configure

name	configure
description	Configure the-power for a target GitHub instance. Run configure.py to generate .gh-api-examples.conf with hostname, token, org, repo, and other settings. Covers interactive and non-interactive setup, GHES vs dotcom differences, curl flags for self-signed certs, and GitHub App configuration.
keywords	["configure","setup","config",".gh-api-examples.conf","hostname","token","GHES","dotcom","configure.py"]

Configure

Generate the .gh-api-examples.conf file that every script in the-power sources for connection settings.

Working directory

All scripts must be run from the root of a the-power repository clone.

Find an existing clone:

find ~ -maxdepth 5 -name "configure.py" -path "*/the-power/*" -not -path "*/copilot-plugin/*" 2>/dev/null

Or clone fresh:

git clone https://github.com/gm3dmo/the-power.git
cd the-power

Interactive mode

python3 configure.py

You will be asked for:

1. GitHub hostname — the API hostname (e.g. myserver.example.com for GHES, or api.github.com for dotcom)
2. Personal Access Token — a PAT with the scopes you need
3. Organisation name — defaults to acme
4. Webhook URL — defaults to a smee.io channel

Non-interactive mode

python3 configure.py \
  --hostname myserver.example.com \
  --token ghp_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx \
  --webhook-url https://events.hookdeck.com/e/src_abc123

Common flags:

Flag	Default	Purpose
--hostname HOST	(prompted)	API hostname
--token TOKEN	(prompted)	Personal access token
--org NAME	acme	Organisation name
--repo NAME	testrepo	Default repository name
--repo-webhook-url URL	smee	Webhook URL
--primer SCRIPT	pwr-get-octocat.sh	Script to run after setup
--curl_custom_flags FLAGS	--no-progress-meter --fail-with-body	Custom curl flags
--app-configure	no	Set to yes for GitHub App setup

Run python3 configure.py --help for the full list.

Key config variables

Connection

Variable	Example	Description
hostname	myserver.example.com	API hostname
GITHUB_TOKEN	ghp_...	Bearer token
GITHUB_API_BASE_URL	https://HOST/api/v3	REST base URL
GITHUB_APIV4_BASE_URL	https://HOST/api/graphql	GraphQL base URL

Organisation and repo

Variable	Default	Description
org / owner	acme	Target organisation
repo	testrepo	Target repository
team_slug	justice-league	Default team slug

GHES self-signed certificates

For instances with self-signed certs, set:

curl_custom_flags="--insecure"

GHES vs dotcom

configure.py adjusts paths automatically:

Setting	GHES	dotcom
GITHUB_API_BASE_URL	https://HOST/api/v3	https://api.github.com
GITHUB_APIV4_BASE_URL	https://HOST/api/graphql	https://api.github.com/graphql

Integration with ghe-boot / cs-boot

On instances provisioned by ghe-boot or cs-boot, configure.py reads environment.json from the current or home directory and uses its hostname and token as defaults.

Validating the configuration

./get-authenticated-user.sh     # Confirm token is valid
./get-an-organization.sh        # Verify target org exists

Error handling

• If configure.py fails with an SSL error, see the troubleshoot skill.
• If get-authenticated-user.sh returns 401, the token is invalid or expired.
• If get-an-organization.sh returns 404, the org does not exist yet. On GHES, use build-all.sh to create it automatically.

Boundaries

• Do not display the full GITHUB_TOKEN value. When confirming config, show only the first 8 characters.
• Do not modify .gh-api-examples.conf directly unless the user explicitly asks. Always use configure.py or gh-set-value.py.