GitHub Repository Setup

Prepare GitHub repositories for publication with proper configuration including privacy settings, metadata, and feature management using GitHub CLI.

⚠️ Note: This skill keeps repositories simple and minimal. It does NOT add LICENSE files, CODEOWNERS, CONTRIBUTING.md, SECURITY.md, or issue templates. It focuses only on core GitHub repository configuration.

Prerequisites

• GitHub CLI (gh) installed and authenticated
• Repository name defined
• (Optional) Repository description for the about section

Checking GitHub CLI

Before using this skill, verify that GitHub CLI is installed and authenticated:

# Check if gh is installed
which gh

# If not installed, install it (macOS):
brew install gh

# For other systems:
# Windows: choco install gh
# Linux: Follow https://github.com/cli/cli/blob/trunk/docs/install_linux.md

# Authenticate with GitHub (if not already authenticated)
gh auth login

If gh is not installed, you'll see an error. Use the installation command for your operating system above.

Basic setup

Create and configure a new private GitHub repository (always private):

# Create a private repository
gh repo create <repo-name> --private --source=. --remote=origin --push

# Configure repository settings (add description)
gh repo edit <owner>/<repo-name> --description="Your repository description"

Complete setup workflow

Use this comprehensive workflow to set up a private repository with all recommended settings:

#!/bin/bash

# Variables
REPO_NAME="my-repository"
REPO_DESCRIPTION="Brief description of the repository"
OWNER="your-github-username"  # or your organization

# Step 0: Check if gh CLI is installed
if ! command -v gh &> /dev/null; then
    echo "GitHub CLI is not installed. Install it with:"
    echo "  macOS: brew install gh"
    echo "  Other systems: https://github.com/cli/cli#installation"
    exit 1
fi

# Step 1: Create private repository (always private)
gh repo create "${REPO_NAME}" \
  --private \
  --source=. \
  --remote=origin \
  --push \
  --description="${REPO_DESCRIPTION}"

# Step 2: Add description to about section (if needed)
gh repo edit "${OWNER}/${REPO_NAME}" --description="${REPO_DESCRIPTION}"

# Step 3: Disable wikis and discussions
gh repo edit "${OWNER}/${REPO_NAME}" --enable-wiki=false --enable-discussions=false

# Step 4: Open repository in browser
gh repo view "${OWNER}/${REPO_NAME}" --web

Configuration options

Repository type

Always private (default for this skill): All repositories created with this skill are automatically set to private for security and control.

If you need to change visibility later:

gh repo edit <owner>/<repo-name> --visibility private

Repository description

Set the description that appears in the repository's about section:

gh repo edit <owner>/<repo-name> --description "Your repository description"

The description should be concise and clearly communicate the repository's purpose.

Disable features

Disable releases: Releases are managed via branch protection rules and GitHub Actions workflows. To prevent accidental releases:

• Use branch protection on main/master
• Limit who can create releases via repository permissions

Disable environments:

# Environments are disabled by default for private repositories
# For public repositories, restrict environment access:
gh repo edit <owner>/<repo-name> --enable-discussions=false

Additional settings

Branch protection (protect main branch):

gh api repos/<owner>/<repo-name>/branches/main/protection \
  -X PUT \
  -F enforce_admins=true \
  -F require_code_review_count=1 \
  -F dismiss_stale_reviews=true

Disable wikis and discussions:

gh repo edit <owner>/<repo-name> --enable-wiki=false --enable-discussions=false

Add topics (optional):

gh repo edit <owner>/<repo-name> --add-topic python --add-topic github

Verifying configuration

Once setup is complete, your repository will open in the browser via gh repo view --web. You can also manually verify settings:

# View repository details
gh repo view <owner>/<repo-name>

# Check specific settings
gh api repos/<owner>/<repo-name> --jq '.{name, private, description, has_releases, has_environments}'

Tips

• Test setup commands on a test repository first
• Use environment variables for repetitive parameters
• Automate setup with the provided script for consistency
• Always verify settings after configuration
• Use gh repo edit --help to see all available options