task-init

name	task-init
description	This skill should be used when the user asks to "initialize taskwarrior", "set up taskwarrior", "configure taskwarrior for this project", "run /init for taskwarrior", "set up task management", "bootstrap the task plugin", "configure task contexts", or "first-time taskwarrior setup". Guides the complete initial configuration of Taskwarrior so that the task-workflow skill operates correctly.
argument-hint	[project-name]
allowed-tools	["Bash","Read","Write"]

Taskwarrior Initialization

Set up Taskwarrior for use with this plugin. Run these steps in order. Taskwarrior must be installed and accessible as the task command before proceeding.

Step 1: Verify Installation

task --version

If missing, install:

• macOS: brew install task
• Ubuntu/Debian: sudo apt install taskwarrior
• Arch: sudo pacman -S task
• Windows: winget install GnuPG.GnuPG && scoop install task

Step 2: Verify Data Directory

task config data.location
# Default: ~/.task — acceptable for most setups

Step 3: Configure Core Defaults

Apply these settings to reduce friction during daily use:

# Disable interactive confirmation prompts for scripting
task config confirmation off

# Show task IDs and affected counts in output
task config verbose label,new-id,affected,edit,special,project,sync,filter,footnote,recur,unwait

# Default priority when none specified
task config default.priority M

# Enable urgency inheritance — blocked tasks adopt blocker urgency
task config urgency.inherit 1

# Boost urgency for the +next tag
task config urgency.user.tag.next.coefficient 15.0

# Boost urgency for +urgent tag
task config urgency.user.tag.urgent.coefficient 10.0

Step 4: Configure Project Contexts (Optional)

Define contexts to focus the task view by project area:

# Work context — shows only work tasks
task context define work "project:Work or +work"

# Home context — shows only personal tasks
task context define home "project:Home or +home"

# List defined contexts
task context list

# Switch context (or disable)
task context work
task context none

Adapt context names and filters to the user's project structure.

Step 5: Configure an Initial Project

If the user provided a project name via argument, create a starter task:

# Create a kickoff task for the project
task add "Project setup complete" project:<ProjectName> priority:L
task <new-id> done

This seeds the project in Taskwarrior's project list.

Step 6: Configure Obsidian Vault (Optional)

If the user uses Obsidian for notes, configure the vault reference file so that annotation URIs work correctly:

1. Find the vault name: check ~/.config/obsidian/ or the OPENCLAW_NOTES_DIR env var
2. Edit skills/task-workflow/references/obsidian-vault.md with:
   • Vault name
   • Base path on disk
   • Any PARA structure patterns for this project

Step 7: Verify Setup

Run the summary script to confirm everything is working:

bash $CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT/skills/task-workflow/scripts/tw-summary.sh

Expected output: summary header with sections for overdue, today, active, and next. If task errors, check task config data.location and re-run Step 2.

Step 8: Show Quick Reference

After initialization completes, display this reference to the user:

Taskwarrior initialized. Core workflow:

  Add:     task add "description" project:Name
  Start:   task <id> start
  Note:    task <id> annotate "note or URL"
  Done:    task <id> done
  View:    task next

Contexts: task context work / task context none
Summary:  task next | task +OVERDUE list | task +TODAY list

Common Post-Setup Tasks

# Check what's pending
task next

# Add first real task
task add "First task" project:MyProject priority:M

# Verify urgency ordering makes sense
task list

Troubleshooting

Problem	Fix
task: command not found	Install via package manager (Step 1)
No matches on any filter	No tasks exist yet — add one (Step 5)
Permission error on ~/.task	mkdir -p ~/.task && chmod 700 ~/.task
Confirmations blocking scripts	task config confirmation off (Step 3)
Context filters too narrow	task context none to disable temporarily