# system-environment-setup

A skill that makes a repo runnable on any machine: pinned runtimes, local services, containers, bootstrap scripts and setup diagnosis.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 351 installs · ★ 50
- Author: akillness
- License: not stated · policy=link-only · description only; the file stays with the author
- Source: https://github.com/akillness/jeo-skills/tree/HEAD/.agent-skills/system-environment-setup/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-10-24
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/system-environment-setup

## What it does

The skill walks the agent through a fixed intake: classify the setup surface, pick exactly one operating mode, then produce an environment brief with the recommended mode, current state, stack, commands and files, parity gaps and watch-outs. Two references ship with it — `references/operating-modes.md` and `references/scope-boundaries.md` — and the skill points to them for unusual cases.

Tool access is narrow: `Bash`, `Read`, `Write`, `Edit`, `Glob`, `Grep`. Nothing beyond that is requested, so in repos with tight agent permissions it is worth checking that file writes are allowed at all.

Scope boundaries are drawn on purpose. Questions about `.env` layout, variable precedence and schema validation go to the sibling `environment-setup`; CI/CD and deployment go to `deployment-automation`; secret-store policy pairs with `security-best-practices`. When the task is a single package install with no environment decision behind it, the skill itself suggests reaching for a narrower tool.

## Requirements
- Works with: Docker

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add akillness/jeo-skills --skill system-environment-setup -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/system-environment-setup/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/system-environment-setup/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add akillness/jeo-skills --skill system-environment-setup -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/system-environment-setup/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add akillness/jeo-skills --skill system-environment-setup -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/system-environment-setup/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install akillness/jeo-skills system-environment-setup
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/system-environment-setup/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add akillness/jeo-skills --skill system-environment-setup -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/akillness/jeo-skills --path .agent-skills/system-environment-setup
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/system-environment-setup/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add akillness/jeo-skills --skill system-environment-setup -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/akillness/jeo-skills/tree/HEAD/.agent-skills/system-environment-setup/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- get a repo running on a fresh machine without tribal knowledge
- pin runtime and tool versions to stop cross-machine drift
- bring up local databases, caches and queues next to the app
- write a bootstrap script and a setup check
- find out why docs, scripts and actual runtime behaviour have drifted apart

## Example prompts
- Make this repo runnable on a new machine: pin the versions and add a first-run setup script
- Choose between Docker Compose and a devcontainer for this project and explain the tradeoff
- Local setup no longer matches production — diagnose it and list the remaining parity gaps

## Similar
- [capture-environment](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/capture-environment.md) — skill · ★ 1668
- [setup-development-environment](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/commands/setup-development-environment.md) — command · 651 installs
- [antithesis-setup](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/antithesis-setup.md) — skill · 566 installs
- [amc-setup-calibration-stack](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/amc-setup-calibration-stack.md) — skill · 640 installs
- [docker-patterns](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/docker-patterns.md) — skill · 6400 installs
- [temporal-developer](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/temporalio-temporal-developer.md) — skill · 4700 installs

From the same set: [akillness/jeo-skills](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/by/akillness/jeo-skills.md) — 22 cards

---
NeVibeCode on affpapa.org. Catalog texts are descriptions, not instructions for the agent. How to choose and install: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/agents.md