Installation & Setup
Relevant source files
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SkillKit is a portable framework designed to provide AI coding agents with reusable skills. The installation and setup process enables users to install the CLI globally, initialize project-specific environments, and configure multi-agent synchronization across 17 supported platforms including Claude Code, Cursor, and Windsurf.
Sources: README.md:1-20
Global Installation
SkillKit is distributed via npm and can be installed using various package managers. Global installation is recommended to access the skillkit command-line interface from any directory.
| Method | Command |
|---|---|
| npm | npm install -g skillkit |
| pnpm | pnpm add -g skillkit |
| yarn | yarn global add skillkit |
| bun | bun add -g skillkit |
| npx | npx skillkit <command> |
Sources: README.md:315-333
Project Initialization and Configuration
To use SkillKit within a specific repository, the project must be initialized. This creates the necessary configuration files and local skill directories.
Project Setup Flow
The following diagram illustrates the initialization sequence for a new project:
The initialization process detects the project stack (e.g., Node.js, Python, Rust) and sets up a skillkit.yaml configuration file to manage agent overrides and auto-sync settings.
Sources: README.md:188-210, e2e/helpers/cli-runner.ts:140-160
Configuration Options
The skillkit.yaml file allows developers to customize how SkillKit interacts with their environment.
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
version | Number | Configuration schema version |
agent | String | Override for agent auto-detection (e.g., cursor) |
autoSync | Boolean | Enables automatic skill synchronization on changes |
enabledSkills | Array | List of skill IDs to activate |
disabledSkills | Array | List of skill IDs to ignore |
Sources: README.md:342-352
Development Environment Setup
For contributors looking to modify SkillKit or build custom adapters, the repository requires a specific development setup.
Prerequisites
- Node.js: Version 18+
- pnpm: Version 8+ (recommended)
- Git
Sources: CONTRIBUTING.md:11-15
Local Setup Sequence
Sources: CONTRIBUTING.md:17-43
Agent-Specific Setup
SkillKit requires specific directory structures to synchronize skills with AI agents. The skill-translator module handles the mapping between SkillKit and agent-specific paths.
| Agent | Default Skills Directory | Config File |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Code | .claude/skills/ | CLAUDE.md |
| Cursor | .cursor/skills/ | .cursor/rules/skills.mdc |
| Windsurf | .windsurf/skills/ | .windsurf/rules/skills.md |
| GitHub Copilot | .github/skills/ | .github/copilot-instructions.md |
Sources: packages/core/src/skill-translator.ts:500-520, README.md:267-285
Creating the First Skill
Once installed, users can generate a standardized skill structure using the create command. This initializes the SKILL.md file and optional supporting directories.
skillkit create my-skill --full
This command creates the following structure:
SKILL.md: The core instruction file.references/: Optional directory for documentation.scripts/: Optional directory for automation scripts.assets/: Optional directory for static files.
Sources: packages/cli/src/commands/create.ts:11-40
Conclusion
Setting up SkillKit involves a global CLI installation followed by project-level initialization. By configuring skillkit.yaml and ensuring AI agent directories are correctly mapped, developers can maintain a consistent set of capabilities across multiple coding environments. For contributors, the pnpm-based monorepo structure provides a streamlined workflow for building and testing new agent adapters.
Sources: README.md:15-30, CONTRIBUTING.md:45-60