| name | initialize-config |
| description | Set up Skene configuration for a project. Use when starting a new PLG analysis, when .skene.config is missing, or when the user says "skene init", "set up skene", or "configure skene". |
Initialize Skene Configuration
Set up Skene automatically. The user runs /skene-init, everything gets configured, and they see a one-line summary. Zero questions unless something is genuinely missing and cannot be inferred.
Config reference: Configuration guide.
Design principle
Make init invisible. Detect everything from existing config, env vars, and user-level config. Only ask the user if the agent truly cannot figure it out (e.g. API key missing everywhere).
Steps
-
Discover CLI options
Run uvx skene config --help to see what flags are available. Use only flags that appear in the output.
-
Check what already exists (run in parallel where possible):
ls .skene.config 2>/dev/null — project config
ls ~/.config/skene/config 2>/dev/null — user-level config
echo n | uvx skene config --show — full resolved config (piped to avoid blocking)
printenv SKENE_API_KEY SKENE_PROVIDER 2>/dev/null — env vars
-
Decide what to do (no user interaction needed):
Case A — Config exists and is valid (provider set, API key present, provider/model match):
Done. Report summary.
Case B — Config exists but has issues (provider/model mismatch, missing API key, etc.):
Fix what you can automatically:
- Provider/model mismatch → update
.skene.config with correct defaults.
- API key missing from file but
SKENE_API_KEY in env → fine, note it.
- API key missing everywhere → ask user: "Set
SKENE_API_KEY in your environment, then re-run /skene-init."
Case C — No config at all:
- Run
uvx skene config --init (check --help first to confirm this flag exists).
- If that fails with permission error, write
.skene.config TOML directly.
- Infer provider from env vars or default to
openai.
- Validate with
echo n | uvx skene config --show.
-
Final validation
echo n | uvx skene config --show
Confirm provider, model, API key. If good, report.
-
Report result
"Skene init complete. Provider: X, model: Y. Run /skene-analyze next."
Terminal rules
The user CANNOT type into agent-spawned terminals. The agent handles ALL input.
- Always pipe
echo n to uvx skene config --show to skip the edit prompt.
- NEVER run
uvx skene config (no flags) — multi-step interactive. Write .skene.config directly.
- Stuck terminal: kill the process and re-run with piped input.
- Genuine blockers only: API key missing everywhere is the only thing that requires user action.
Error handling
- Permission error: Write
.skene.config manually. If uvx itself can't run, tell user to run pip install uv in their terminal.
- API key missing everywhere: Ask user to set
SKENE_API_KEY.
- Provider/model mismatch: Fix automatically.
Output
One line: "Skene init complete. Provider: X, model: Y. Run /skene-analyze next."