bootstrap-repo

name

bootstrap-repo

description

Use when the user asks to create a new Serokell repository, bootstrap a fresh repo from `metatemplates`, fork an external repo into the Serokell org, initialize a new project, or sequence the full new-repo setup (create → customise → license → CI → settings). Triggers on phrases like "create a new Serokell repo", "bootstrap this repo", "set up a fresh repo", "fork this repo into serokell", "initialize new project", "new repo from metatemplates", "start a new project", "first commit on a new repo".

Bootstrap a new repository

Fork or new repo?

• Temporary fork — fork into the serokell GitHub org so colleagues inherit access. Add a one-paragraph "why this fork exists" both to the README on master and to the GitHub "About" section — an agent should do both for maximum visibility. Stop here. No further steps apply.
• A normal new repo — follow the sequence below.

The sequence (non-fork repos)

1. Create the new repo from metatemplates. On GitHub: gh repo create <owner>/<name> --template serokell/metatemplates (use --private or --public for the visibility you need now — a repo that's private today but may open later still starts --private). GitLab has no template feature — clone metatemplates and copy its contents into a fresh project.
2. Open a bootstrap PR. Don't push customisation directly to master — even initialisation goes through review. → pull-requests skill.
3. Customise inherited files (any order — these are independent):
   • Fill PROJECT.md with this repo's issue tracker, YouTrack project key, and team lead — several skills read it.
   • License + LICENSES/ + root LICENSE → license-choice skill.
   • SPDX headers on every file → reuse-headers skill.
   • README rewritten to Standard Readme → readme skill.
   • .gitignore for the project's stack → gitignore skill.
   • Haskell configs in haskell/ (or delete the directory) → haskell-style skill.
   • PR/MR template: always keep it. Keep the directory for your host (.github/ or .gitlab/) and delete the other.
   • CONTRIBUTING.md: keep and adapt it if it carries repo-specific contribution info; otherwise remove it.
   • Agent instruction files: review .github/copilot-instructions.md and .claude/skills/; customise or delete what's irrelevant.
   • Strip meta-comments and placeholders (see Gotchas).
4. Bootstrap CI → setup-ci skill. Must complete before step 5.
5. Apply repo settings → repository-settings skill. Branch protection's status-check requirement needs the CI from step 4.
6. Optionally set up a changelog → changelog skill. Worth doing now for libraries or anything user-visible.
7. Merge the bootstrap PR → pull-requests skill.

Bootstrap-specific gotchas

• The template README is not Standard-Readme-compliant. Don't mirror its shape; rewrite from scratch to spec.
• The template .gitignore is intentionally minimal. Replace it.
• The root LICENSE must exist regardless of where your real license metadata lives — GitHub and GitLab key off it.
• Placeholders are scattered across files: mypackage, KEK, Patak, LicenseRef-ReplaceMe. Search-and-replace them all before merging.
• Strip every [//]: # (...) meta-comment from inherited files — they exist to guide the human creator, not to ship. Verify removal with git grep '\[\/\/\]:' (should return nothing in committed files).