st-init

name	st-init
description	Pharo Smalltalk development session initializer. Use when starting a new Smalltalk development session, when Pharo connection needs to be established or verified, when the user asks about the development workflow or available commands, when development environment setup is needed, or when Docker or local Pharo installation is required.
allowed-tools	Skill Bash mcp__smalltalk-interop__eval

Initialize Smalltalk Development Session

Start a Pharo Smalltalk development session: verify project structure, confirm Pharo connection, and orient to the development workflow.

Initialization Sequence

1. Check Project Structure

if [ ! -f ".project" ] && [ ! -d "src" ]; then
  echo "No Pharo project structure detected"
fi

• ✅ .project OR src/ found → continue
• ⚠️ Neither found → recommend smalltalk-dev:st-setup-project skill

If no project exists, offer to create one:

⚠️  No Pharo project structure detected in current directory.

Use /st-setup-project MyProjectName to set up:
  • .project configuration file
  • src/ directory with package structure
  • BaselineOf class and Core/Tests packages

Would you like to run /st-setup-project now?

• User says yes: Invoke smalltalk-dev:st-setup-project skill, then continue with steps 2–4.
• User says no / continue anyway: Proceed directly to step 2 (load smalltalk-developer) without project setup. Note in the status report that project structure is missing.

2. Load smalltalk-developer Skill

Use the Skill tool to load smalltalk-dev:smalltalk-developer. This activates the full development workflow guidance.

3. Verify Pharo Connection

Run Smalltalk version via eval:

mcp__smalltalk-interop__eval: 'Smalltalk version'

• ✅ Returns version string → connected, proceed
• ❌ Fails or times out → follow Connection Setup below

4. Confirm Ready

Report status to user:

✅ Pharo connected: Pharo X.Y (...)
✅ smalltalk-developer skill loaded
📋 Development workflow: Edit → Lint → Import → Test

Connection Setup

If Pharo is not connected, check Docker availability first:

docker --version

Docker Setup (Recommended)

Generate compose.yml in the project root:

services:
  sis-pharo:
    image: mumez/smalltalk-interop-docker
    ports:
      - "5900:5900"
      - "6901:6901"
      - "8086:8086"
    environment:
      PHARO_SIS_PORT: 8086
    volumes:
      - /tmp:/root/screenshots
      - .:/root/repos

Then instruct the user:

docker compose up -d

Re-verify connection after startup.

Local Pharo Installation

If Docker is not available or not preferred:

1. Install Pharo:

mkdir pharo-stable
cd pharo-stable
curl https://get.pharo.org | bash

2. Load PharoSmalltalkInteropServer:

./pharo Pharo.image metacello install github://mumez/PharoSmalltalkInteropServer:main/src BaselineOfPharoSmalltalkInteropServer

3. Start Pharo (SisServer starts automatically):

./pharo-ui

Re-verify connection after Pharo is running.

Manual Start (Pharo already installed)

If Pharo is installed but server not running, ask user to execute in Pharo:

SisServer current start

Development Workflow Overview

The core cycle (full details in smalltalk-dev:smalltalk-developer):

Edit .st file
    ↓
Lint (/st-lint)
    ↓
Import package (absolute path)
    ↓
Run tests
    ↓
Pass? → Done  |  Fail? → Debug → Fix → Repeat

Available Skills and Commands

Command	Purpose
/st-import PackageName /abs/path	Import Tonel package to Pharo
/st-test TestClass	Run SUnit tests
/st-eval code	Execute Smalltalk snippet
/st-export PackageName	Export package from Pharo
/st-lint src/PackageName	Validate Smalltalk best practices

Troubleshooting

Problem	Solution
Connection timeout	Check if Pharo image is running
Server not started	Run SisServer current start in Pharo
Port mismatch	Check PHARO_SIS_PORT env var (default: 8086)
MCP issues	Verify pharo-smalltalk-interop-mcp-server is installed
Docker path issues	Check volume mounts in compose.yml

Related Skills

• smalltalk-dev:st-setup-project — Create project structure if missing
• smalltalk-dev:smalltalk-developer — Full development workflow
• smalltalk-dev:smalltalk-debugger — Debug test failures and errors