repo-create

Set up a GitHub repository for the project. This skill handles three scenarios: the user has no repo yet, the user has an existing repo to connect, or the user wants a new repo created. It never assumes — it asks.

When to use

• User says "create a repo", "init git", "push to GitHub."
• A scaffolded project has no .git/ directory or no remote origin.
• User wants to change repo visibility or reconnect to a different remote.

Inputs

Input	Source	Required
Project root path	cwd or user prompt	Yes
Repo name	User prompt (ask if not given)	Yes
Visibility	User prompt (ask every time)	Yes
Existing repo URL	User prompt (if connecting)	No

Instructions

1. Ask before acting. Start with these questions — do not skip any:

   • "Do you already have a GitHub repo for this project?"
   • If yes: "What's the repo URL?" Then skip to step 5.
   • If no: "What should the repo be named?"
   • Always ask visibility: "Public or private?" Do not default. The user decides every time because the wrong visibility leaks code or blocks collaboration.

2. Check prerequisites. Verify git is installed and gh CLI is authenticated (gh auth status). If gh is not available, fall back to git + GitHub API via the MCP GitHub tools. Tell the user which path you're taking.

3. Initialize local git (if .git/ doesn't exist):

   cd <project-root>
   git init
   

4. Create the GitHub repo. Use the gh CLI:

   gh repo create <repo-name> --<visibility> --source=. --remote=origin
   

   If gh is unavailable, use the GitHub MCP create_repository tool, then add the remote manually:

   git remote add origin <repo-url>
   

5. Connect to existing repo (if user provided a URL):

   git remote add origin <repo-url>
   git fetch origin
   

   If a remote named origin already exists and points somewhere else, ask before overwriting. Silently clobbering a remote loses work — always confirm.

6. Ensure .gitignore exists. If project-scaffold already ran, it will be there. If not, create a sensible default (node_modules, .env, .DS_Store, artifacts/, pycache). Never commit secrets — the .gitignore is your first line of defense.

7. Initial commit and push:

   git add .
   git commit -m "chore: initial project scaffold"
   git branch -M main
   git push -u origin main
   

   If there's already commit history, skip the initial commit — just push.

8. Confirm. Print the repo URL and confirm the push succeeded.

Exit condition

• GitHub repo exists (created or pre-existing).
• Local .git/ is initialized with origin remote pointing to the repo.
• At least one commit is pushed to main.
• User has seen the repo URL.

Examples

User: "Create a repo for this project"
Action: Ask repo name and visibility. Create repo, init git, push initial
        commit. Print URL.

User: "I already have a repo at github.com/user/my-project"
Action: Add remote origin, fetch, confirm connection. Do not create a new repo.

User: "Set up git, call it dash-ui, make it private"
Action: Create private repo named dash-ui, init, push. No need to ask
        visibility — user already specified.

User: "Push to GitHub"
Action: Check if git is initialized and remote exists. If not, ask the
        prerequisite questions. If yes, just push.

Cross-cutting

Before completing, read and follow ../references/cross-cutting-rules.md.