name	github-repo-setup
description	Automated GitHub repository setup with four modes - quick public repos, enterprise-grade with security and CI/CD, open-source community standards, and private team collaboration with governance
version	0.1.0
author	Connor
tags	github, repository, setup, automation, ci-cd, security, open-source, devops
category	productivity

GitHub Repository Setup

Overview

This skill automates the creation and configuration of GitHub repositories following official GitHub best practices and modern industry standards (2024-2025). It provides four distinct modes tailored to different use cases, from quick public repos to enterprise-grade setups with comprehensive security, CI/CD, and governance.

Four Modes:

Quick Mode - Fast public repo setup with essentials (README, LICENSE, .gitignore) (~30s)
Enterprise Mode - Production-ready with security features, CI/CD, branch protection (~120s)
Open Source Mode - Community-focused with templates, CODE_OF_CONDUCT, CONTRIBUTING (~90s)
Private/Team Mode - Internal collaboration with CODEOWNERS, governance, team workflows (~90s)

All modes follow GitHub's official best practices including security features (Dependabot, secret scanning), proper documentation structure, and industry-standard workflows.

When to Use This Skill

Trigger Phrases:

"create a GitHub repository"
"set up a new GitHub repo"
"initialize GitHub repo with best practices"
"create an enterprise GitHub repository"
"set up an open source project on GitHub"
"create a private team repository"
"configure GitHub repo security"
"set up GitHub CI/CD workflows"

Use Cases:

Starting new projects with GitHub best practices from day one
Migrating existing projects to modern GitHub standards
Setting up open source projects with proper community health files
Establishing team repositories with governance and security
Creating quick experiment repos with minimal configuration
Standardizing repository setup across organizations

Response Style

Efficient: Automate repetitive setup tasks
Guided: Clear mode selection with trade-offs
Standards-driven: Apply GitHub official best practices
Security-first: Enable protection features by default
Educational: Explain choices and their benefits

Quick Decision Matrix

User Request                          → Mode          → Setup Time  → Key Features
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
"quick GitHub repo"                    → Quick         → ~30s        → README, LICENSE, .gitignore
"experiment repo"                      → Quick         → ~30s        → Minimal config
"test project"                         → Quick         → ~30s        → Basic structure

"production GitHub repo"               → Enterprise    → ~120s       → Full security + CI/CD
"enterprise repository"                → Enterprise    → ~120s       → Branch protection
"GitHub repo with CI/CD"               → Enterprise    → ~120s       → Automated workflows

"open source project"                  → Open Source   → ~90s        → Community templates
"public GitHub project"                → Open Source   → ~90s        → CODE_OF_CONDUCT
"OSS repository"                       → Open Source   → ~90s        → Contributing guidelines

"private team repo"                    → Private/Team  → ~90s        → CODEOWNERS
"internal repository"                  → Private/Team  → ~90s        → Governance docs
"team collaboration repo"              → Private/Team  → ~90s        → Access controls

Mode Detection Logic

// Mode 1: Quick (Minimal setup for experiments)
if (userMentions("quick", "test", "experiment", "prototype", "minimal")) {
  return "quick-mode";
}

// Mode 2: Enterprise (Production-ready with all features)
if (userMentions("enterprise", "production", "ci/cd", "security", "workflows")) {
  return "enterprise-mode";
}

// Mode 3: Open Source (Community-focused public projects)
if (userMentions("open source", "oss", "public", "community", "contributions")) {
  return "open-source-mode";
}

// Mode 4: Private/Team (Internal collaboration)
if (userMentions("private", "internal", "team", "codeowners", "governance")) {
  return "private-team-mode";
}

// Ambiguous - ask user
return askForModeSelection();

Core Responsibilities

1. Mode Selection & Validation

✓ Detect user intent from natural language
✓ Present clear mode options with feature comparison
✓ Validate prerequisites (GitHub CLI, git, authentication)
✓ Check for repository name conflicts

2. Repository Creation

✓ Create repository via GitHub CLI with appropriate visibility
✓ Initialize with proper default branch (main)
✓ Configure repository settings and features
✓ Set up branch protection rules (enterprise/team modes)

3. Security Configuration

✓ Enable Dependabot alerts and security updates
✓ Configure secret scanning and push protection
✓ Set up code scanning with CodeQL (enterprise mode)
✓ Create SECURITY.md with vulnerability reporting instructions

4. Documentation Structure

✓ Generate comprehensive README with project info
✓ Add appropriate LICENSE file
✓ Create .gitignore for relevant technologies
✓ Set up community health files (CODE_OF_CONDUCT, CONTRIBUTING)

5. CI/CD Setup

✓ Configure GitHub Actions workflows
✓ Set up automated testing and linting
✓ Configure deployment pipelines (optional)
✓ Enable required status checks

6. Issue & PR Management

✓ Create issue templates with GitHub form schema
✓ Set up pull request templates
✓ Configure CODEOWNERS for review requirements
✓ Set up project boards and automation

Workflow

Phase 1: Mode Selection & Prerequisites

Purpose: Understand user needs and validate environment

Steps:

Detect mode from user request using Mode Detection Logic
If ambiguous, ask: "What type of GitHub repository?"
- Quick: Minimal setup for experiments
- Enterprise: Production-ready with security and CI/CD
- Open Source: Community-focused public project
- Private/Team: Internal team collaboration

Validate prerequisites:

# Check GitHub CLI installation
gh --version

# Verify authentication
gh auth status

# Check git configuration
git config user.name && git config user.email

Gather repository information:
- Repository name (validate naming conventions)
- Description
- Visibility (public/private/internal)
- Technology stack (for .gitignore)
- License preference

Output: Validated environment and complete repository configuration

Phase 2: Repository Creation & Initialization

Purpose: Create repository with proper settings

Steps:

Create repository via GitHub CLI:

gh repo create <owner>/<name> \
  --description "<description>" \
  --<visibility> \
  --clone

Initialize git repository locally:

cd <repo-name>
git init
git branch -M main

Configure repository settings:
- Enable features (Issues, Projects, Wiki based on mode)
- Set default branch to main
- Configure merge strategies
- Set up topics/tags

Output: Created repository with basic configuration

Phase 3: Security Features Setup

Purpose: Enable GitHub security protections

Steps:

Enable Dependabot (all modes):

gh api -X PUT /repos/{owner}/{repo}/vulnerability-alerts
gh api -X PUT /repos/{owner}/{repo}/automated-security-fixes

Enable secret scanning (public repos automatically, private repos in enterprise mode):

gh api -X PUT /repos/{owner}/{repo}/secret-scanning
gh api -X PUT /repos/{owner}/{repo}/secret-scanning-push-protection

Configure code scanning (enterprise mode):
- Create .github/workflows/codeql.yml
- Set up automated security scanning
- Configure sarif upload
Create SECURITY.md:
- Vulnerability reporting process
- Security policy
- Response timeline
- Contact information

Output: Enabled security features with proper configuration

Phase 4: Documentation Generation

Purpose: Create comprehensive project documentation

Steps:

Generate README.md:
- Project title and description
- Installation instructions
- Usage examples
- Contributing guidelines link
- License information
- Badges (build status, coverage, license)
Add LICENSE file:
- Use gh command or template
- Common options: MIT, Apache-2.0, GPL-3.0
Create .gitignore:
- Technology-specific patterns
- OS-specific files
- IDE configurations
- Environment variables
Add community health files (open source/team modes):
- CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md (Contributor Covenant)
- CONTRIBUTING.md (contribution guidelines)
- SUPPORT.md (support resources)
- GOVERNANCE.md (team mode)

Output: Complete documentation structure

Phase 5: CI/CD Workflow Setup

Purpose: Configure automated workflows

Steps:

Create .github/workflows/ directory

Generate CI workflow (enterprise/open source modes):

name: CI
on: [push, pull_request]
jobs:
  test:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
      - name: Run tests
        run: # test commands

Set up additional workflows:
- Linting and code quality checks
- Security scanning
- Dependency updates
- Release automation (optional)
Configure branch protection with required checks

Output: Automated CI/CD pipelines

Phase 6: Issue & PR Templates

Purpose: Standardize contributions

Steps:

Create issue templates directory:

.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/
├── config.yml
├── bug_report.yml
├── feature_request.yml
└── question.yml

Generate issue templates using GitHub form schema:
- Bug reports with reproduction steps
- Feature requests with use cases
- Questions and discussions

Create pull request template:

## Description
## Type of change
## Testing
## Checklist

Set up CODEOWNERS (enterprise/team modes):

* @default-team
/docs/ @documentation-team
/.github/ @devops-team

Output: Standardized contribution process

Phase 7: Branch Protection & Governance

Purpose: Protect important branches and establish governance

Steps:

Configure branch protection for main (enterprise/team modes):
```
gh api -X PUT /repos/{owner}/{repo}/branches/main/protection \
  --input protection-rules.json
```
Protection rules:
- Require pull requests before merging
- Require approvals (1-2 reviewers)
- Dismiss stale reviews
- Require status checks to pass
- Require CODEOWNERS review
- Restrict who can push
Set up team access (team mode):
- Define team structure
- Assign permissions
- Configure review requirements
Create governance documentation (team mode):
- Decision-making process
- Roles and responsibilities
- Release process
- Code review standards

Output: Protected branches with governance

Phase 8: Validation & Next Steps

Purpose: Verify setup and guide user

Steps:

Run validation checks:
- ✅ Repository created successfully
- ✅ Security features enabled
- ✅ Documentation complete
- ✅ CI/CD configured
- ✅ Branch protection active

Generate setup report:

# Repository Setup Complete: <repo-name>

## Enabled Features
- ✅ Dependabot alerts
- ✅ Secret scanning
- ✅ Branch protection
- ✅ CI/CD workflows

## Next Steps
1. Clone repository: `gh repo clone <owner>/<repo>`
2. Add initial code
3. Push first commit
4. Verify CI workflow runs

Provide quick start commands:

# Clone and start working
gh repo clone <owner>/<repo>
cd <repo>

# Create feature branch
git checkout -b feature/initial-setup

# Make changes and push
git add .
git commit -m "feat: initial project setup"
git push -u origin feature/initial-setup

# Open pull request
gh pr create

Output: Validated setup with guided next steps

Error Handling

Common Issues

GitHub CLI not authenticated

Detect: gh auth status fails
Solution: Guide user through gh auth login
Provide: Step-by-step authentication instructions

Repository name conflicts

Detect: API error for existing repo
Solution: Suggest alternative names
Offer: Check availability before creation

Insufficient permissions

Detect: 403 errors from API
Solution: Explain required permissions
Guide: Organization admin settings

Missing git configuration

Detect: git config returns empty
Solution: Configure user.name and user.email
Provide: Configuration commands

Rate limiting

Detect: 429 errors from API
Solution: Wait and retry with exponential backoff
Inform: Rate limit reset time

Success Criteria

Repository created with appropriate visibility
Security features enabled (Dependabot, secret scanning)
Complete documentation (README, LICENSE, community files)
CI/CD workflows configured and functional
Issue and PR templates set up
Branch protection rules active (enterprise/team modes)
CODEOWNERS configured (team mode)
Repository accessible and cloneable
Validation checks pass
User has clear next steps

Reference Materials

See supporting files:

data/security-features.yaml - GitHub security features configuration
data/community-health-files.yaml - Community health file templates
data/workflow-templates.yaml - CI/CD workflow configurations
templates/community-health/ - Pre-built community health files
templates/workflows/ - GitHub Actions workflow templates
templates/issue-templates/ - Issue template examples
templates/pr-templates/ - Pull request template examples
modes/quick-mode.md - Quick mode detailed workflow
modes/enterprise-mode.md - Enterprise mode detailed workflow
modes/open-source-mode.md - Open source mode detailed workflow
modes/private-team-mode.md - Private/team mode detailed workflow

Important Reminders

Security first - Enable Dependabot and secret scanning by default
Official standards - Follow GitHub's documented best practices
Branch protection - Protect main branch in production setups
Documentation - Every repo needs README, LICENSE, and .gitignore
Community health - Open source projects need CODE_OF_CONDUCT and CONTRIBUTING
CI/CD validation - Test workflows before relying on them
Access control - Use CODEOWNERS for critical files
Governance - Document processes for team repositories

Official Documentation:

github-repo-setup

Install Skill

SKILL.md

GitHub Repository Setup

Overview

When to Use This Skill

Response Style

Quick Decision Matrix

Mode Detection Logic

Core Responsibilities

1. Mode Selection & Validation

2. Repository Creation

3. Security Configuration

4. Documentation Structure

5. CI/CD Setup

6. Issue & PR Management

Workflow

Phase 1: Mode Selection & Prerequisites

Phase 2: Repository Creation & Initialization

Phase 3: Security Features Setup

Phase 4: Documentation Generation

Phase 5: CI/CD Workflow Setup

Phase 6: Issue & PR Templates

Phase 7: Branch Protection & Governance

Phase 8: Validation & Next Steps

Error Handling

Common Issues

Success Criteria

Reference Materials

Important Reminders