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New-Repo Setup Doctor

Fresh-repo checklist that ends 'works on my machine' syndrome.

Tested in MuseskillDev & automationinstructionsworkflowchecklist

by Muse Skills editors · Written for this directory

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What it does

New-Repo Setup Doctor diagnoses the fresh checkout that won’t build. It checks runtime version, dependencies, env config, and external services in the order that finds the boring failure fastest: and proposes each fix before touching anything.

What it includes

  • Ordered environment and dependency checks
  • Per-failure fix with the exact command
  • README accuracy feedback
  • No destructive actions, ever

Example

Output:

Verdict: fails at "dev server starts"

Checks:
- Node version: pass (20.x matches .nvmrc)
- Dependencies: pass
- Env config: FAIL, .env missing, .env.example has 4 vars

Fix: copied .env.example to .env; fill in DATABASE_URL.
Re-ran: dev server starts. Working.

What this one touches

Runs read-only checks against the repo you point it at. Suggests fixes; runs nothing destructive and never asks for credentials.

Install

Copy this block and paste it into your Muse chat. Muse does the install and confirms when it's done.

Install prompt

Full source

This is the exact text Muse installs. Read it. That's the whole trust model.

SKILL.md
---
name: new-repo-setup-doctor
description: Diagnose a fresh repo checkout that won't build or run, environment, dependencies, and config checks in order, with the fix for each failure. Trigger phrases: "this repo won't build", "help me set up this repo", "diagnose my dev environment".
---
# Purpose

Fresh checkouts fail for boring reasons: wrong runtime version,
missing env vars, a step the README forgot. This skill runs the
checks in the order that finds the boring reason fastest.

# Workflow

1. Ask the user for the repo path (or use the current
   directory) and what "working" means: builds, tests pass,
   dev server starts.
2. Run the checks in order, stopping at the first failure
   with its fix:
   - Runtime version vs. what the repo declares (.nvmrc,
     .python-version, go.mod, package.json engines)
   - Package manager and lockfile present; dependencies
     installed (node_modules, venv, etc.)
   - Required env vars / config files (.env.example vs .env)
   - External services the README mentions (database, redis)
     reachable or clearly mocked
   - Build / test / dev-server command from the README
3. For each failure: what failed, why it matters, the exact
   command or edit to fix it. Then re-run the check.
4. Report in the Output Contract shape.

# Output Contract

- Verdict: working, or the step it fails at
- Checks: pass/fail per check, one line each
- Fixes applied: what was changed, in order
- Still broken: the failing step, the error, and the next
  thing to try

# Operating Rules

- Read-only diagnosis first. Propose every fix before
  running it; apply only what the user approves.
- Never invent credentials. Missing secrets get a "create
  this" instruction, not a placeholder that gets committed.
- Never commit, push, or force-install. The repo's history
  is the user's.
- If the README's setup steps are wrong, say so and note
  the correction: that feedback is half the value.
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