- name
- git-worktree
- description
- This skill should be used when managing Git worktrees for isolated parallel development. It handles creating, listing, switching, and cleaning up worktrees with a simple interactive interface.
<!-- grok-harness-invoke:start -->
**Grok Build (`plugins/soleur/lib/harness.ts` `invokeSkill()`):** Read this SKILL.md in this process and run it to completion. A one-segment `soleur:<name>` in this document names a SKILL — on Grok Build, Read `plugins/soleur/skills/<name>/SKILL.md` in this process; it is not a nested tool_use. A multi-segment id such as `soleur:<domain>:<name>` names an AGENT: spawn it, never Read it, and on Grok Build spawn_subagent takes the id with its colons replaced by hyphens (`agentIdToGrokSubagentType`). **Claude Code:** Skill tool for a skill (`soleur:<name>`), Task tool with `subagent_type` for an agent. Forbidden is executing a subset, not the Read.
<!-- grok-harness-invoke:end -->
# Git Worktree Manager
This skill provides a unified interface for managing Git worktrees across your development workflow. Whether you're reviewing PRs in isolation or working on features in parallel, this skill handles all the complexity.
## What This Skill Does
- **Create worktrees** from main branch with clear branch names
- **List worktrees** with current status
- **Switch between worktrees** for parallel work
- **Clean up completed worktrees** automatically
- **Interactive confirmations** at each step
- **Automatic .gitignore management** for worktree directory
- **Automatic .env file copying** from main repo to new worktrees
- **Write guard enforcement** via PreToolUse hook (`.claude/hooks/worktree-write-guard.sh`) -- blocks Write/Edit to main checkout when worktrees exist
## CRITICAL: Always Use the Manager Script
**NEVER call `git worktree add` directly.** Always use the `worktree-manager.sh` script.
The script handles critical setup that raw git commands don't:
1. Copies `.env`, `.env.local`, `.env.test`, etc. from main repo
2. Ensures `.worktrees` is in `.gitignore`
3. Creates consistent directory structure
4. Detects bare repos (`core.bare = true`) and derives `GIT_ROOT` via `--absolute-git-dir` instead of `--show-toplevel`
5. Sources the shared `plugins/soleur/scripts/resolve-git-root.sh` helper -- all scripts that need `GIT_ROOT` should source this helper instead of inlining their own detection logic
**After creating a worktree**, run `npm install` if the project has a `package.json` — worktrees do not share `node_modules/` with the main working tree, and build commands (`npx @11ty/eleventy`, etc.) will silently hang instead of erroring.
```bash
# ✅ CORRECT - Always use the script
bash "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/git-worktree/scripts/worktree-manager.sh" create feature-name
# ❌ WRONG - Never do this directly
git worktree add .worktrees/feature-name -b feature-name main
```
## When to Use This Skill
Use this skill in these scenarios:
1. **Code Review (`soleur:review`)**: If NOT already on the target branch (PR branch or requested branch), offer worktree for isolated review
2. **Feature Work (`soleur:work`)**: Always ask if user wants parallel worktree or live branch work
3. **Parallel Development**: When working on multiple features simultaneously
4. **Cleanup**: After completing work in a worktree
## How to Use
### In Claude Code Workflows
The skill is automatically called from the `soleur:review` and `soleur:work` skills:
```
# For review: offers worktree if not on PR branch
# For work: always asks - new branch or worktree?
```
### Manual Usage
You can also invoke the skill directly from bash:
```bash
# Create a new worktree (copies .env files automatically)
bash "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/git-worktree/scripts/worktree-manager.sh" create feature-login
# List all worktrees
bash "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/git-worktree/scripts/worktree-manager.sh" list
# Switch to a worktree
bash "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/git-worktree/scripts/worktree-manager.sh" switch feature-login
# Copy .env files to an existing worktree (if they weren't copied)
bash "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/git-worktree/scripts/worktree-manager.sh" copy-env feature-login
# Clean up completed worktrees
bash "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/git-worktree/scripts/worktree-manager.sh" cleanup
```
## Commands
### `create <branch-name> [from-branch]`
Creates a new worktree with the given branch name.
**Options:**
- `branch-name` (required): The name for the new branch. The worktree DIRECTORY is the slug of it — every `/` becomes `-`, so `ci/rule-metrics` creates branch `ci/rule-metrics` in `.worktrees/ci-rule-metrics`. Identical for any name without a slash. Read the path the script prints; do not construct `.worktrees/<branch-name>` yourself. `create` refuses if the target directory already holds a different branch (`SOLEUR_WORKTREE_SLUG_COLLISION`) — the transform is many-to-one, so `ci/foo` and `ci-foo` would otherwise share one directory.
- `from-branch` (optional): Base branch to create from (defaults to `main`)
**Example:**
```bash
bash "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/git-worktree/scripts/worktree-manager.sh" create feature-login
```
**What happens:**
1. Checks if worktree already exists
2. Fetches `refs/remotes/origin/<from-branch>` (the local `<from-branch>` ref is NOT touched — this lets `create` succeed even when a sibling worktree has `<from-branch>` checked out; see #3741)
3. Creates the new worktree from `origin/<from-branch>` with `--no-track` (preserves the pre-fix upstream-unset state so downstream `git push -u origin <branch>` flows are unchanged)
4. **Copies all .env files from main repo** (.env, .env.local, .env.test, etc.)
5. Shows path for cd-ing to the worktree
**Opt-in: also update local `<from-branch>`**
Pass `--update-local-main` (as a global flag, before `create`) to additionally fast-forward the local `<from-branch>` ref. Default behavior leaves the local ref untouched.
```bash
bash "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/git-worktree/scripts/worktree-manager.sh" --update-local-main create feature-login
```
**Dependency install (bounded, skippable):**
After copying `.env` files, `create`/`feature` install dependencies at the root and for each `apps/*/` package (bun/npm/yarn by lockfile). Two guards keep this from hanging a pipeline on a restricted host:
- **Opt-out:** `--no-install` (global flag) or `SOLEUR_WORKTREE_SKIP_INSTALL=1` skips every install arm and prints `SOLEUR_WORKTREE_INSTALL_SKIPPED reason=opt-out`. The worktree is still created and usable; run installs inside it later.
- **Reachability preflight + timeout:** each arm probes its resolved registry endpoint (`curl`, bounded, on the scheme the registry actually uses — `http://` private registries included) and skips fast with `SOLEUR_WORKTREE_INSTALL_SKIPPED reason=registry-unreachable host=<host> endpoint=<endpoint>` when unreachable; a stalled install is killed after `SOLEUR_WORKTREE_INSTALL_TIMEOUT_SECS` (default 300) and reported as `reason=timeout`. Probe bounds: `SOLEUR_WORKTREE_REGISTRY_PROBE_SECS` (connect, default 5) / `SOLEUR_WORKTREE_REGISTRY_PROBE_MAX_SECS` (total, default 8).
- **Other non-success arms also mark stdout:** `reason=failed rc=<n>` (ordinary nonzero install), `reason=tool-missing runtime=<rt>` (lockfile present but package manager absent), `reason=no-lockfile` (package.json with no recognized lockfile). When the host lacks `timeout`/`gtimeout`, installs run unbounded and `SOLEUR_WORKTREE_INSTALL_UNBOUNDED` is printed once.
All skips and failures warn-and-continue: worktree creation exits 0 and the worktree stays on disk.
### `list` or `ls`
Lists all available worktrees with their branches and current status.
**Example:**
```bash
bash "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/git-worktree/scripts/worktree-manager.sh" list
```
**Output shows:**
- Worktree name
- Branch name
- Which is current (marked with ✓)
- Main repo status
### `switch <name>` or `go <name>`
Switches to an existing worktree and cd's into it.
**Example:**
```bash
bash "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/git-worktree/scripts/worktree-manager.sh" switch feature-login
```
**Optional:**
- If name not provided, lists available worktrees and prompts for selection
### `cleanup` or `clean`
Interactively cleans up inactive worktrees with confirmation.
**Example:**
```bash
bash "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/git-worktree/scripts/worktree-manager.sh" cleanup
```
**What happens:**
1. Lists all inactive worktrees
2. Asks for confirmation
3. Removes selected worktrees
4. Cleans up empty directories
### `sync-bare-files` or `sync`
Syncs stale on-disk files from git HEAD in a bare repo. Only needed when the repo uses `core.bare=true` — on-disk files at the bare root become stale after merges since git never updates them. Auto-called after `cleanup-merged` cleans branches in bare repo context.
**Example:**
```bash
bash "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/git-worktree/scripts/worktree-manager.sh" sync-bare-files
```
**What it syncs: EVERY tracked file at HEAD — there is no allowlist.**
The implementation builds a throwaway index from `HEAD` and runs
`git checkout-index -a -f` against the bare root, so every path git tracks is
materialized. That pass is **additive** — it never removes anything — so a
separate prune step afterwards deletes on-disk leftovers for paths that were
tracked once and are absent from HEAD. The two together are what make the bare
root equal HEAD exactly. It then re-applies execute bits for the scripts and
hooks the plugin loader and SessionStart hooks exec.
> **Corrected 2026-08-10 (#7409).** This section previously enumerated a
> seven-entry list (`AGENTS.md`, `plugins/soleur/hooks/*`, `.claude/hooks/*.sh`,
> `resolve-git-root.sh`, …) and told readers that "any file Claude Code executes
> at runtime from the bare repo root **must be added to the sync list**". Both
> halves were wrong: the enumeration described a whitelist the code has not
> had, and the instruction sent readers to register files in a list that does
> not exist. Worth stating precisely rather than deleting, because the
> difference is load-bearing — when #7409 moved the session-state lock/lease
> library to `plugins/soleur/scripts/lib/`, a genuine whitelist would have left
> the bare root's repointed `.claude/hooks/*` sources pointing at a file the
> mirror never copied, and they degrade **silently** (`|| true`). The full
> mirror is what makes that a non-event.
**Still important:** run `sync-bare-files` after any merge that moves or adds a
file executed from the bare root. The mirror is complete, but it is not
automatic — on-disk files at a `core.bare=true` root are never updated by git
itself, so a stale copy survives until this runs.
## Workflow Examples
### Code Review with Worktree
```bash
# Claude Code recognizes you're not on the PR branch
# Offers: "Use worktree for isolated review? (y/n)"
# You respond: yes
# Script runs (copies .env files automatically):
bash "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/git-worktree/scripts/worktree-manager.sh" create pr-123-feature-name
# You're now in isolated worktree for review with all env vars
cd .worktrees/pr-123-feature-name
# After review, return to main:
cd ../..
bash "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/git-worktree/scripts/worktree-manager.sh" cleanup
```
### Parallel Feature Development
```bash
# For first feature (copies .env files):
bash "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/git-worktree/scripts/worktree-manager.sh" create feature-login
# Later, start second feature (also copies .env files):
bash "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/git-worktree/scripts/worktree-manager.sh" create feature-notifications
# List what you have:
bash "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/git-worktree/scripts/worktree-manager.sh" list
# Switch between them as needed:
bash "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/git-worktree/scripts/worktree-manager.sh" switch feature-login
# Return to main and cleanup when done:
cd .
bash "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/git-worktree/scripts/worktree-manager.sh" cleanup
```
## Key Design Principles
### KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid)
- **One manager script** handles all worktree operations
- **Simple commands** with sensible defaults
- **Interactive prompts** prevent accidental operations
- **Clear naming** using branch names directly
### Opinionated Defaults
- Worktrees always created from **main** (unless specified)
- Worktrees stored in **.worktrees/** directory
- Branch name becomes worktree name
- **.gitignore** automatically managed
### Safety First
- **Confirms before creating** worktrees
- **Confirms before cleanup** to prevent accidental removal
- **Won't remove current worktree**
- **Clear error messages** for issues
## Integration with Workflows
### `soleur:review`
Instead of always creating a worktree:
```
1. Check current branch
2. If ALREADY on target branch (PR branch or requested branch) → stay there, no worktree needed
3. If DIFFERENT branch than the review target → offer worktree:
"Use worktree for isolated review? (y/n)"
- yes → call git-worktree skill
- no → proceed with PR diff on current branch
```
### `soleur:work`
Always offer choice:
```
1. Ask: "How do you want to work?
1. New branch on current worktree (live work)
2. Worktree (parallel work)"
2. If choice 1 → create new branch normally
3. If choice 2 → call git-worktree skill to create from main
```
## Troubleshooting
### "Worktree already exists"
If you see this, the script will ask if you want to switch to it instead.
### "Cannot remove worktree: it is the current worktree"
Switch out of the worktree first (to main repo), then cleanup:
Navigate to the repository root directory, then run:
```bash
bash "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/git-worktree/scripts/worktree-manager.sh" cleanup
```
### Lost in a worktree?
See where you are:
```bash
bash "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/git-worktree/scripts/worktree-manager.sh" list
```
### .env files missing in worktree?
If a worktree was created without .env files (e.g., via raw `git worktree add`), copy them:
```bash
bash "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/git-worktree/scripts/worktree-manager.sh" copy-env feature-name
```
Navigate back to the repository root directory.
### node_modules missing in worktree?
A worktree created without an install step (raw `git worktree add`, a
harness-created agent worktree, or a `create` whose dep install warned and
continued) carries no `node_modules`. Since #8580 the pre-commit lint hook
resolves its pinned binary from a sibling checkout's `node_modules`
automatically — accepted only when the sibling's package manifests report
CLI+engine versions equal to this checkout's pins (verified by file reads, so
an unchecked binary never runs) — so docs commits work without any install.
Everything else (vitest, tsx-driven suites, `npm run` scripts) still needs
the real install inside the worktree — run both from the worktree root:
```bash
npm ci --ignore-scripts
npm ci --ignore-scripts --prefix apps/web-platform # needed by the webplat arm of scripts/test-all.sh
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