bigpowers / rules

---
description: "CI pipeline setup with bundled, forge-neutral templates and local validation. Detects the forge from the git remote, generates workflows for supported forges, and skips honestly for the rest. The CI equivalent of wire-observability."
alwaysApply: false
---

# Wire CI

> **HARD GATE (supported forges only)** — Do not ship a project without CI. Run this skill before first merge to main.
>
> On a forge bigpowers ships no templates for, this skill **is not a gate**: it reports the forge, explains what it cannot do, and exits 3. A gate that cannot run must not claim it did. See § Unsupported forges.
>
> **HARD GATE** — CI that is untestable locally will break every cycle. Always run `--validate` after generating workflows and `--dry-run` before pushing.

Generate, validate, and test CI workflows. Detects the forge and project type, copies a **bundled** template, and verifies locally before anything reaches CI.

## Forge resolution

`scripts/lib/detect-forge.sh` resolves the forge, first match wins: `BIGPOWERS_FORGE` env var → `forge:` in `specs/forge.yaml` → the `origin` remote URL → `unknown`.

```bash
bash scripts/wire-ci.sh --detect     # report forge + stack, write nothing
bash scripts/wire-ci.sh --plan       # show the template that would be used
bash scripts/wire-ci.sh --apply      # write the workflow
```

GitHub ships templates (`.github/workflows/`). GitLab, Bitbucket, Codeberg, and Gitea are detected but **unsupported** — `--apply` writes nothing and exits 3.

## Template source — configurable, bundled by default

Templates live in `docs/templates/ci/<forge>/` **inside the bigpowers package**, so there is no network dependency on any third party's repository. Override with `BIGPOWERS_CI_TEMPLATES=/path/to/your/templates`, laid out as `<root>/<forge>/test-build-release-<stack>.yml`.

## What this sets up

1. **Test Build Release workflow** — lint → test → build → release in one `needs:` chain
2. **`--validate` mode** — YAML syntax, workflow permissions, required secrets, common pitfalls
3. **`--dry-run` mode** — runs workflows locally via `act` before push
4. **Failure pattern documentation** — see the table below

Deploy workflows are **not** bundled: they are platform-specific. See [REFERENCE.md](REFERENCE.md) for a worked example.

## Process

### 1. Detect forge and stack

```bash
bash scripts/wire-ci.sh --detect
```

Stack detection reads the project root:

| Manifest | Stack | Bundled template |
|----------|-------|------------------|
| `Cargo.toml` | Rust | `test-build-release-rust.yml` |
| `package.json` | Node | `test-build-release-node.yml` |
| `pyproject.toml` / `setup.py` | Python | `test-build-release-python.yml` |
| `go.mod` | Go | `test-build-release-go.yml` |

No recognized manifest → exit 3 with the list of manifests it looked for. Do not guess.

### 2. Apply the template

```bash
bash scripts/wire-ci.sh --apply
```

**Do not rename the workflow `name:` field** — deploy listens for `"Test Build Release"`.

Edit placeholders after copying: language versions, `APP_TYPE`, `SITE_URL`.

### 3. Unsupported forges

`--apply` writes nothing and exits 3. Your options, in the order the runner prints them:

- point `BIGPOWERS_CI_TEMPLATES` at templates for your forge
- pin `forge: github` in `specs/forge.yaml` if the remote is misdetected
- write the CI config by hand

Contributing a `docs/templates/ci/gitlab/` set and adding `gitlab` to `FORGE_SUPPORTED_LIST` is the natural next slice — per-forge command mapping (`gh pr checks` → `glab ci status`) is not implemented yet.

### 4. Validate workflows (`--validate`)

See [REFERENCE.md](REFERENCE.md). Exit codes: `0` clean, `1` YAML syntax errors, `2` warnings only.

### 5. Dry-run workflows (`--dry-run`)

See [REFERENCE.md](REFERENCE.md).

> **act** runs workflows in a local Docker environment — the most accurate pre-push validation.
> **gh workflow run** sends the workflow to GitHub but does not execute locally.

### 6. Document common CI failure patterns

| Failure | Cause | Fix |
|---------|-------|-----|
| `npm publish` fails | `NPM_TOKEN` not set as repo secret | Add `NPM_TOKEN` to repo secrets |
| `semantic-release` fails on push | Missing `permissions: contents: write` | Add it to the release job |
| `cargo publish` auth fail | `CARGO_REGISTRY_TOKEN` not set | Add token to env or `~/.cargo/config.toml` |
| `go vet` fails | Go version mismatch | Use `go-version-file: go.mod` |
| `cargo clippy` errors | New nightly lints | Pin the toolchain; `cargo clippy --fix` |
| `act` not found | Docker not running or act missing | `brew install act`; `docker ps` |
| Hardcoded Node version stale | `.nvmrc` exists but workflow hardcodes | Use `node-version-file: .nvmrc` |
| Deploy never runs | TBR workflow renamed | Keep `name: Test Build Release` |
| Release rebuilds binary | Artifact not downloaded | `release` must `download-artifact` from `build` |

## Verify

→ verify: `bash scripts/wire-ci.sh --self-test`
→ verify: `test -f docs/templates/ci/github/test-build-release-node.yml && test -f scripts/lib/detect-forge.sh`
→ verify: `grep -q wire-ci SKILL-INDEX.md`

---

# Wire Ci — Reference

## Navigation

| Lines | Section |
|-------|---------|
| 1 | Title |
| 3–20 | Navigation |
| 21–22 | Examples |
| 23–39 | Create CI for a Go project (TBR + optional deploy) |
| 40–49 | Create CI for a CLI tool (TBR only, no deploy) |
| 50–57 | Validate existing workflows (no generation) |
| 58–70 | Options |
| 71–79 | Integration with build-epic |
| 80–154 | Reference block 1 — test-build-release.yml (Go, excerpt) |
| 155–204 | Reference block 2 — deploy.yml (generic web app, excerpt) |
| 205–232 | Reference block 3 — CLI dogfood (big-release pattern) |
| 233–257 | Reference block 4 — validate script |
| 258–268 | Reference block 5 — dry-run |

## Examples

### Create CI for a Go project (TBR + optional deploy)

```bash
# Resolve forge + stack, then apply the bundled template
bash scripts/wire-ci.sh --detect
bash scripts/wire-ci.sh --apply

wire-ci --validate
wire-ci --dry-run
```

To use your own org templates instead of the bundled ones:

```bash
BIGPOWERS_CI_TEMPLATES=/path/to/your/templates bash scripts/wire-ci.sh --apply
```

### Create CI for a CLI tool (TBR only, no deploy)

```bash
bash scripts/wire-ci.sh --apply
# Edit release job to download build artifact — see big-release dogfood
# CLI/library repos: delete deploy.yml; the release job is terminal.

wire-ci --validate
```

### Validate existing workflows (no generation)

```bash
wire-ci --validate --check-only
```

---

## Options

| Flag | Description |
|------|-------------|
| `--validate` | Check YAML syntax, permissions, secrets, common pitfalls |
| `--dry-run` | Run workflows locally via `act` or dispatch via `gh` |
| `--check-only` | Only validate, do not generate new files |
| `--type <type>` | Force project type (skip auto-detection) |
| `--force` | Overwrite existing workflow files |
| `--no-deploy` | Skip deploy.yml even for hosted stacks |

---

## Integration with build-epic

When `wire-ci` is used as part of `build-epic`:

1. **During develop-tdd**: If the task modifies `.github/workflows/`, run `wire-ci --validate` as a CI dry-run sub-step
2. **During release-branch**: After push, run `gh run list --limit 1 --branch main --json status,conclusion` to verify CI passes

---

## Reference block 1 — test-build-release.yml (Go, excerpt)

```yaml
name: Test Build Release
on:
  push:
    branches: [main]
  pull_request:
    branches: [main]

permissions:
  contents: read

concurrency:
  group: pipeline-${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }}
  cancel-in-progress: true

jobs:
  lint:
    runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
    timeout-minutes: 10
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@9c091bb21b7c1c1d1991bb908d89e4e9dddfe3e0  # v7.0.0
      - uses: actions/setup-go@924ae3a1cded613372ab5595356fb5720e22ba16  # v6.5.0
        with:
          go-version: '1.22'
          cache: true
      - uses: golangci/golangci-lint-action@55c2c1448f86e01eaae002a5a3a9624417608d84  # v6.5.2
        with:
          version: v1.64.8

  test:
    needs: [lint]
    runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@9c091bb21b7c1c1d1991bb908d89e4e9dddfe3e0  # v7.0.0
      - uses: actions/setup-go@924ae3a1cded613372ab5595356fb5720e22ba16  # v6.5.0
        with:
          go-version: '1.22'
          cache: true
      - run: go vet ./...
      - run: go test ./... -count=1

  build:
    needs: [test]
    runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@9c091bb21b7c1c1d1991bb908d89e4e9dddfe3e0  # v7.0.0
      - uses: actions/setup-go@924ae3a1cded613372ab5595356fb5720e22ba16  # v6.5.0
        with:
          go-version: '1.22'
          cache: true
      - run: go build ./...
      - run: jq -n --arg sha "${{ github.sha }}" '{sha: $sha}' > deploy-meta.json
      - uses: actions/upload-artifact@043fb46d1a93c77aae656e7c1c64a875d1fc6a0a  # v7.0.1
        with:
          name: deploy-meta
          path: deploy-meta.json

  release:
    if: github.ref == 'refs/heads/main' && github.event_name == 'push'
    needs: [build]
    permissions:
      contents: write
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@9c091bb21b7c1c1d1991bb908d89e4e9dddfe3e0  # v7.0.0
        with:
          fetch-depth: 0
      - run: npx semantic-release
        env:
          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
```

---

## Reference block 2 — deploy.yml (generic web app, excerpt)

```yaml
name: Deploy
on:
  workflow_run:
    workflows: ["Test Build Release"]
    types: [completed]

permissions:
  contents: read
  actions: read

concurrency:
  group: deploy-production
  cancel-in-progress: false

env:
  SITE_URL: "https://CHANGE-ME.example.com"

jobs:
  deploy:
    if: >
      github.event.workflow_run.conclusion == 'success' &&
      github.event.workflow_run.head_branch == 'main'
    runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
    environment: production
    steps:
      - uses: actions/download-artifact@3e5f45b2cfb9172054b4087a40e8e0b5a5461e7c  # v8.0.1
        with:
          name: deploy-meta
          github-token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
          run-id: ${{ github.event.workflow_run.id }}
          path: deploy-meta
      # Placeholder deploy step — bigpowers ships no deploy templates and pins
      # no third-party action. Substitute your platform's own step here, or drop
      # the deploy job entirely for CLI and library repos. Pin whatever action
      # you choose to a full commit SHA rather than a tag. (GH #104)
      - name: Deploy
        run: |
          echo "Replace this step with your platform's deploy command."
          echo "commit=$(jq -r .sha deploy-meta/deploy-meta.json)"
          exit 1
      - name: Health check
        run: |
          curl -sf "${{ env.SITE_URL }}" || exit 1
```

---

## Reference block 3 — CLI dogfood (big-release pattern)

```yaml
  build:
    needs: [test]
    steps:
      - run: make build
      - uses: actions/upload-artifact@043fb46d1a93c77aae656e7c1c64a875d1fc6a0a  # v7.0.1
        with:
          name: big-release-${{ github.sha }}
          path: bin/big-release

  release:
    needs: [build]
    if: github.ref == 'refs/heads/main' && github.event_name == 'push'
    steps:
      - uses: actions/download-artifact@3e5f45b2cfb9172054b4087a40e8e0b5a5461e7c  # v8.0.1
        with:
          name: big-release-${{ github.sha }}
          path: bin
      - run: make release   # cross-compile assets only; host binary from artifact
      - run: big-release release --verbose
```

No `deploy.yml` — CLI publishes via the release job.

---

## Reference block 4 — validate script

```bash
for f in .github/workflows/*.yml .github/workflows/*.yaml; do
  [ -f "$f" ] || continue
  python3 -c "import yaml; yaml.safe_load(open('$f'))" || echo "FAIL: $f has YAML syntax errors"
done

for f in .github/workflows/test-build-release.yml; do
  if grep -q "permissions:" "$f"; then
    echo "OK: $f has permissions block"
  else
    echo "WARNING: $f missing permissions block"
  fi
done

if grep -q 'workflows: \["Test Build Release"\]' .github/workflows/deploy.yml 2>/dev/null; then
  if ! grep -q 'name: Test Build Release' .github/workflows/test-build-release.yml; then
    echo "WARNING: deploy.yml listens for Test Build Release but TBR name may differ"
  fi
fi
```

---

## Reference block 5 — dry-run

```bash
if command -v act &>/dev/null; then
  act push --dry-run -W .github/workflows/test-build-release.yml
elif command -v gh &>/dev/null; then
  gh workflow run test-build-release.yml --ref "$(git branch --show-current)"
else
  echo "Install act or gh for dry-run"
fi
```