Tank Project Setup

Detect project stack, install relevant Tank skills, and wire up CI/CD so every clone gets skills automatically via tank install.

Core Workflow

Execute steps in order. Do not skip.

Step 1: Detect Project Stack

Run scripts/detect-project.sh in the project root, or manually scan for:

File	Stack Signal
package.json	Node.js (inspect dependencies for framework)
tsconfig.json	TypeScript
next.config.*	Next.js
angular.json	Angular
tailwind.config.*	Tailwind CSS
pyproject.toml / requirements.txt	Python
.github/	GitHub-hosted (CI target)
docker-compose.yml	Docker/infrastructure
prisma/ / drizzle.config.*	Database ORM
playwright.config.* / cypress.config.*	E2E testing
figma-plugin/manifest.json	Figma plugin

Present detected stack to user for confirmation before proceeding.

Step 2: Map Stack to Skills

Use the mapping table in references/SKILL_CATALOG.md to select skills. Always include @tank/clean-code unless user opts out.

Step 3: Create or Update skills.json

If skills.json exists at project root, merge new skills into the skills field. If not, create one:

{
  "skills": {
    "@tank/clean-code": "^3.0.0",
    "@tank/react": "^2.0.0"
  }
}

Project-level skills.json only needs the skills field — it is NOT a skill manifest (no name, version, or permissions required).

Step 4: Install Skills

tank install

This reads skills.json, resolves versions, downloads packages to the local .tank/ cache, and creates skills.lock with SHA-512 integrity hashes.

After install, verify:

tank doctor
tank permissions

Step 5: Set Up CI/CD

Detect CI platform and add tank install step:

• GitHub Actions: See assets/github-action-tank-install.yml
• GitLab CI: See references/CICD_INTEGRATION.md

Key requirements for CI:

1. Install Tank CLI: npm install -g @tankpkg/cli
2. Run tank install (reads lockfile for deterministic installs)
3. Run tank verify to confirm integrity

No authentication needed for tank install — only tank publish requires auth.

Step 6: Update .gitignore

Add Tank artifacts that should not be committed:

# Tank skills (installed via tank install)
.tank/

Ensure skills.json and skills.lock ARE committed (like package.json and package-lock.json).

Decision Tree: When to Use Global vs Local

Scenario	Install Type	Command
Skills shared across all projects	Global	tank install -g @org/skill
Skills specific to this project	Local	tank install @org/skill
CI/CD pipeline	Local (from lockfile)	tank install
Developer onboarding	Local (from lockfile)	tank install

Quick Reference: Tank Consumer Commands

tank install                     # Install all from lockfile
tank install @org/skill          # Add specific skill
tank install -g @org/skill       # Install globally
tank update                      # Update all within ranges
tank update @org/skill           # Update specific skill
tank remove @org/skill           # Remove skill
tank verify                      # Verify lockfile integrity
tank permissions                 # Show permission summary
tank doctor                      # Health check
tank search "query"              # Find skills in registry
tank info @org/skill             # Show skill metadata

Failure Map

Problem	Fix
tank: command not found	npm install -g @tankpkg/cli
No skills.json found	Create one with skills field or run tank init
Version not found	Check available versions: tank info @org/skill
Integrity check failed	Delete skills.lock and .tank/, re-run tank install
Permission denied in CI	No auth needed for install; check file permissions

Resources

References

• references/PROJECT_DETECTION.md — Detection signals, priority order, confidence scoring
• references/CICD_INTEGRATION.md — CI/CD templates for GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, CircleCI
• references/SKILL_CATALOG.md — Complete project-type to Tank skill mapping

Scripts

• scripts/detect-project.sh <dir> — Scan project directory and output detected stack as JSON

Assets

• assets/github-action-tank-install.yml — Drop-in GitHub Actions workflow
• assets/project-skills.json.template — Starter project-level skills.json