Grove Config

Name: Grove Config
Author: chrisbanes

chrisbanes/grove

3 installs
20 repo stars
Updated February 25, 2026
chrisbanes/grove

Sets up Grove in a git repo by detecting the build system, writing .grove/config.json, and adding a warmup command and post-clone hook.

About

Configures Grove for a repository by verifying git, detecting the build system, and writing config plus a post-clone hook. A developer uses it the first time they want Grove workspaces in a project that lacks .grove/config.json.

Detects Gradle, Node, Rust, Go, Python, or C/C++ and picks a warmup command
Writes and chmods an executable .grove/hooks/post-clone hook

Grove Config by the numbers

3 all-time installs (skills.sh)
Ranked #1,120 of 1,435 DevOps & CI/CD skills by installs in the Skillselion catalog
Data as of Jul 31, 2026 (Skillselion catalog sync)

npx skills add https://github.com/chrisbanes/grove --skill grove-config

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Installs	3
repo stars	★ 20
Last updated	February 25, 2026
Repository	chrisbanes/grove ↗

What it does

Sets up Grove in a git repo by detecting the build system, writing .grove/config.json, and adding a warmup command and post-clone hook.

Files

SKILL.mdMarkdownGitHub ↗

I'm using the grove-config skill to set up Grove for this project.

Workflow

Step 1: Verify git repo

git rev-parse --show-toplevel

If the command fails, stop. Grove requires a git repository.

Step 2: Check if already initialized

test -f .grove/config.json

If .grove/config.json exists, report that Grove is already initialized and ask the user whether they want to re-initialize. Stop unless they confirm.

Step 3: Detect build system

Scan for marker files in the following priority order. Use the first match. If multiple top-level markers exist, ask the user which is the primary build system.

Build System	Marker File(s)	Warmup Command	Post-Clone Hook
Gradle	`build.gradle.kts` or `build.gradle`	`./gradlew assemble`	Clean lock files, `configuration-cache`
Node.js	`package.json`	`npm run build`	Clean `node_modules/.cache`
Rust	`Cargo.toml`	`cargo build`	Clean `target/debug/incremental`
Go	`go.mod`	`go build ./...`	Minimal — Go handles relocatable caches well
Python	`pyproject.toml` or `requirements.txt`	`poetry install` or `pip install -e .`	Clean `__pycache__` dirs
C/C++	`Makefile` or `CMakeLists.txt`	`make` or `cmake --build build`	Project-specific

If no marker is found, ask the user to provide a warmup command.

Step 4: Present proposed config for confirmation

Show the user:

Warmup command
Workspace directory (default: system temp under a grove subdirectory)
Post-clone hook content

Ask for confirmation before proceeding.

Step 5: Run grove config

grove config --warmup-command "<cmd>"

Step 6: Write post-clone hook

Write the post-clone hook script to .grove/hooks/post-clone and make it executable:

chmod +x .grove/hooks/post-clone

Step 7: Suggest git add

Tell the user to commit the Grove configuration:

git add .grove/config.json .grove/hooks/
git commit -m "chore: add Grove configuration"

Quick Reference

Command	Purpose
`grove config --warmup-command "<cmd>"`	Initialize Grove
`grove update`	Refresh golden copy build state

Common Mistakes

Running `grove config` outside a git repo — Grove requires git; always verify first.
Skipping the post-clone hook — without it, workspaces inherit stale lock files or cache artifacts.
Not committing `.grove/` — commit so collaborators and CI get the same warmup behavior.

Red Flags

grove config fails with a permissions error — check grove is installed and the user has write access.
Warmup command exits non-zero during grove config — fix unresolved dependencies before initializing.
Multiple package.json and build.gradle at the root — polyglot monorepo; ask which is primary.