Initialize Git Repository

SkillDev tools

Initialize a Git repository with an initial commit

Available today. Use it from your connected AI after setup.

Connect ahel once, and every AI you use reads what you have installed.

Then ask your AI: use the Initialize Git Repository skill

What this skill tells your AI

The instructions your AI receives, as published by cloudposse/atmos in .claude/skills/speckit-git-initialize/SKILL.md and read by ahel’s review.

Initialize a Git repository in the current project directory if one does not already exist.

Execution

Run the appropriate script from the project root:

  • Bash: .specify/extensions/git/scripts/bash/initialize-repo.sh
  • PowerShell: .specify/extensions/git/scripts/powershell/initialize-repo.ps1

If the extension scripts are not found, fall back to:

  • Bash: git init && git add . && git commit -m "Initial commit from Specify template"
  • PowerShell: git init; git add .; git commit -m "Initial commit from Specify template"

The script handles all checks internally:

  • Skips if Git is not available
  • Skips if already inside a Git repository
  • Runs git init, git add ., and git commit with an initial commit message

Customization

Replace the script to add project-specific Git initialization steps:

  • Custom .gitignore templates
  • Default branch naming (git config init.defaultBranch)
  • Git LFS setup
  • Git hooks installation
  • Commit signing configuration
  • Git Flow initialization

Output

On success:

  • ✓ Git repository initialized

Graceful Degradation

If Git is not installed:

  • Warn the user
  • Skip repository initialization
  • The project continues to function without Git (specs can still be created under specs/)

If Git is installed but git init, git add ., or git commit fails:

  • Surface the error to the user
  • Stop this command rather than continuing with a partially initialized repository

Signals

GitHub stars
1k
Forks
175
Last commit
Sep 2026
Advanced
Catalog kind
skill
Gateway key
speckit-git-initialize-cloudposse
Source
github.com/cloudposse/atmos