bootstrap
One command to full AgentOps product layer. Sets up GOALS.md, PRODUCT.md, README.md, .agents/ structure, and hooks. Progressive -- fills gaps only. Triggers: "bootstrap", "setup agentops", "initialize repo", "full setup".
Best use case
bootstrap is best used when you need a repeatable AI agent workflow instead of a one-off prompt.
One command to full AgentOps product layer. Sets up GOALS.md, PRODUCT.md, README.md, .agents/ structure, and hooks. Progressive -- fills gaps only. Triggers: "bootstrap", "setup agentops", "initialize repo", "full setup".
Teams using bootstrap should expect a more consistent output, faster repeated execution, less prompt rewriting.
When to use this skill
- You want a reusable workflow that can be run more than once with consistent structure.
When not to use this skill
- You only need a quick one-off answer and do not need a reusable workflow.
- You cannot install or maintain the underlying files, dependencies, or repository context.
Installation
Claude Code / Cursor / Codex
Manual Installation
- Download SKILL.md from GitHub
- Place it in
.claude/skills/bootstrap/SKILL.mdinside your project - Restart your AI agent — it will auto-discover the skill
How bootstrap Compares
| Feature / Agent | bootstrap | Standard Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Platform Support | Not specified | Limited / Varies |
| Context Awareness | High | Baseline |
| Installation Complexity | Unknown | N/A |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this skill do?
One command to full AgentOps product layer. Sets up GOALS.md, PRODUCT.md, README.md, .agents/ structure, and hooks. Progressive -- fills gaps only. Triggers: "bootstrap", "setup agentops", "initialize repo", "full setup".
Where can I find the source code?
You can find the source code on GitHub using the link provided at the top of the page.
SKILL.md Source
# $bootstrap (Codex Native)
> **Quick Ref:** One command to set up the full AgentOps product layer. Progressive -- bare repos get everything, existing repos fill gaps only.
**YOU MUST EXECUTE THIS WORKFLOW. Do not just describe it.**
## Quick Start
```
$bootstrap
```
That is it. One command. Every step below is idempotent -- existing artifacts are never overwritten.
## Flags
| Flag | Effect |
|------|--------|
| `--dry-run` | Report what would be created without doing anything |
| `--force` | Recreate artifacts even if they already exist |
## Execution Steps
### Step 0: Detect Repo State
```bash
git rev-parse --is-inside-work-tree >/dev/null 2>&1 || { echo "NOT_A_GIT_REPO"; exit 1; }
HAS_GOALS=$([[ -f GOALS.md ]] && echo true || echo false)
HAS_PRODUCT=$([[ -f PRODUCT.md ]] && echo true || echo false)
HAS_README=$([[ -f README.md ]] && echo true || echo false)
HAS_AGENTS=$([[ -d .agents ]] && echo true || echo false)
HAS_HOOKS=$(grep -rq "agentops" .git/hooks/ 2>/dev/null && echo true || echo false)
HAS_AO=$(command -v ao >/dev/null && echo true || echo false)
```
Classify the repo:
| State | Condition |
|-------|-----------|
| **bare** | No GOALS.md, no PRODUCT.md, no .agents/ |
| **partial** | Some artifacts present, some missing |
| **complete** | All artifacts present |
If `--dry-run` is set: report the state and what would be created, then stop. Do not proceed to Steps 1-6.
If the repo is **complete** and `--force` is not set: report "Repo is fully bootstrapped. Nothing to do." and stop.
### Step 1: GOALS.md
If `HAS_GOALS` is false (or `--force` is set):
Run the goals initialization inline. Prompt the user for project purpose, key metrics, and initial directives. Write GOALS.md with:
- Mission statement
- Initial directives (3-5 recommended)
- Fitness thresholds
```bash
# Check if ao CLI is available for goals init
if command -v ao >/dev/null 2>&1; then
ao goals init
else
# Generate GOALS.md inline from user input
echo "# Goals" > GOALS.md
echo "" >> GOALS.md
echo "## Mission" >> GOALS.md
echo "<prompt user for mission>" >> GOALS.md
fi
```
If `HAS_GOALS` is true and `--force` is not set: skip. Report "GOALS.md exists -- skipped."
### Step 2: PRODUCT.md
If `HAS_PRODUCT` is false (or `--force` is set):
Run the product definition inline. Interview the user about mission, personas, value props, and competitive landscape. Write PRODUCT.md with filled-in sections.
If `HAS_PRODUCT` is true and `--force` is not set: skip. Report "PRODUCT.md exists -- skipped."
### Step 3: README.md
If `HAS_README` is false (or `--force` is set) AND PRODUCT.md now exists:
Generate README.md from PRODUCT.md content. Include: project name, description, installation, usage, contributing section.
If `HAS_README` is true and `--force` is not set: skip. Report "README.md exists -- skipped."
If PRODUCT.md does not exist (Step 2 was skipped or failed): skip. Report "README.md skipped -- PRODUCT.md required first."
### Step 4: .agents/ Structure
If `HAS_AGENTS` is false (or `--force` is set):
Create the directory structure:
```bash
mkdir -p .agents/learnings .agents/council .agents/research .agents/plans .agents/rpi
```
Create `.agents/AGENTS.md` if it does not exist:
```markdown
# Agent Knowledge Store
This directory contains accumulated knowledge from agent sessions.
## Structure
| Directory | Purpose |
|-----------|---------|
| `learnings/` | Extracted lessons and patterns |
| `council/` | Council validation artifacts |
| `research/` | Research phase outputs |
| `plans/` | Implementation plans |
| `rpi/` | RPI execution packets and phase logs |
## Usage
Knowledge is automatically managed by the AgentOps flywheel:
- `$inject` surfaces relevant prior knowledge at session start
- `$post-mortem` extracts and processes new learnings
- `$compile` runs maintenance (mine, grow, defrag)
```
If `HAS_AGENTS` is true and `--force` is not set: skip. Report ".agents/ exists -- skipped."
### Step 5: Hook Activation
If `HAS_AO` is true AND `HAS_HOOKS` is false (or `--force` is set):
```bash
ao init --hooks
```
If `HAS_AO` is false: skip. Report "Hooks skipped -- ao CLI not installed. Run: brew tap boshu2/agentops https://github.com/boshu2/homebrew-agentops && brew install agentops"
If `HAS_HOOKS` is true and `--force` is not set: skip. Report "Hooks already configured -- skipped."
### Step 6: Report
Output a summary table:
```
Bootstrap complete.
| Artifact | Status |
|---------------|---------|
| GOALS.md | created / skipped / failed |
| PRODUCT.md | created / skipped / failed |
| README.md | created / skipped / failed |
| .agents/ | created / skipped / failed |
| Hooks | activated / skipped / failed |
Repo is now AgentOps-ready. Next: $rpi "your first goal"
```
## Troubleshooting
| Problem | Cause | Solution |
|---------|-------|---------|
| "Not a git repo" | No .git directory | Run `git init` first |
| Goals step fails | No project context | Provide a one-line project description when prompted |
| Product step fails | No goals defined | Run goals init manually first, then re-run `$bootstrap` |
| Hooks not activating | ao CLI not installed | Install: `brew tap boshu2/agentops https://github.com/boshu2/homebrew-agentops && brew install agentops` |
| Want to start over | Existing artifacts blocking | Use `--force` to recreate all artifacts |
## See Also
- `../goals/SKILL.md` -- Fitness specification and directive management
- `../product/SKILL.md` -- Product definition generation
- `../readme/SKILL.md` -- README generation
- `../quickstart/SKILL.md` -- New user onboarding (lighter than bootstrap)Related Skills
vibe
Comprehensive code validation. Runs complexity analysis then multi-model council. Answer: Is this code ready to ship? Triggers: "vibe", "validate code", "check code", "review code", "code quality", "is this ready".
validation
Full validation phase orchestrator. Vibe + post-mortem + retro + forge. Reviews implementation quality, extracts learnings, feeds the knowledge flywheel. Triggers: "validation", "validate", "validate work", "review and learn", "validation phase", "post-implementation review".
update
Reinstall all AgentOps skills globally from the latest source. Triggers: "update skills", "reinstall skills", "sync skills".
trace
Trace design decisions and concepts through session history, handoffs, and git. Triggers: "trace decision", "how did we decide", "where did this come from", "design provenance", "decision history".
test
Test generation, coverage analysis, and TDD workflow. Triggers: "test", "generate tests", "test coverage", "write tests", "tdd", "add tests", "test strategy", "missing tests", "coverage gaps".
status
Single-screen dashboard showing current work, recent validations, flywheel health, and suggested next action. Triggers: "status", "dashboard", "what am I working on", "where was I".
standards
Language-specific coding standards and validation rules. Provides Python, Go, Rust, TypeScript, Shell, YAML, JSON, and Markdown standards. Auto-loaded by $vibe, $implement, $doc, $bug-hunt, $complexity based on file types.
shared
Shared reference documents for multi-agent skills (not directly invocable)
security
Continuous repository security scanning and release gating. Triggers: "security scan", "security audit", "pre-release security", "run scanners", "check vulnerabilities".
security-suite
Composable security suite for binary and prompt-surface assurance, static analysis, dynamic tracing, repo-native redteam scans, contract capture, baseline drift, and policy gating. Triggers: "binary security", "reverse engineer binary", "black-box binary test", "behavioral trace", "baseline diff", "prompt redteam", "security suite".
scenario
Author and manage holdout scenarios for behavioral validation. Scenarios are stored in .agents/holdout/ where implementing agents cannot see them. Triggers: "$scenario", "holdout", "behavioral scenario", "create scenario", "list scenarios".
scaffold
Project scaffolding, component generation, and boilerplate setup. Triggers: "scaffold", "new project", "init project", "create project", "generate component", "setup project", "starter", "boilerplate".