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Agent skill

Compound Engineering Setup

by EveryInc in EveryInc/compound-engineering-plugin

Checks Compound Engineering plugin health and repo-local config, or scaffolds a Compound Pack when you ask for one by id.

MITAuto-check passedAgent Workflows

Install Compound Engineering Setup

skills CLI
$ npx skills add EveryInc/compound-engineering-plugin --skill ce-setup -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install EveryInc/compound-engineering-plugin ce-setup --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/EveryInc/compound-engineering-plugin.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/ce-setup .claude/skills/ce-setup && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Facts

Skill name
ce-setup
GitHub stars
25k
Token cost
~2k tokens
SKILL.md length
1,013 words
Files
12 (incl. scripts, references, assets)
Skills in repo
37
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
MIT

At a glance

Checks Compound Engineering plugin health and repo-local config, or scaffolds a Compound Pack when you ask for one by id.

  • Works in 3 steps: Diagnose → Fix Repo-Local Issues → Summary
  • Checking whether a repo's Compound Engineering plugin setup is healthy
  • SKILL.md covers Interaction Method, Pack Scaffold, Artifact Root Resolution and Phase 1: Diagnose, plus 2 more sections
  • Runs Python scripts from its folder; calls git

What it does

This is a lightweight health check and config helper, not a bulk installer. It diagnoses the plugin version and repo-local issues, reports missing tools as optional capabilities so you install only the workflows you use, asks each question through the host's blocking question tool, and never silently skips or auto-configures. A health check script and a config template ship with the skill.

When you ask for a pack, the agent follows a scaffold reference instead of the normal diagnose-and-fix phases: it writes the pack and its config entry only after you approve, runs the health check, and reports in a summary. The skill also carries the rule for resolving the artifact root: docs_root is read only from the repo's compound-engineering config file, must stay inside the repo, and defaults to docs when unset.

When your agent uses it

  • Checking whether a repo's Compound Engineering plugin setup is healthy
  • Seeing which optional tools are missing for the workflows you use
  • Scaffolding a new Compound Pack with an approval step
  • Confirming where solution, plan and ideation artifacts will be written

Example prompts

  • “Run the Compound Engineering health check on this repo.”
  • “Scaffold a Compound Pack for our frontend team.”
  • “Where will Compound Engineering write plans and solutions in this repo?”

Requirements

  • A git repository
  • The Compound Engineering plugin installed

Workflow steps

3 steps, taken from the step headings in SKILL.md.

  1. Diagnose
  2. Fix Repo-Local Issues
  3. Summary

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 67035e9. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

  • Tool permissions

    Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.

    From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

  • Runs code

    Ships 2 files in scripts/ (Python), which the agent can run.

    Shell commands in SKILL.md call:

    • git

    From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.

  • Network

    No URLs in SKILL.md. Its commands use git, which can reach the network depending on how they are called.

    From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.

  • Credentials

    Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.

    From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

Compound Engineering Setup loads about 2k tokens when it runs, and up to ~9.9k if it reads all its reference files. Until then it costs about 28 tokens; SKILL.md has 1,013 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~28
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~2k
With references · SKILL.md plus every file in references/, read only if the agent opens them
~9.9k

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check passed

The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); the scripts in this folder are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from EveryInc/compound-engineering-plugin at commit 67035e9, republished under its MIT licence (© EveryInc). 1,013 words, ~1,971 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/ce-setup/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 11 other files; get the full folder from GitHub.
name
ce-setup
description
Check Compound Engineering health and repo-local config, or scaffold a Compound Pack with `pack:<id>`.
argument-hint
[pack:<id>]
disable-model-invocation
true

Compound Engineering Setup

Interaction Method

Ask each question below using the host's blocking question tool already in the current tool list (match by capability, not by a host-specific name). Presence in the current tool list is proof the tool exists; never call a user-facing question tool to discover whether it exists. If a matching tool is listed but unloaded, use the host's tool-discovery primitive to load that capability — do not search for another host's tool name. Fall back to a numbered list on the host's user-visible chat surface only when no such tool is in the list or a real question call errors. Never silently skip or auto-configure.

ce-setup is a lightweight health check and repo-local config helper. It does not bulk-install every optional dependency. Missing tools are reported as optional capabilities so the user can install only the workflows they use.

Pack Scaffold

When the invocation names a Compound Pack to add, create, or scaffold (the pack:<id> argument, or the same request in words), read references/pack-scaffold.md from this skill's directory and follow it in place of Phases 1-2 (Diagnose and Fix Repo-Local Issues): it writes the pack and its config entry only after the user approves, runs the health check itself, and reports into Phase 3 (Summary).

Artifact Root Resolution

Every Compound Engineering skill that writes or reads an artifact directory (solutions, plans, ideation, and the other CE-owned trees) resolves its root through the rule below. ce-setup carries the canonical statement and reports the resolved root so an operator can confirm where artifacts land before running other skills.

<!-- ce-docs-root:start -->

Resolve the CE artifact root <root> before composing any artifact path.

  • Read docs_root from <repo-root>/.compound-engineering/config.yaml only (<repo-root> = git rev-parse --show-toplevel). Do not read it from config.local.yaml. Unset -> <root> is docs, exactly as before.
  • Validate a set value: a repo-relative directory whose real, symlink-resolved path stays inside the repo and is neither the repo root nor under .git/. Otherwise stop with an error naming docs_root and the value -- never fall back to docs.
  • Use <root> as the sole artifact location: create it if absent, compose each path as <root>/<subdir> with this skill's own subdirectory, and never also read docs.
<!-- ce-docs-root:end -->

Phase 1: Diagnose

Step 1: Determine Plugin Version

Detect the installed compound-engineering plugin version by reading the plugin metadata or manifest when the platform exposes it. If the version cannot be determined, skip this step.

If a version is found, pass it to the check script via --version. Otherwise omit the flag.

Step 2: Run the Health Check

Before running the script, display:

text
Compound Engineering -- checking your environment...

Run the bundled check script. Set SKILL_DIR to the absolute directory you loaded this ce-setup SKILL.md from — the Bash tool's CWD is the user's project, not the skill dir, so a bare scripts/ path will not resolve:

bash
SKILL_DIR="<absolute path of the directory containing this SKILL.md>";
if [ -f "$SKILL_DIR/scripts/check-health" ]; then bash "$SKILL_DIR/scripts/check-health" --version VERSION; else echo "Bundled health script not found at $SKILL_DIR/scripts/check-health; run the inline checks from ce-setup instead."; fi

Use the same command without --version VERSION if Step 1 could not determine a version.

If the script is unavailable, run the inline equivalent listed in references/repo-fixes.md.

Display the diagnostic output to the user. Missing optional tools are not setup failures. The health report includes the resolved artifact root and which config layer supplied it (per Artifact Root Resolution above); show that line so the operator can confirm where CE artifacts will be written. Missing config.yaml is a reported absence, not a project issue.

Show full SKILL.md (472 more words)Show less
Step 3: Decide Whether Fixes Are Needed

Repo-local fixes the health report names apply only to the checkout that report diagnosed. If Phase 2 will write to a different writable checkout, diagnose that checkout first. Session-level findings such as plugin version and optional tools still come from this session's Phase 1.

After the health report, decide Phase 2 from writable-checkout availability:

  • If this session has a writable git checkout, run Phase 2 locally, including when project_issues is 0. Phase 2 always refreshes the example and always offers to create config.yaml when that file is missing.
  • If this session has no writable checkout, but the user named a repository and the harness exposes a remote repo-work surface with a writable checkout, run Phase 2 on that surface instead and report the remote repo-local fixes in Phase 3.
  • Otherwise skip Phase 2 and go to Phase 3, saying repo-local writes were skipped because no writable checkout is available.

Two offers concern this machine rather than the checkout, so they stand whether or not Phase 2 runs. If the report names a legacy Compound Codex tool map, offer to remove it following references/legacy-codex-tool-map.md from this skill's directory. If the bundled health script reported the node row available, offer to warm the npm cache for cross-model peers following references/acpx-cache-warm.md.

Also remediate these project issues when the report names them:

  • obsolete compound-engineering.local.md
  • .compound-engineering/config.local.yaml exists but is not safely gitignored
  • .compound-engineering/config.example.yaml is missing or outdated
  • the health report marks the ce-work skill implementation engine unavailable or invalid, detects retired scalar routing keys, or reports malformed dormant work_engine_preferences or a malformed work_engine_effort
  • the health report marks docs_root invalid (Invalid docs_root ...) — CE artifacts will not be written until it is fixed

If optional tools are missing, do not offer a bulk install. The diagnostic already printed the relevant install command or project URL. Say: "Install optional tools only for the workflows you use."

Phase 2: Fix Repo-Local Issues

Read references/repo-fixes.md from this skill's directory before making any repo-local change. It carries Steps 4-9: removing the obsolete compound-engineering.local.md, refreshing the example config, offering to create config.yaml, repairing invalid work_engine_preferences and docs_root, the two .gitignore offers, and the agent-instructions offers (a knowledge-store mention, the compounding directive, and the chat-register directive for ce-noslop).

All paths there resolve from the repository root (git rev-parse --show-toplevel), not the current working directory. Maintaining the generated example files is the work Phase 2 does on its own — refreshing config.example.yaml and removing the superseded config.local.example.yaml. Every change to a user-owned file is offered and applied only if the user approves.

Phase 3: Summary

User-runnable invocation rendering. In setup summaries, default to /ce-setup; use $ce-setup only when the active host is Codex or explicitly documents dollar-prefixed skill invocation. On oh-my-pi (omp), use /skill:ce-setup. Render only the invocation as inline code and output one form only.

Display a brief summary:

text
✅ Compound Engineering setup complete

Fixed:     <fixes applied, or none>
Skipped:   <fixes declined, or none>
Optional:  <missing optional tools, or all available>

Run `<rendered invocation>` anytime to re-check.

© EveryInc, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file

Files

SKILL.md and 11 other files (scripts, references, assets) in skills/ce-setup of EveryInc/compound-engineering-plugin.

  • SKILL.md
  • agents/openai.yaml
  • assets/compounding-directive.md
  • assets/noslop-directive.md
  • assets/pack-rule-template.md
  • references/acpx-cache-warm.md
  • references/config-template.yaml
  • references/legacy-codex-tool-map.md
  • references/pack-scaffold.md
  • references/repo-fixes.md
  • scripts/check-health
  • scripts/packs-resolve.py

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 67035e9

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Works with

Categories

Questions about Compound Engineering Setup

What does Compound Engineering Setup do?

Checks Compound Engineering plugin health and repo-local config, or scaffolds a Compound Pack when you ask for one by id. This is a lightweight health check and config helper, not a bulk installer. It diagnoses the plugin version and repo-local issues, reports missing tools as optional capabilities so you install only the workflows you use, asks each question through the host's blocking question tool, and never silently skips or auto-configures.

When should I use Compound Engineering Setup?

Compound Engineering Setup fits situations like: checking whether a repo's Compound Engineering plugin setup is healthy; seeing which optional tools are missing for the workflows you use; scaffolding a new Compound Pack with an approval step; confirming where solution, plan and ideation artifacts will be written.

How do I install Compound Engineering Setup in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add EveryInc/compound-engineering-plugin --skill ce-setup -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/ce-setup in EveryInc/compound-engineering-plugin) into .claude/skills/ce-setup in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Compound Engineering Setup in Codex?

Run `npx skills add EveryInc/compound-engineering-plugin --skill ce-setup -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/ce-setup in EveryInc/compound-engineering-plugin) into .agents/skills/ce-setup in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Compound Engineering Setup in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add EveryInc/compound-engineering-plugin --skill ce-setup -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/ce-setup, .gemini/skills/ce-setup, .github/skills/ce-setup and .opencode/skills/ce-setup in your project.

What does Compound Engineering Setup need to run?

Going by SKILL.md and its folder, Compound Engineering Setup needs Python for the scripts in its folder and the command-line tools its instructions call (git). Our summary lists: A git repository; The Compound Engineering plugin installed.

Does Compound Engineering Setup access the network?

SKILL.md contains no URLs. Its commands use git, which can reach the network depending on how they are called. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Compound Engineering Setup safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. The check reads SKILL.md only: the scripts in the folder are not scanned, so read them before running anything.

What licence does Compound Engineering Setup use?

Compound Engineering Setup is published under the MIT licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Compound Engineering Setup use?

About 2k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 7.9k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full. Its references folder adds about 8k tokens, read only when the agent opens those files.

What are the alternatives to Compound Engineering Setup?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Compound Engineering Setup: Claude Code Plugin Structure (anthropics/claude-plugins-official, 38k stars), Ready (prekuter/dryforge, 410 stars), Writing Plugins (nukeop/nuclear, 19k stars) and Command Creator (meshery/meshery-operator, 151 stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Compound Engineering Setup?

EveryInc (a GitHub organization) maintains it in EveryInc/compound-engineering-plugin, which has 25,424 GitHub stars. The repository holds 37 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on October 8, 2026.

Source: EveryInc/compound-engineering-plugin on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.