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vosslabvosslab/vosslab-skills/skills/documentation/setup-install-usage-docs/SKILL.md

setup-install-usage-docs

Skill5 starsChanged 21 days agoMITView on GitHub

Create or refresh `docs/INSTALL.md` and `docs/USAGE.md` from repository evidence. Use when installation or usage docs are missing, thin, or stale. Use other documentation skills for README, architecture, file structure, or repo-wide updates.

The file

Show its rules and text

We split this skill into the rules it gives an agent

25 rules. About 0 are common, 18 are distinctive, and 7 are very specific to this project.

  • ≈0

    Common · estimate

    Many files like this have a rule of this kind.

  • ≈18

    Distinctive · estimate

    This author's own choices. Worth a look.

  • 7

    Very specific

    Tied to their project's names, files or tools. Probably skip.

  • Common
  • Distinctive
  • Very specific
  1. Distinctive:

    Write content-supported docs for:

    line 10
  2. Distinctive:

    Write a doc when repo evidence supports a real Requirements/Install section (INSTALL) or a real Quick-start/CLI section (USAGE).

    line 14
  3. Distinctive:

    Read README.md and AGENTS.md when present to learn purpose, constraints, and any required environment notes.

    line 31
  4. Very specific:

    Look for entry points and run commands (scripts, pyproject.toml, setup.cfg, Makefile, tools/, bin/) and note what a user actually runs.

    line 33
  5. Distinctive:

    Write or update docs

    line 37
  6. Distinctive:

    Write a file when evidence supports a real Requirements/Install or Quick-start/CLI section.

    line 38
  7. Very specific:

    Keep doc naming under docs/ consistent with repo conventions.

    line 42
  8. Distinctive:

    Prefer 2 to 6 bullets per section.

    line 44
  9. Distinctive:

    Prefer one primary path and keep alternates out unless the repo makes them explicit.

    line 45
  10. Distinctive:

    Add a "Known gaps" section with verification tasks only, written as TODO-style checks.

    line 49
  11. Distinctive:

    Do not invent versions, OS support, or flags.

    line 50
  12. Very specific:

    When evidence supports writing docs/INSTALL.md, include a "Verify install" section with one command that proves the install worked in a …

    line 52
  13. Very specific:

    When no verifiable command and no real install evidence exist, report the gap and write no docs/INSTALL.md file.

    line 54
  14. Very specific:

    Add a troubleshooting subsection in docs/INSTALL.md only when you can cite it from repo evidence (existing issues, error messages in …

    line 57
  15. Distinctive:

    Document dry-run behavior when it exists

    line 61
  16. Very specific:

    If scripts that modify files expose a --dry-run option, document it in docs/USAGE.md.

    line 62
  17. Distinctive:

    Do not invent flags. If a dry-run is missing and would help, note it as a "Known gaps" task instead of adding unverified guidance.

    line 64
  18. Distinctive:

    Keep README scope separate

    line 66
  19. Distinctive:

    Do not move README content here.

    line 67
  20. Very specific:

    Update docs/CHANGELOG.md directly when this skill runs as a standalone task.

    line 70
  21. Distinctive:

    If unknown, add a Known gaps item instead.

    line 80
  22. Distinctive:

    Create venv (if repo standard) and name it consistently with repo conventions.

    line 84
  23. Distinctive:

    Only include when supported by repo evidence.

    line 93
  24. Distinctive:

    If a CLI exists, show:

    line 109
  25. Distinctive:

    Prefer realistic filenames and paths that already exist in repo docs or scripts.

    line 115

≈ “Common” is an estimate: at least 1 in 5 of the 350,495 skill files we read have a rule of the same kind, not the same words. “Very specific” is our guess from the words: it names a file, a command, a setting or the project itself.

Keep what fits and drop the rest. Your version, ready for your agents.
Files
SKILL.md

Setup, install, and usage docs

Goal

Write content-supported docs for:

  • docs/INSTALL.md: setup steps, dependencies, environment requirements.
  • docs/USAGE.md: how to run the tool, CLI flags, practical examples.

Write a doc when repo evidence supports a real Requirements/Install section (INSTALL) or a real Quick-start/CLI section (USAGE). Treat a basic runnable command, an entry point, or a dependency manifest (pip_requirements.txt, pyproject.toml, Brewfile) as install or usage evidence and write the doc from it; INSTALL and USAGE are near-universal, so do not skip them when this evidence exists. Report the gap instead of writing a file only when no such evidence exists, so the only content would be a title plus "Known gaps".

Inputs to request

  • Primary run mode: CLI, library, or both, and which one is the main entry point.
  • Supported platforms, if known, including any OS or shell constraints already stated.
  • One or two common real workflows users should be able to do, described as concrete tasks.

Workflow

  1. Inspect evidence
    • Read README.md and AGENTS.md when present to learn purpose, constraints, and any required environment notes.
    • Look for entry points and run commands (scripts, pyproject.toml, setup.cfg, Makefile, tools/, bin/) and note what a user actually runs.
    • Identify dependencies and install method (pip editable, requirements file, system deps), and only record what is confirmed by repo files.
  2. Write or update docs
    • Write a file when evidence supports a real Requirements/Install or Quick-start/CLI section; trim and correct stale files.
    • Report the gap and write no file only when no real install or usage evidence exists.
    • Keep doc naming under docs/ consistent with repo conventions.
  3. Keep docs minimal
    • Prefer 2 to 6 bullets per section.
    • Prefer one primary path and keep alternates out unless the repo makes them explicit.
    • Include exact commands only when verifiable from repo evidence, not inferred.
    • Target 40 to 120 lines per doc, and prefer linking to deeper docs when needed.
  4. Record uncertainty explicitly
    • Add a "Known gaps" section with verification tasks only, written as TODO-style checks.
    • Do not invent versions, OS support, or flags; leave them as gaps instead.
  5. Require a verify step on written INSTALL docs
    • When evidence supports writing docs/INSTALL.md, include a "Verify install" section with one command that proves the install worked in a fresh environment.
    • When no verifiable command and no real install evidence exist, report the gap and write no docs/INSTALL.md file.
  6. Troubleshooting only with evidence
    • Add a troubleshooting subsection in docs/INSTALL.md only when you can cite it from repo evidence (existing issues, error messages in scripts, known env vars, CI failures).
    • Otherwise do not include troubleshooting content or speculative fixes.
  7. Document dry-run behavior when it exists
    • If scripts that modify files expose a --dry-run option, document it in docs/USAGE.md.
    • Do not invent flags. If a dry-run is missing and would help, note it as a "Known gaps" task instead of adding unverified guidance.
  8. Keep README scope separate
    • Do not move README content here. If README needs pruning or restructuring, use the readme-docs skill and keep INSTALL/USAGE focused on setup and run steps.
  9. Update changelog
    • Update docs/CHANGELOG.md directly when this skill runs as a standalone task; under delegate-manager-to-subagents, dispatch a docs subagent to add the entry.

docs/INSTALL.md content template

Install

One paragraph: what "installed" means for this repo (CLI available, importable module, both).

Requirements

  • Bullet list of confirmed requirements (Python version, system tools, OS notes).
  • If unknown, add a Known gaps item instead.

Install steps

  • Clone or obtain source (only if repo is not a pip package).
  • Create venv (if repo standard) and name it consistently with repo conventions.
  • Install dependencies (pip command supported by repo) and avoid unverified extras.
  • Install the package (editable or normal) if applicable and supported by evidence.

Verify install

  • One command that proves install worked (for example, python3 -m <module> --help or import check).

Troubleshooting

  • Only include when supported by repo evidence.

Known gaps

  • Verification tasks only.

docs/USAGE.md content template

Usage

One paragraph: what users do with the tool.

Quick start

  • 1 to 3 minimal examples for the primary workflow, written as short command blocks.
  • Include inputs and expected outputs at a high level without guessing content.

CLI

  • If a CLI exists, show:
    • How to invoke it and where it lives in the repo.
    • 3 to 6 common flags or subcommands, only if confirmed in repo evidence.

Examples

  • 2 to 4 short examples that match real workflows.
  • Prefer realistic filenames and paths that already exist in repo docs or scripts.

Inputs and outputs

  • Inputs: key file types, directories, or formats, with names that match repo usage.
  • Outputs: key artifacts, where they appear, and what is generated, in plain terms.

Known gaps

  • Verification tasks only.

Output

  • docs/INSTALL.md and docs/USAGE.md, written or updated where evidence supports them.
  • Short report: created, updated, gaps reported without a file, and known gaps within written docs.

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