overwrite existing templates. After copying, list the final contents of .github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/ to confirm.
6. Check PR template
Check whether .github/pull_request_template.md exists:
ls .github/pull_request_template.md 2>/dev/null
If missing, copy it from the skill's bundled references:
cp skills/setup/references/pull_request_template.md .github/pull_request_template.md
Do not overwrite if it already exists.
7. Create required GitHub labels
Create all lifecycle labels the workflow depends on. Using --force makes the command idempotent — it updates the description/color if the label already exists and creates it if it does not:
gh label create epic --color 5319e7 --description "Strategic initiative spanning multiple features" --force
gh label create feature --color 0075ca --description "User-facing capability delivered as a vertical slice" --force
gh label create task --color e4e669 --description "Implementable vertical slice of a Feature" --force
gh label create bug --color d73a4a --description "Something is broken" --force
gh label create implemented --color 0e8a16 --description "Implementation complete — ready for QA" --force
gh label create designed --color f9d0c4 --description "Design coverage added to the Task" --force
gh label create verified --color 006b75 --description "QA verified — ready for merge" --force
If any label creation fails (e.g. insufficient permissions), warn the user — note that the affected skills will fall back to creating labels on first use.
8. Report status
Print a clear status summary covering every check:
WTF Setup — Status Report
─────────────────────────
gh CLI installed ✅
gh authenticated ✅
gh-sub-issue extension ✅ (or ⚠️ not installed — relationship links unavailable)
gh-issue-dependency ext ✅ (or ⚠️ not installed — dependency links unavailable)
Repo context ✅ owner/repo (or ⚠️ not detected)
Issue templates
BUG.md ✅ (or ✅ installed from references)
EPIC.md ✅ (or ✅ installed from references)
FEATURE.md ✅ (or ✅ installed from references)
TASK.md ✅ (or ✅ installed from references)
PR template ✅ (or ✅ installed from references)
GitHub labels ✅ epic, feature, task, bug, implemented, designed, verified
─────────────────────────
Ready to use WTF. Start with /wtf:write-epic to plan your first initiative.
If any item failed (gh not installed, not authenticated), replace the closing line with a clear "Fix the issues above before proceeding." and do not suggest next steps.
9. Offer to set up steering docs
If setup completed without fatal errors, call AskUserQuestion with:
-
question: "Setup complete. The steering docs (VISION.md, TECH.md, DESIGN.md, QA.md) capture your project's principles and standards — every skill reads them automatically. Would you like to create them now?"
-
header: "Steering docs"
-
options: [{label: "Yes — set them up now", description: "Run wtf:steer-vision (it will chain to the others)"}, {label: "Not now", description: "Skip — skills will prompt you to create them on first use"}]
-
Yes → follow the wtf:steer-vision process (it will offer to chain to TECH, DESIGN, and QA at the end).
-
Not now → exit.
