GitHub Repository Setup

Scaffold a new public TypeScript/Node.js repo with community standards, CI, and strict tooling.

Prerequisites

• Git CLI with SSH (~/.ssh/id_ed25519)
• GitHub CLI (gh) authenticated as {{ORG_NAME}}
• Node.js 24+
• Default branch: main
• Credentials: Load from a secure environment file (e.g., {{SECRETS_ENV_PATH}}) or OS credential stores. CRITICAL: NEVER hardcode this path in shared templates or commit .env files.

Parameters

Replace these placeholders throughout:

Placeholder	Example
{{ORG_NAME}}	neverinfamous
{{REPO_NAME}}	my-mcp-server
{{DESCRIPTION}}	MCP server for X
{{YEAR}}	2026
{{SECRETS_ENV_PATH}}	C:\path\to\secrets.env

---

1. Create Files (~28 total)

Read the reference file listed in the Template Source column for exact file contents. Files marked inline are defined directly below the table.

File Manifest

File	Purpose	Template Source
Community Standards
LICENSE	MIT license	inline
README.md	Badges, quick start, TOC, examples	Adapt from reference repos
CONTRIBUTING.md	Fork → Clone → Branch → PR workflow	community-standards.md
CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md	Contributor Covenant 2.1	community-standards.md
SECURITY.md	Vulnerability reporting process	community-standards.md
CHANGELOG.md	Keep a Changelog format (empty)	inline
UNRELEASED.md	SSoT for unreleased changes	inline
GitHub Automation
.github/workflows/codeql.yml	CodeQL static analysis	github-automation.md
.github/workflows/lint-and-test.yml	CI: lint, typecheck, build, test	github-automation.md
.github/workflows/secrets-scanning.yml	TruffleHog + Gitleaks	github-automation.md
.github/workflows/dependabot-auto-merge.yml	Auto-squash patch/minor PRs	github-automation.md
.github/workflows/e2e.yml	Playwright E2E tests	github-automation.md
.github/dependabot.yml	Grouped dependency updates	github-automation.md
.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/bug_report.md	Rich bug report template	github-automation.md
.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/feature_request.md	Feature request template	github-automation.md
.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/config.yml	Blank issue redirect	github-automation.md
.github/pull_request_template.md	Comprehensive PR checklist	github-automation.md
Project Config
.gitignore	Comprehensive ignores	inline
.gitattributes	Line ending normalization	inline
.prettierrc	Code formatting config	project-config.md
.prettierignore	Prettier exclusions	project-config.md
.gitleaks.toml	Secret scanning config	project-config.md
package.json	Project manifest	inline
tsconfig.json	TypeScript strict config	project-config.md
eslint.config.js	ESLint 10 strict + test config	project-config.md
tsup.config.ts	Build configuration	project-config.md
vitest.config.ts	Test configuration	project-config.md
src/index.ts	Entry point placeholder	Empty file

---

Inline Templates

See inline-templates.md for the boilerplate contents of LICENSE, CHANGELOG.md, UNRELEASED.md, .gitattributes, .gitignore, and package.json.

Note: AI-suggested versions may be outdated. Always run npm outdated and npx npm-check-updates -u after install.

---

2. Init Repo & Push

CRITICAL HITL GATE: You MUST stop and ask the user for explicit confirmation before running the gh repo create and git push commands. Creating a public repository is a destructive and public action.

cd {{TARGET_DIRECTORY}}
git init
git add .
git commit -m "Initial commit: Repository setup"
gh repo create {{ORG_NAME}}/{{REPO_NAME}} --public --source=. --remote=origin --description "{{DESCRIPTION}}"
git push -u origin main

Note: git add . is appropriate here because this is a brand-new repo with a clean .gitignore. For established repos, always use selective staging per user rules.

3. Labels, Topics & GitHub Settings

# Labels
gh label create dependencies --description "Dependency PRs" --color 0052CC --repo {{ORG_NAME}}/{{REPO_NAME}} --force
gh label create github-actions --description "GitHub Actions" --color FF6B6B --repo {{ORG_NAME}}/{{REPO_NAME}} --force
gh label create npm --description "NPM updates" --color CB3837 --repo {{ORG_NAME}}/{{REPO_NAME}} --force
gh label create bug --description "Bug reports" --color d73a49 --repo {{ORG_NAME}}/{{REPO_NAME}} --force
gh label create enhancement --description "Feature requests" --color a2eeef --repo {{ORG_NAME}}/{{REPO_NAME}} --force

# Topics
gh repo edit {{ORG_NAME}}/{{REPO_NAME}} --add-topic typescript --add-topic nodejs

# Security settings (automate instead of manual UI)
gh api repos/{{ORG_NAME}}/{{REPO_NAME}} -X PATCH -f security_and_analysis.secret_scanning.status=enabled
gh api repos/{{ORG_NAME}}/{{REPO_NAME}} -X PATCH -f security_and_analysis.secret_scanning_push_protection.status=enabled

4. Verify

npm install          # 0 vulnerabilities
npm run build        # Compiles
npm run typecheck    # No errors
npm run lint         # No errors
git status           # .gitignore working
npm outdated         # Update if needed
git remote -v        # origin → github.com/{{ORG_NAME}}/{{REPO_NAME}}
gh repo view         # Displays repo info

Reference Repos

• {{ORG_NAME}}/db-mcp (SQLite)
• {{ORG_NAME}}/mysql-mcp (MySQL)
• {{ORG_NAME}}/postgres-mcp (PostgreSQL)
• {{ORG_NAME}}/memory-journal-mcp (Memory Journal)