github-link-repo-explorer

name	github-link-repo-explorer
description	Explore a GitHub repository from a link by cloning locally first, then inspecting files and history. Use when a task includes a GitHub repo URL or owner/repo and code-level analysis is needed. Prefer local clone into /tmp before using web pages.

GitHub Link Repo Explorer

Explore repositories from GitHub links with a local-first workflow.

Core Rule

Always try local clone before web browsing.

• Clone target: /tmp/<repo-name>
• Always run clone/update commands from /tmp (cd /tmp first).
• If directory exists, update it (git fetch --all --prune) or reclone if corrupted.
• Use web fallback only when clone/auth/network access fails.
• Do not start with web exploration when a local clone attempt is possible.

Inputs

Accept any of:

• full URL: https://github.com/<owner>/<repo>
• SSH URL: [e-mail]:<owner>/<repo>.git
• short form: <owner>/<repo>

Normalize input to:

• owner
• repo
• clone_url
• local_path=/tmp/<repo>

Workflow

1. Prepare local checkout

1. Parse owner/repo from input.
2. Set local_path to /tmp/<repo>.
3. Change working directory to /tmp.
4. Clone if missing:
   • cd /tmp && git clone --filter=blob:none <clone_url> <repo>
5. If present, refresh:
   • cd /tmp/<repo> && git fetch --all --prune

2. Establish repository context

Run quick context commands:

• git -C /tmp/<repo> remote -v
• git -C /tmp/<repo> branch -a
• git -C /tmp/<repo> log --oneline -n 20
• rg --files /tmp/<repo> (or equivalent)

Identify:

• default branch
• primary language and build system
• key entry points and docs (README, docs/, configs)

3. Perform the requested analysis

Prefer direct file inspection over assumptions:

• locate with rg
• read targeted files only
• cite exact file paths and relevant lines
• run project checks/tests only if needed and safe

4. Keep output actionable

Return:

• what was inspected
• findings with file references
• unresolved gaps
• next concrete checks

Fallbacks

If clone fails:

1. Report exact failure reason (auth, not found, network, rate limits).
2. Retry clone from /tmp using alternate URL form (HTTPS vs SSH) if appropriate.
3. If still blocked, use web exploration of GitHub pages for limited analysis.
4. Clearly mark web-derived conclusions as lower confidence than local checkout results.

Safety and Efficiency

• Do not modify the cloned repository unless explicitly requested.
• Avoid broad recursive reads when targeted search is sufficient.
• Remove or reuse stale /tmp/<repo> directories carefully.
• Prefer shallow/sparse strategies when full history is unnecessary.

Quick Command Template

REPO_INPUT="https://github.com/owner/repo"
OWNER_REPO="$(printf '%s' "$REPO_INPUT" | sed -E 's#([e-mail]:|https://github.com/)##; s#\.git$##')"
REPO_NAME="${OWNER_REPO##*/}"
LOCAL_PATH="/tmp/$REPO_NAME"

cd /tmp
if [ ! -d "$LOCAL_PATH/.git" ]; then
  git clone --filter=blob:none "https://github.com/$OWNER_REPO.git" "$REPO_NAME"
else
  cd "$LOCAL_PATH"
  git fetch --all --prune
fi