Installation and Setup
Relevant source files
The following files were used as context for generating this wiki page:
Everything Claude Code (ECC) provides a multi-layered installation system designed to provision specialized agents, skills, and automated workflows into various AI coding environments. The system supports managed installation paths across multiple operating systems and target harnesses, ensuring that contributors and users can bootstrap their development environment with consistent rules and tools.
The installation architecture is centered around "profiles" that allow for selective deployment of components, ranging from a minimal no-hooks setup to a full-featured suite. This flexibility enables users to avoid "stacking" install methods while maintaining a single source of truth for repository configurations.
Sources: AGENTS.md, skills/ecc-guide/references/summary.md, tests/scripts/install-readme-clarity.test.js:33-40
Managed Installation Paths
ECC utilizes cross-platform scripts to automate the setup process. Users are encouraged to pick a single installation path to avoid duplicate surfaces or conflicting configurations.
Automated Bootstrapping
The project provides shell and PowerShell scripts to handle environment detection, prerequisite checking, and file deployment. These scripts typically manage the creation of environment variables and the installation of necessary dependencies through a package manager.
The flow above illustrates the initial entry points for setting up the environment.
Sources: install.sh, install.ps1, agents/opensource-packager.md:104-128
Setup Components
The installation is governed by a manifest that defines the various modules and components available for deployment. This allows for granular control over what parts of the ECC ecosystem are active in a target repository.
| Component Category | Description | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Agents | Specialized sub-agents for domain tasks | planner, tdd-guide, code-reviewer |
| Skills | Reusable workflows and domain playbooks | codebase-onboarding, ecc-guide |
| Hooks | Trigger-based automations and safety gates | hooks-runtime |
| Rules | Language and harness-specific guidelines | rules/common, rules/typescript |
Sources: manifests/install-components.json, AGENTS.md:144-152
Installation Profiles and Targets
ECC supports selective installation through the use of profiles and targets, allowing users to tailor the installation to their specific needs and the AI harness they are using (e.g., Claude Code, Cursor).
Profile Options
Users can specify a --profile flag during installation to determine the depth of the deployment.
- Core Profile: Includes standard agents, skills, and hooks.
- Minimal Profile: A low-context/no-hooks path that intentionally excludes the
hooks-runtimeto reduce overhead. - Custom Profiles: Users can opt-out of specific features using flags like
--without baseline:hooks.
Target Support
The --target flag directs the installer to configure specific directories used by different AI tools:
.claude/for Claude Code..cursor/for Cursor (noting that rootAGENTS.mdis not installed here directly due to varying build behaviors).
Sources: tests/scripts/install-readme-clarity.test.js:63-75, skills/ecc-guide/references/summary.md:85-92
First-Time Project Setup
For new projects, the setup.sh script serves as a one-command bootstrap to ensure the repository is productive immediately.
The sequence shows the internal logic of the project's primary setup utility.
Sources: agents/opensource-packager.md:104-135
Critical Setup Rules
- Never Stack Methods: Users should not run
/plugin installif they have already used a manual or profile-based install. - Environment Variables: All configuration must be driven via
.env. The setup script creates this from.env.example. - Executable Permissions: Scripts like
setup.shmust be marked executable (chmod +x).
Sources: agents/opensource-packager.md:129-131, tests/scripts/install-readme-clarity.test.js:37-43
Maintenance and Troubleshooting
ECC provides utilities to inspect and verify the health of an installation.
Diagnostic Commands
The system includes "doctor" and "consult" capabilities to help users find the right components or fix broken installs.
| Command | Purpose |
|---|---|
npx ecc consult | Returns matching components and install commands for specific tasks. |
node scripts/ecc.js doctor | Diagnoses common installation issues. |
node scripts/ecc.js list-installed | Inspects currently active components. |
Sources: tests/scripts/install-readme-clarity.test.js:51-54, 84-88
Reset and Uninstall
Uninstallation is safety-bounded, removing only files recorded in the ECC install-state. A dry-run mode is available to preview changes before execution.
# Dry-run uninstall to verify what will be removed
node scripts/uninstall.js --dry-run
Sources: tests/scripts/install-readme-clarity.test.js:46-56
Conclusion
Installation and setup in ECC is designed to be a "single-path" experience that leverages profiles to match the user's workflow requirements. By strictly separating managed profiles and utilizing automated bootstrapping scripts, the project ensures that agents and skills are deployed with correct permissions and environment context, enabling immediate productivity within minutes of cloning.