Official agent skill

Setting Up A Project

by JetBrains in JetBrains/thinkrail

A skill your agent uses when asked to set up, onboard, initialize, or spec a project with no spec graph, or when invoked by the app's Set-up-project card.

OfficialApache-2.0Auto-check passedDevelopment

Install Setting Up A Project

skills CLI
$ npx skills add JetBrains/thinkrail --skill setting-up-a-project -a claude-code

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

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install JetBrains/thinkrail setting-up-a-project --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/JetBrains/thinkrail.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/packages/pi-thinkrail-workflow/skills/setting-up-a-project .claude/skills/setting-up-a-project && 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
setting-up-a-project
GitHub stars
513
Token cost
~500 tokens
SKILL.md length
238 words
Files
1
Skills in repo
11
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
Apache-2.0

At a glance

A skill your agent uses when asked to set up, onboard, initialize, or spec a project with no spec graph, or when invoked by the app's Set-up-project card.

  • Works in 2 steps: Detect → Route
  • Asked to set up
  • SKILL.md covers 1. Detect, 2. Route, Graph extension (no dedicated… and Handoff
  • Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md

What it does

Setting Up A Project is an agent skill from JetBrains/thinkrail, published by the product's own GitHub organization. Use when asked to set up, onboard, initialize, or spec a project with no spec graph, or when invoked by the app's Set-up-project card. Not for ordinary work in an already-specced project.

Its SKILL.md is about 500 tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. It is a single SKILL.md file with no bundled scripts.

It sits in Development. The repository describes itself as: Vibe code with pi in a lightweight, real IDE that customises itself around the way you work — The Vibe You Need. The licence is Apache-2.0.

When your agent uses it

  • Asked to set up
  • Spec a project with no spec graph
  • Invoked by the apps Set-up-project card

Example prompts

  • “/setting-up-a-project”

Workflow steps

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

  1. Detect
  2. Route

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 68bb837. 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

    No scripts in the folder and no shell commands in SKILL.md.

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

  • Network

    No URLs in SKILL.md.

    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

Setting Up A Project loads about 500 tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 52 tokens; SKILL.md has 238 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~52
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~500

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); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from JetBrains/thinkrail at commit 68bb837, republished under its Apache-2.0 licence (© JetBrains). 238 words, ~500 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/setting-up-a-project/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder).
name
setting-up-a-project
description
Use when asked to set up, onboard, initialize, or spec a project with no spec graph, or when invoked by the app's Set-up-project card. Not for ordinary work in an already-specced project.

Setting up a project — dispatcher

The single entry point for turning a project into a spec graph. Figure out which situation you're in, then follow the matching skill — don't improvise the flow yourself.

1. Detect

Look at the workspace and use the spec tools (spec_grep / spec_graph):

  • Is there already a spec graph (a goal-and-requirements.md or any SPEC.md)?
  • Is there real source code, or is the repo empty / near-empty (just a README or scaffolding)?

2. Route

SituationFollow
Already has specsDon't redo it. Briefly offer to review/extend the graph (fill obvious gaps — a missing architecture.md, un-specced modules). For other work, use brainstorming only when product scope, user-visible behavior, or architecture remains to decide; otherwise proceed directly. Declined → stop. Accepted → Graph extension below.
No specs · empty / near-empty repoThe starting-a-new-project skill — interview the user to turn the idea into goal-and-requirements.md.
No specs · real source codeThe importing-a-codebase skill — analyze the code + agent files and draft the first spec graph, asking only for intent the code can't reveal.

Read and follow that skill's steps.

Graph extension (no dedicated skill)

No dedicated skill covers extending an existing graph. If the offer is accepted, align and adapt to the user's request with your own judgment, holding the writing-specs bar without a routing announcement.

Handoff

Ends by naming exactly one of: starting-a-new-project, importing-a-codebase, or — when specs already exist — the review/extend offer above (declined → stop; accepted → graph extension on judgment against the writing-specs bar).

© JetBrains, Apache-2.0. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file

Files

Just SKILL.md in packages/pi-thinkrail-workflow/skills/setting-up-a-project of JetBrains/thinkrail.

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 68bb837

Compare with similar skills

Setting Up A Project next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.

Setting Up A Project compared with similar skills
SkillStarsUsed inTokensAuto-checkLicenceRepo updated
Setting Up A Project this skillJetBrains/thinkrail513—~500Automated safety check: PassApache-2.0
Vercel Composition Patternssupabase/supabase111k58 repos~726Automated safety check: PassMIT
Finishing a Development Branchobra/superpowers297k5 repos~1.9kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Typescript Advanced Typesrolling-scopes/rsschool-app10k25 repos~4.2kAutomated safety check: PassMPL-2.0
PR Babysitteropeninterpreter/openinterpreter69k3 repos~4.2kAutomated safety check: PassApache-2.0
Code Review ChecklistshareAI-lab/learn-claude-code78k5 repos~1.1kAutomated safety check: PassMIT

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All 11 skills in this repo
  • Importing A Codebase

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  • Asking User Questions

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  • Spec Graph

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    A skill your agent uses when locating, reading, creating, updating, or validating project specs, or when work is governed by or may alter a documented boundary, contract, invariant, behavior, or…

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Categories

Questions about Setting Up A Project

What does Setting Up A Project do?

A skill your agent uses when asked to set up, onboard, initialize, or spec a project with no spec graph, or when invoked by the app's Set-up-project card. Setting Up A Project is an agent skill from JetBrains/thinkrail, published by the product's own GitHub organization. Use when asked to set up, onboard, initialize, or spec a project with no spec graph, or when invoked by the app's Set-up-project card.

When should I use Setting Up A Project?

Setting Up A Project fits situations like: asked to set up; spec a project with no spec graph; invoked by the apps Set-up-project card.

How do I install Setting Up A Project in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add JetBrains/thinkrail --skill setting-up-a-project -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (packages/pi-thinkrail-workflow/skills/setting-up-a-project in JetBrains/thinkrail) into .claude/skills/setting-up-a-project in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Setting Up A Project in Codex?

Run `npx skills add JetBrains/thinkrail --skill setting-up-a-project -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (packages/pi-thinkrail-workflow/skills/setting-up-a-project in JetBrains/thinkrail) into .agents/skills/setting-up-a-project in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Setting Up A Project 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 JetBrains/thinkrail --skill setting-up-a-project -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/setting-up-a-project, .gemini/skills/setting-up-a-project, .github/skills/setting-up-a-project and .opencode/skills/setting-up-a-project in your project.

What does Setting Up A Project need to run?

SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Setting Up A Project is instructions for the agent only.

Does Setting Up A Project access the network?

SKILL.md contains no URLs. Any network use would come from the scripts or tools the agent runs. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Setting Up A Project 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. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does Setting Up A Project use?

Setting Up A Project is published under the Apache-2.0 licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Setting Up A Project use?

About 500 tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 2k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full.

What are the alternatives to Setting Up A Project?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Setting Up A Project: Vercel Composition Patterns (supabase/supabase, 111k stars), Finishing a Development Branch (obra/superpowers, 297k stars), Typescript Advanced Types (rolling-scopes/rsschool-app, 10k stars) and PR Babysitter (openinterpreter/openinterpreter, 69k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Setting Up A Project?

JetBrains (a GitHub organization, an official publisher) maintains it in JetBrains/thinkrail, which has 513 GitHub stars. The repository holds 11 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on October 9, 2026.

Source: JetBrains/thinkrail on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.