setup

This setup skill is designed for developers onboarding to the Chops codebase, a native macOS application built for managing AI agent skills and configurations. It automates the environment verification process, ensuring that the system meets strict requirements, such as running macOS 15+ and having essential tools like Homebrew, Xcode command-line tools, and xcodegen installed. The skill provides a structured path for setting up a local build environment, managing the Xcode project lifecycle, and understanding the core architectural components of the app.

• Performs automated checks for macOS environment compliance, Xcode CLI availability, and necessary Homebrew packages.

• Orchestrates the generation of the Chops.xcodeproj file using xcodegen, maintaining project.yml as the single source of truth for Xcode settings.

• Provides a clear architectural overview of the application, including the SwiftData model layer, AppState singleton, and the various service layers like SkillScanner, FileWatcher, and SkillParser.

• Explains the critical role of symlink-based deduplication for managing skills across multiple platforms such as Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, Codex, and Amp.

• Details the app's sandboxing architecture, highlighting the intentional lack of sandbox constraints required to monitor and modify dotfiles across the user's home directory.

• Outlines standard development workflows, including manual testing strategies since the project does not rely on a conventional automated test suite.

• Users should ensure they have proper permissions for filesystem access, as the app requires unrestricted read/write access to hidden configuration directories.

• The build process relies exclusively on xcodegen; manual modifications to the generated .xcodeproj file will be overwritten.

• Developers are expected to manage changes in project.yml as the primary way to adjust build settings, schemes, or dependencies.

• As the app is written in SwiftUI with SwiftData, contributors should be familiar with @Observable state patterns and modern native macOS development practices.

• All contributions are validated through manual building and execution, as the project emphasizes observation and direct validation over unit testing.