| name | rad-build-harness |
| description | End-to-end installer test for a contributor: builds a local tarball from installer/, runs the installer via npx for the chosen harness, bootstraps the plugin, and verifies via doctor and sha256 manifest check. Use when asked to "test the installer", "build and install the harness", or "verify the install". |
rad-build-harness
Where this fits. rad-build-harness is the quick contributor dogfood loop — pack, install, bootstrap, verify on a single harness. The comprehensive cross-cutting smoke is .agents/prompts/rad-test-release.prompt.md (legacy installer) and .agents/prompts/rad-test-plugin-release.prompt.md (Claude plugin). Use this skill when you want a fast feedback cycle on a build change; use the release prompts for go/no-go decisions.
Run the real installer end-to-end from local source. This skill selects a harness, builds the canonical adapter sources, packs the installer into a tarball, runs the wizard non-interactively via npx, bootstraps the plugin (with --force to defeat the version-equal short-circuit on repeat runs), and verifies the result.
~/.radorc/projects/ is never touched at any point in this workflow — existing user projects survive unchanged.
When to Use This Skill
- Testing a local build of the installer before publishing.
- Verifying that a harness change propagates end-to-end through the pack → install → bootstrap path.
- Confirming
doctor reports a clean state after a fresh or upgraded install.
Prerequisites
- Node.js and npm installed.
- Working directory is anywhere inside the repo clone (the skill resolves repo root itself).
Workflow
1. Ask which harness
Use AskUserQuestion with these options:
| Label | Value |
|---|
| Claude Code | claude |
| GitHub Copilot in VS Code | copilot-vscode |
| GitHub Copilot CLI | copilot-cli |
Record the answer as {harness}.
2. Resolve repo root
git rev-parse --show-toplevel
Use the result as {repoRoot} for every subsequent command.
3. Pack the installer
cd {repoRoot}/installer && npm pack
Note the generated tarball filename — something like rad-orchestration-X.Y.Z.tgz. Store it as {tarball}. The full absolute path is {repoRoot}/installer/{tarball}.
4. Verify the tarball
npx {repoRoot}/installer/{tarball} --version
5. Run the installer non-interactively
Tests the wizard surface: the single harness-question prompt and the canonical orchestration.yml write.
npx {repoRoot}/installer/{tarball} --yes --harness {harness}
Expected: installer completes without interactive prompts and exits with code 0.
~/.radorc/projects/ is not touched.
6. Bootstrap the plugin with --force
Tests the force-bootstrap path: defeats the version-equal short-circuit so a repeat test on the same version still re-runs the bootstrap.
Locate the bundled plugin root for the harness. The plugin payload ships at {repoRoot}/installer/src/{bundleDir}/ where bundleDir matches the harness:
| Harness | Bundle directory |
|---|
claude | installer/src/claude/ |
copilot-vscode | installer/src/copilot-vscode/ |
copilot-cli | installer/src/copilot-cli/ |
Run plugin-bootstrap with --force to defeat the version-equal short-circuit:
npx {repoRoot}/installer/{tarball} plugin-bootstrap --force --harness {harness} --plugin-root {repoRoot}/installer/src/{bundleDir}
--force ensures the bootstrap runs even when the delivering version equals the installed version. This is required on repeat test runs.
7. Verify the install
Run all three checks and report any failure:
npx {repoRoot}/installer/{tarball} --version
npx {repoRoot}/installer/{tarball} doctor
sha256 manifest check: The manifest catalog is written into the bundled plugin payload during npm pack (via the prepack lifecycle hook). Verify that the manifest file for the tested version exists and that every entry carries a sha256 field.
The manifest path is:
{repoRoot}/installer/src/{bundleDir}/manifests/v{version}.json
Open the file and confirm:
- The file exists.
- Each entry in the file has a
sha256 field with a non-empty value.
8. Report results
Report:
- The version tested (from Step 5).
- Whether
doctor passed or flagged issues.
- Whether the sha256 manifest check passed.
- Any step that failed, with the verbatim error output.
9. Delete the local tarball
cd {repoRoot}/installer && Remove-Item -Force {tarball}
The global install extracts the package at install time and no longer references the file. Delete it to keep the working tree clean.
