Audience: day-to-day users. Scope: copy-paste prompts for the most common tasks.
This guide provides a quick reference for the most common commands, setup instructions, and copy-paste prompts used in the GABBE Agentic Engineering Kit.
| Goal | Command | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Initialize Kit | python3 scripts/init.py |
Runs the setup wizard to configure the kit, wire your AI agents (Claude, Cursor, Gemini), and generate BOOTSTRAP_MISSION.md (or SETUP_MISSION.md) |
| Manual Wiring (UNIX) | ./agents/setup-context.sh |
Manually symlinks the skills into your IDE's agent folder. |
| Manual Wiring (Windows) | .\agents\setup-context.ps1 |
PowerShell equivalent of the manual wiring script. |
| Install GABBE CLI (Optional) | pip install -e . |
Installs the GABBE CLI locally. |
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
gabbe init |
Initializes the SQLite database (run after scripts/init.py). |
gabbe sync |
Bidirectional sync between project/TASKS.md and SQLite DB. |
gabbe verify |
Programmable integrity check (files, tests, lint). |
gabbe verify --chaos |
Fault-injection resilience self-checks. |
gabbe eval |
Skill-eval self-check (--live scores via the model). |
gabbe doctor |
Autodetect OS/runtimes/agents + post-install MCP next-steps. |
gabbe update / gabbe uninstall |
Reversible, manifest-backed install management. |
gabbe status |
Visual dashboard of project phase and task progress. |
gabbe brain activate |
Activates Active Inference loop (requires API key). |
gabbe brain evolve --skill NAME |
Evolutionary Prompt Optimization for a named skill. |
gabbe brain heal |
Self-healing watchdog: checks DB and required files. |
gabbe route <prompt> |
Arbitrates prompt between Local and Remote LLMs (requires API key). |
gabbe forecast |
Strategic Forecast projects remaining work cost and tokens. |
gabbe serve-mcp |
Zero-dependency JSON-RPC MCP server for agent integration. |
gabbe runs [--status STATUS] [--limit N] |
List recent agent runs with status, cost, and timestamps. |
gabbe audit <run-id> [--format json|table] |
Display structured span-level audit trace for a past run. |
gabbe replay <run-id> [--from-step N] |
Replay a past run deterministically from its checkpoints. |
gabbe resume <run-id> |
Approve or reject pending escalations for a paused run. |
gabbe registry publish [--out DIR] |
Export skills as a publish-ready agentskills.io bundle (manifest + agent-card). |
gabbe registry add <source> [--namespace NS] [--apply] |
Import an external skill/bundle (validated + security-scanned + namespaced). |
gabbe setup |
Interactive install wizard (also npx gabbe-kit init for a Python-independent install). |
The experimental gabbe CLI supports a platform control layer. It covers budget enforcement, cost and token controls, hard stops, policy rules, the tool gateway, audit tracing, human escalation, and deterministic replay. Detailed documentation is available in PLATFORM_CONTROLS.md.
You can invoke these skills directly in your IDE chat (e.g., Cursor, GitHub Copilot) or via Slash Commands (e.g., Claude Code /tdd-cycle).
| Phase | Skill | Trigger Word | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product | spec-writer |
"write spec", "spec" | Generates PRD.md with EARS syntax. |
| Design | arch-design |
"design architecture" | Generates C4 architecture and PLAN.md. |
| Design | threat-model |
"threat model", "stride" | Analyzes security risks using STRIDE. |
| Tasks | (built-in logic) | "decompose tasks" | Breaks down PLAN.md into 15m tasks. |
| Coding | tdd-cycle |
"test", "tdd" | Red-Green-Refactor loop. |
| Coding | debug |
"fix", "debug" | Root Cause Analysis (RCA) and fixing. |
| Coding | refactor |
"refactor" | Safe code restructuring. |
| Coding | vibe-coding |
"vibe", "aesthetic" | Creative, high-fidelity frontend coding. |
| Review | code-review |
"review", "audit" | Security, performance, and style check. |
| Security | security-audit |
"owasp", "audit" | Comprehensive security review. |
| Security | safety-scan |
"safety scan" | Pre-commit safety guardrails. |
| Core | research |
"research", "find" | Deep research using authoritative sources. |
| Core | self-heal |
"fix error" | Autonomous auto-recovery loop. |
| Modes | loki-mode |
"loki", "swarm" | 10-phase SDLC orchestration. |
| Modes | brain-mode |
"brain activate" | Meta-cognitive orchestrator. |
(For the complete 214 skills list, see agents/skills/00-index.md)
Copy and paste these exact prompts into your AI chat window to kick off standard workflows.
"Use business-case/strategy skills to validate exactly why we are building [description] and who it is for."
"Read AGENTS.md. I want to build [description]. Start with spec-writer skill."
Flow: Strategy → Spec → Design → Tasks → TDD Implementation → Security → Deploy
"Read AGENTS.md and agents/memory/PROJECT_STATE.md. Resume the project."
"Read AGENTS.md. Bug: [description]. Use debug skill with TDD."
Flow: Reproduce → Root Cause → Failing Test → Fix → Green → Regression Check
"Use tech-debt skill on [directory]. Then refactor the top-priority item."
"Run security-audit skill on the entire codebase."
"Please acknowledge and enforce the Security & Guardrails constraints defined for the current skill."
"Run arch-review skill. Check for SOLID violations and coupling."
"Use the performant-nodejs skill to audit the current Node.js architecture for scalability bottlenecks and propose optimizations."
"Use the performant-laravel skill to audit the current Laravel architecture for scalability bottlenecks and propose optimizations."
"Use the performant-python skill to audit the current Python architecture for scalability bottlenecks and propose optimizations."
"Use the performant-go skill to audit the current Go architecture for scalability bottlenecks and propose optimizations."
"Use the performant-ai skill to audit the current AI/LLM architecture for latency and cost bottlenecks."
"Act as a Principal Staff Engineer. Review the codebase in [directory] and generate a C4 system architecture diagram (Context and Container levels). Identify any bottlenecks and propose scaling strategies."
"Use the visual-whiteboarding skill. Connect to the Draw.io/Miro MCP and generate a visual spatial architecture diagram for the current microservice layout."
"Use the design-patterns and domain-model skills. We are building a [feature segment]. Propose the optimum architecture pattern (e.g. Event-driven, CQRS, Hexagonal) and define the core domain entities."
"Use the vibe-coding skill. Build a [component/page] using [framework]. I want it to feel [aesthetic, e.g. glassmorphism, cyberpunk, sleek corporate]. Include micro-animations and smooth transitions. Prioritize visual WOW over generic utility."
"Activate Brain Mode. Goal: [build X / migrate Y / solve Z]."
"Activate Loki Mode. Goal: [build X / migrate Y / refactor Z]."