Local Development Setup and Onboarding
Get a project running locally with dependency-ordered setup, targeted failure diagnosis, and evidence-backed smoke tests.
Before & after
Same prompt, same agent — the only difference is the skill.
I'd be happy to help you set up your local environment! There are quite a few things to install and configure depending on your tech stack, but I can guide you through the process. Generally, you'll need to install your language runtimes, set up databases, configure environment variables, and ensure all services are running. The exact steps will vary depending on your specific setup. Would you like me to walk through each component, or do you have specific questions about particular parts of the setup?
LOCAL DEV SETUP GUIDE FOUNDATION • Node.js 18+ via nvm (avoids version conflicts) • PostgreSQL 14+ local instance (use docker-compose postgres service) • Redis 6+ for cache/session store • Git configured with your SSH key ENV SETUP • Copy .env.local.example to .env.local • Set DATABASE_URL to your local Postgres instance: postgres://user:pass@localhost:5432/devdb • Set REDIS_URL to localhost:6379 • Leave auth tokens empty for local testing (mock mode) DEPENDENCY INSTALL • npm ci (exact versions from package-lock.json) • prisma db push (applies migrations without reset) VERIFICATION • npm run dev (server starts on http://localhost:3000) • Check /health endpoint returns 200 OK • Run npm run test:dev to confirm database connection COMMON PITFALLS • Don't run prisma migrate dev on shared .env — migrate dev resets local data. Use db push for local work. • Redis connection failed? Ensure Docker container is running: docker ps • Port conflicts? Postgres defaults to 5432. Check lsof -i :5432 to find conflicts.
About this skill
“The install finished, but the app still won't run.” This skill turns scattered setup notes and project configuration into a practical onboarding path, then diagnoses failures at the layer where they occur. New engineers, interns, and non-technical teammates get commands grounded in the project, recognizable success checks, and a clear route to their first working local session.
What it does
- Reconciles setup notes with runtime pins, lockfiles, package scripts, and service configuration.
- Orders setup around actual dependencies, including environment variables, database readiness, migrations, and application startup.
- Separates essential services from optional integrations so teammates can reach a useful first run sooner.
- Diagnoses failures through targeted checks for runtime selection, networking, authentication, schema state, and application behavior.
- Verifies a representative local workflow and records what remains untested.
- Corrects stale onboarding steps in the existing guide when editing is requested and available.
What you get
A project-specific setup walkthrough or focused fix, with exact commands, success signals, and verification status. For full onboarding, you also get a reusable runbook that records prerequisites, startup order, common failures, and remaining access requirements.
Best for
Small engineering teams, founders onboarding their first hires, interns joining an unfamiliar codebase, and non-technical collaborators who need a working local environment without repeatedly interrupting a teammate.
SKILL.md preview
---
name: local-development-setup-and-onboarding
description: Guide local development onboarding by reconciling project configuration with setup notes, ordering dependencies, diagnosing failures, and verifying a real application workflow. Use when the user says "help me run this project locally", "onboard our new engineer", "my setup keeps failing", "the install worked but the app won't start", "turn these setup notes into a walkthrough", "our onboarding guide is out of date", or "which services do I actually need?".
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# Local Development Setup and Onboarding
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