| name | book-installer |
| description | Installs and configures project infrastructure including MkDocs Material intelligent textbook templates, learning graph viewers, and skill tracking systems. Routes to the appropriate installation guide based on what the user needs to set up. |
Book Installer
Overview
This meta-skill handles installation and setup tasks for intelligent textbook projects. It consolidates three installation skills into a single entry point with on-demand loading of specific installation guides.
When to Use This Skill
Use this skill when users request:
- Setting up a new MkDocs Material project
- Creating a new intelligent textbook from scratch
- Installing a learning graph viewer
- Setting up skill usage tracking with hooks
- Bootstrapping project infrastructure
Step 1: Handle Help Requests
If the user asks for "help", "what can you do", or "list features", display this numbered list directly (do not load a reference file):
Book Installer Features (most → least common):
1. Simple mkdocs.yml template - Minimal starter config for new projects
2. Site logo - Add custom logo to header
3. Favicon - Browser tab/bookmark icon
4. Cover image & social preview - Home page image + og:image metadata
4b. Generate cover image - Auto-generate cover using AI (API or ChatGPT)
5. Math equations - KaTeX (recommended) or MathJax
6. Code syntax highlighting - Language-aware code blocks
7. Code copy button - One-click copy for code blocks
8. Mermaid diagrams - Flowcharts, sequence diagrams from text
9. Content tabs - Tabbed sections for alternatives
10. Image zoom (GLightbox) - Click to enlarge images
11. Custom admonitions - Prompt boxes with copy button
12. Interactive quizzes - Self-assessment questions
13. Abbreviations & tooltips - Glossary hover definitions
14. Task lists - Checkbox lists
15. Simple feedback - Thumbs up/down per page
16. Detailed comments (Giscus) - GitHub Discussions integration
17. Tags & categorization - Page tagging system
18. Search enhancements - Suggestions and highlighting
19. Table of contents config - TOC sidebar options
20. Blog support - Add blog section
21. Announcement bar - Dismissible top banner
22. Privacy & cookie consent - GDPR compliance
23. Learning graph viewer - Interactive concept visualization
24. Skill usage tracker - Claude Code analytics hooks
25. Google Analytics - requires a Google Analytics property ID G-*
26. .gitignore installer - make sure that `site` and `.cache` are not in the main branch
27. extra CSS installer for iframe and customer prompt admonition
28. extra JavaScript installer - for prompt admonition copy button
29. Feature checklist - auto-detect and document which features are implemented
30. Learning mascot - add a pedagogical agent character to guide students
Type a number or feature name to install.
Note: If you see `navigation.tabs` in mkdocs.yml, remove it. These books
use side navigation optimized for wide landscape screens.
After displaying the list, wait for user to specify which feature they want.
Step 1b: Check for Navigation Tabs (Existing Projects)
When working with an existing mkdocs.yml, always check for and remove navigation tabs:
theme:
features:
- navigation.tabs
- navigation.tabs.sticky
These books use side navigation optimized for wide landscape screens. Top navigation tabs waste vertical space and are not appropriate for this format.
Step 2: Identify Installation Type
Match the user's request to the appropriate installation guide:
Routing Table
| Trigger Keywords | Action | Purpose |
|---|
| help, what can you do, features, capabilities, list features | Display numbered list (Step 1) | Show quick feature overview |
| 1, simple mkdocs, minimal template, starter config | references/mkdocs-template.md (minimal section) | Create simple mkdocs.yml starter |
| enrich, add feature, number 2-24, specific feature name | references/mkdocs-features.md | Install specific feature |
| new project, mkdocs, textbook, bootstrap, setup, template, new book | references/mkdocs-template.md | Create new MkDocs Material project |
| graph viewer, learning graph, visualization, interactive graph, concept viewer | references/learning-graph-viewer.md | Add learning graph viewer to existing project |
| track skills, skill usage, activity tracking, hooks, usage analytics | references/skill-tracker.md | Set up skill tracking with hooks |
| generate cover, generate cover image, auto cover, create cover image, run cover script | references/cover-image-generator.md | Auto-generate cover image using AI (guides through API/ChatGPT options) |
| cover image, home page, social media, og:image, montage, book cover, index page | references/home-page-template.md | Create home page with cover image and social metadata |
| logo, site logo, branding, upper left, header icon | references/mkdocs-features.md | Add custom logo with AI prompt examples |
| favicon, browser tab, bookmark icon, .ico | references/mkdocs-features.md | Add favicon with AI prompt examples |
| math, equations, latex, mathjax, katex | references/mkdocs-features.md | Add math equation support |
| feature checklist, generate feature checklist, feature status, what features | references/feature-checklist-generator.md | Auto-detect and document implemented features |
| quiz, quizzes, assessment, multiple choice | references/mkdocs-features.md |
Decision Tree
Asking for help or what book-installer can do?
→ YES: Display numbered list directly (Step 1)
Creating a new project/textbook from scratch?
→ YES: mkdocs-template.md
Adding a learning graph viewer to existing project?
→ YES: learning-graph-viewer.md
Setting up skill usage tracking?
→ YES: skill-tracker.md
Want to GENERATE a cover image automatically using AI?
→ YES: cover-image-generator.md (guides through API vs ChatGPT options)
Creating a cover image MANUALLY or setting up home page with social metadata?
→ YES: home-page-template.md
Want to generate a feature checklist showing what's implemented?
→ YES: feature-checklist-generator.md
Want to add branding (logo, favicon, cover image)?
→ YES: mkdocs-features.md (Branding Features section)
Want to add a learning mascot (pedagogical agent) to guide students?
→ YES: learning-mascot.md
Want to add a specific feature (equations, quizzes, feedback, etc.)?
→ YES: mkdocs-features.md (then follow specific feature instructions)
Step 2: Load the Matched Guide
Read the corresponding guide file from references/ and follow its installation workflow.
Step 3: Execute Installation
Each guide contains:
- Prerequisites and requirements
- Step-by-step installation commands
- Configuration options
- Verification steps
- Troubleshooting tips
Available Installation Guides
mkdocs-features.md
Purpose: Detailed configuration for all MkDocs feature enhancements
Contains: Full configuration snippets for features 2-24 listed in the help output, including:
- YAML for mkdocs.yml
- JavaScript files to create
- CSS files to create
- Usage examples
Use when:
- User selects a feature by number or name
- User wants detailed configuration for a specific feature
- User has a minimal mkdocs.yml and wants to enrich it
mkdocs-template.md
Purpose: Bootstrap a complete MkDocs Material intelligent textbook project
Creates:
- Conda virtual environment named 'mkdocs'
- Full MkDocs Material project structure
- Custom CSS for branding
- Social media card plugins
- GitHub Pages deployment configuration
- URI scheme in
extra section for global discoverability
URI Scheme:
New projects automatically include the textbook schema in mkdocs.yml:
extra:
schema: https://dmccreary.github.io/intelligent-textbooks/ns/textbook/v1
See the URI Scheme documentation for details.
Prerequisites:
- Conda installed
- Git installed
- GitHub repository created
learning-graph-viewer.md
Purpose: Add interactive learning graph exploration to existing textbook
Creates:
- Interactive vis-network graph viewer
- Search, filtering, and statistics features
- Integration with existing learning-graph.json
Prerequisites:
- Existing MkDocs project
- learning-graph.json file present
skill-tracker.md
Purpose: Set up Claude Code skill usage tracking
Creates:
- Hook scripts for tracking skill invocations
- Activity log directory structure
- Reporting scripts for usage analysis
Prerequisites:
- Claude Code installed
- ~/.claude directory exists
home-page-template.md
Purpose: Create professional home page with cover image and social media optimization
Creates:
- docs/index.md with proper frontmatter metadata
- AI image generation prompts for cover with montage background
- Open Graph and Twitter Card configuration
Features:
- Cover image design guidance (1.91:1 aspect ratio)
- Montage element suggestions by topic
- Social media preview optimization
- Example prompts for various book themes
Prerequisites:
- Existing MkDocs project
- Access to AI image generator (DALL-E, Midjourney, etc.)
learning-mascot.md
Purpose: Design and implement a pedagogical agent (learning mascot) that guides students through the textbook
Creates:
- Character design (name, species, appearance, personality, catchphrase)
- AI image generation prompts for consistent mascot poses
- Implementation via inline images, custom CSS admonitions, or JavaScript auto-detection
- CLAUDE.md character guidelines for consistent AI-generated content
Features:
- Subject-specific mascot suggestions with reasoning
- Six standard pose variants (welcome, thinking, tip, warning, celebration, encouraging)
- Three implementation methods at different complexity levels
- Restraint guidelines to prevent overuse
Prerequisites:
- Existing MkDocs Material project
- Access to AI image generator (DALL-E, Midjourney, etc.)
cover-image-generator.md
Purpose: Auto-generate cover images using the generate-cover.sh script
Provides:
- Interactive questionnaire to determine best workflow
- Commands for API, ChatGPT Pro, or manual generation
- Troubleshooting for common issues
Workflows:
- Full Auto: OpenAI API with active billing (fastest)
- Browser Auto: ChatGPT Pro + macOS (opens browser, pastes prompt)
- Local Prompt: ChatGPT Pro, any OS (displays prompt for manual copy)
- Fallback: Free tier options with manual generation
Prerequisites:
- Existing MkDocs project with mkdocs.yml
- docs/course-description.md with book content description
- One of: OpenAI API billing, ChatGPT Pro subscription, or free AI image generator
Examples
Example 1: Ask for Help
User: "book-installer help"
Routing: Keyword "help" → Display numbered list
Action: Show the numbered feature list (Step 1), then wait for user to select a feature
Example 2: Add a Specific Feature
User: "Add math equation support to my book"
Routing: Keyword "math" → references/mkdocs-features.md
Action: Load mkdocs-features.md, find the Math Equations section, and apply the configuration
Example 2b: Select by Number
User: "5"
Routing: Number selection after help list → references/mkdocs-features.md
Action: Load mkdocs-features.md, find Math Equations (item 5), and apply the configuration
Example 2c: Simple Template
User: "1"
Routing: Number 1 → references/mkdocs-template.md (minimal section)
Action: Load mkdocs-template.md and create a simple mkdocs.yml starter config
Example 3: New Textbook Project
User: "I want to create a new intelligent textbook about machine learning"
Routing: Keywords "create", "new", "textbook" → references/mkdocs-template.md
Action: Read mkdocs-template.md and follow its workflow
Example 4: Add Graph Viewer
User: "Add an interactive viewer for the learning graph"
Routing: Keywords "viewer", "learning graph", "interactive" → references/learning-graph-viewer.md
Action: Read learning-graph-viewer.md and follow its workflow
Example 5: Track Skill Usage
User: "I want to track which skills I use most often"
Routing: Keywords "track", "skills", "usage" → references/skill-tracker.md
Action: Read skill-tracker.md and follow its workflow
Example 6: Create Cover Image
User: "Help me create a cover image for my textbook"
Routing: Keywords "cover image", "textbook" → references/home-page-template.md
Action: Read home-page-template.md and follow its workflow
Example 7: Set Up Home Page with Social Sharing
User: "I need to add og:image metadata to my home page"
Routing: Keywords "og:image", "home page" → references/home-page-template.md
Action: Read home-page-template.md and follow its workflow
Example 8: Generate Cover Image Automatically
User: "generate cover image" or "book-installer generate cover image"
Routing: Keywords "generate cover image" → references/cover-image-generator.md
Action: Read cover-image-generator.md, ask user about their resources (API key, ChatGPT Pro, macOS), then run the appropriate generate-cover.sh command
Example 9: Add a Learning Mascot
User: "I want to add a mascot character to my math textbook"
Routing: Keywords "mascot", "character" → references/learning-mascot.md
Action: Read learning-mascot.md, guide user through character design, generate AI image prompts, and implement chosen method (inline, CSS admonitions, or JS detection)
Example 10: Generate Feature Checklist
User: "generate a feature checklist" or "what features do I have"
Routing: Keywords "feature checklist" → references/feature-checklist-generator.md
Action: Read feature-checklist-generator.md, run the detection script, generate docs/feature-checklist.md with detected statuses
Common Workflows
Full Project Setup
For a complete new project, users typically run these installations in order:
mkdocs-template.md - Create the project structurecover-image-generator.md - Auto-generate cover image using AIhome-page-template.md - Configure home page with cover image metadatalearning-graph-viewer.md - Add graph visualization (after learning graph exists)skill-tracker.md - Enable usage analytics (optional)
Verification Commands
After any installation, verify with:
mkdocs serve
cat ~/.claude/activity-logs/skill-usage.jsonl | tail -5
