worktree-first

name	worktree-first
description	Use when starting Git development work; keep main/master pristine by creating a feature worktree from the latest remote branch before editing, committing, pushing, or opening PRs.
version	1.0.0
author	Eric Hansen + Hermes Agent
license	MIT
metadata	{"hermes":{"tags":["git","worktree","workflow","portability"],"related_skills":["github-pr-workflow","gh-body-safe"]}}

Worktree-First Git Workflow

Overview

Default to git worktrees for development. The primary checkout stays clean on main or master; feature work happens in a sibling directory on a feature branch.

When to Use

Use before editing code in any Git repo when:

• currently on main or master
• starting a feature/fix/refactor branch
• preparing work that may become a PR
• you need to keep the main checkout pristine

Workflow

git status --short
git branch --show-current
git fetch origin

Determine default branch:

default_branch="$(git remote show origin 2>/dev/null | sed -n 's/.*HEAD branch: //p')"
default_branch="${default_branch:-main}"

Create a sibling worktree:

repo_name="$(basename "$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)")"
branch="fix/short-description"
worktree_dir="../${repo_name}-${branch//\//-}"

git worktree add "$worktree_dir" -b "$branch" "origin/$default_branch"
cd "$worktree_dir"

Rules

• Never edit or commit directly on main or master.
• Commit locally by default.
• Push/open PR only when explicitly requested.
• Before pushing, show a reviewable diff/stat summary and ask for confirmation.
• If git/gh operations fail unexpectedly, check gh auth status for account mismatch.

Verification Checklist

• Worktree path is not the main checkout.
• Branch is not main or master.
• git status --short is understood before editing.
• Changes are committed locally before push/PR.
• Push/PR happens only after explicit user request.