Claude Code Kickstart

claude-code-kickstart

Go from fresh install to power user in one command.

Every Claude Code resource is a catalog — "here's 200 things, good luck." This repo is different. It's an opinionated starter kit that installs a tested, curated setup in under a minute.

git clone https://github.com/ypollak2/claude-code-kickstart
cd claude-code-kickstart
./install.sh

That's it. You'll get a profile picker, automatic backup of your existing config, and a clean install of everything below.

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What You Get

3 MCP Servers (not 200)

Every MCP server eats context tokens just to exist. We picked the 3 that earn their keep:

| Server | Why it's here | |--------|---------------| | Context7 | Live library docs. Claude stops hallucinating outdated APIs. | | Playwright | Browser automation. Test UIs, scrape pages, verify deployments. | | Sequential Thinking | Structured multi-step reasoning for complex problems. |

> Why not more? See [docs/WHY.md](docs/WHY.md#mcp-servers-why-only-3)

5 Battle-Tested Hooks

| Hook | What it does | |------|--------------| | Auto-format | Runs Prettier/Ruff/goimports after every edit. Zero-effort clean code. | | Block rm -rf | Prevents destructive deletion accidents. | | Block force-push to main | Saves your team from disaster. | | Block sensitive files | Stops Claude from editing .env, credentials, private keys. | | Desktop notifications | Get notified when long tasks finish (macOS + Linux). |

15 Purpose-Built Agents

| Agent | Model | Access | Purpose | |-------|-------|--------|---------| | code-reviewer | Sonnet | Read-only | Finds bugs, security issues, quality problems | | planner | Opus | Read-only | Creates implementation plans without premature coding | | security-auditor | Sonnet | Read-only | OWASP Top 10, secrets scanning, dependency checks | | debugger | Sonnet | Full | Reproduces, isolates, and fixes bugs systematically | | test-writer | Sonnet | Full | Writes comprehensive tests — happy path, edge cases, errors | | refactorer | Sonnet | Full | Improves code structure — always runs tests before/after | | doc-writer | Sonnet | Full | Generates docs by reading code, not by guessing | | pr-reviewer | Sonnet | Read-only | Reviews entire PRs — all commits, tests, design | | performance-analyzer | Sonnet | Read-only | Finds N+1 queries, memory leaks, unnecessary re-renders | | migrator | Opus | Full | Upgrades dependencies and migrates frameworks safely | | git-assistant | Sonnet | Read-only | Complex git ops — rebasing, conflict resolution, bisect | | api-designer | Opus | Full | Designs consistent REST/GraphQL APIs with proper contracts | | accessibility-checker | Sonnet | Read-only | WCAG compliance, ARIA, keyboard nav, color contrast | | dependency-auditor | Sonnet | Read-only | Outdated packages, CVEs, unused deps, license issues | | onboarder | Sonnet | Read-only | Maps unfamiliar codebases — stack, structure, patterns, workflows |

Profile-specific agents: Rust reviewer, Go reviewer, Java reviewer, Laravel reviewer, infra reviewer, data analyst.

6 Slash Command Skills

| Skill | What it does | |-------|-------------| | /review | Quick code review of staged/unstaged changes | | /test | Run tests, report results, fix failures | | /security-scan | Comprehensive security audit (code + dependencies) | | /onboard | Map an unfamiliar codebase and generate CLAUDE.md | | /dep-check | Audit dependencies: outdated, vulnerable, unused | | /deploy-check | Pre-deployment checklist: tests, build, security, env, migrations |

Privacy-Respecting Defaults

• Telemetry and error reporting off
• Credential paths (~/.ssh, ~/.aws, ~/.gnupg) denied
• Project MCP servers require explicit opt-in
• Granular permissions (Bash(git *) not blanket Bash)

Shell Integration

# Core
cc                  # Short for 'claude'
ccp                 # Plan mode
ccr                 # Resume last session

# Code operations
ccreview            # Review current git diff
ccfix               # Find and fix failing tests
cctest        # Write tests for a file
ccrefactor    # Refactor a file safely
cce           # Explain a file
ccrf          # Review a specific file
ccq 'question'      # Quick one-shot question

# Git helpers
cccommit            # Smart commit message
ccpr        # Review a PR by number
ccrebase            # Interactive rebase help
ccbisect 'what broke'  # Find the breaking commit

# Project setup
ccinit              # Create starter CLAUDE.md
ccscan              # Auto-generate CLAUDE.md by scanning the project

# Maintenance
cchealth            # Health check — verify your setup is working
ccupdate            # Pull latest kickstart configs
ccsessions          # List recent Claude sessions

Tab completion included for zsh and bash.

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Profiles

Pick a profile during install, or pass --profile :

| Profile | What it adds | |---------|-------------| | essential | Everything above. Start here. | | web-dev | + npm/yarn/pnpm/bun, vitest/jest, Playwright, ESLint, Prettier | | python | + python/pip/uv/poetry, pytest, ruff/black/mypy | | fullstack | + Both web-dev and python | | rust | + cargo/clippy/rustfmt, Rust reviewer agent | | go | + go tools/golangci-lint, Go reviewer agent | | devops | + Docker/K8s/Terraform/Helm, infra reviewer agent, destructive ops blocked | | data-science | + jupyter/pandas/DVC, data analyst agent | | java | + Maven/Gradle/Spring Boot, Java reviewer agent, Spotless auto-format | | php | + Composer/Laravel/Artisan, Laravel reviewer agent, Pint auto-format | | mobile | + React Native/Expo/Flutter/Xcode/Gradle | | privacy-first | + Hardened credential lockdown, all telemetry disabled |

Profiles stack: essential is always the base, your chosen profile adds on top.

Each language profile includes:

• settings.json — tool permissions for that ecosystem
• hooks.json — language-specific auto-format + lockfile protection
• CLAUDE.md — starter template with stack, commands, architecture, constraints
• agents/ — language-specific reviewer agent (where applicable)

Auto-detect

Don't know which profile? Let the installer figure it out:

cd your-project
/path/to/claude-code-kickstart/install.sh --auto

It reads package.json, Cargo.toml, go.mod, pom.xml, composer.json, requirements.txt, Dockerfile, etc. to suggest the right profile.

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Install Options

# Interactive (recommended for first time)
./install.sh

# Auto-detect project type
./install.sh --auto

# Non-interactive with specific profile
./install.sh --profile rust --no-prompt

# Preview without making changes
./install.sh --dry-run

# Skip specific components
./install.sh --skip-plugins --skip-mcp --skip-shell

# Undo everything
./uninstall.sh

Post-install

After installing, open Claude Code and install the recommended plugins:

/plugin install feature-dev@claude-plugins-official
/plugin install code-review@claude-plugins-official
/plugin install hookify@claude-plugins-official

Then run cchealth to verify everything is working.

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Documentation

| Doc | What's in it | |-----|-------------| | [WHY.md](docs/WHY.md) | Why every choice was made — the reasoning behind each component | | [CUSTOMIZE.md](docs/CUSTOMIZE.md) | How to modify the setup for your needs | | [RECIPES.md](docs/RECIPES.md) | 10 end-to-end workflows: onboarding, TDD, PR review, migrations | | [TIPS.md](docs/TIPS.md) | Power user techniques — agent chaining, token efficiency, hook tricks | | [FAQ.md](docs/FAQ.md) | Common questions about profiles, agents, hooks, and MCP servers | | [TROUBLESHOOTING.md](docs/TROUBLESHOOTING.md) | Quick fixes for install issues and runtime problems | | [CHANGELOG.md](CHANGELOG.md) | Version history |

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Project Structure

claude-code-kickstart/
├── install.sh                        # One command setup with auto-detect
├── uninstall.sh                      # Clean removal with backup restore
├── CHANGELOG.md                      # Version history
├── profiles/
│   ├── essential/                    # Base config (always installed)
│   │   ├── settings.json             # Permissions, privacy, thinking
│   │   ├── hooks.json                # Auto-format, safety guards
│   │   ├── keybindings.json          # Power user shortcuts
│   │   ├── mcp-servers.json          # Context7, Playwright, Sequential Thinking
│   │   ├── CLAUDE.md                 # Starter template
│   │   ├── agents/                   # 15 purpose-built agents
│   │   └── skills/                   # 6 slash command skills
│   ├── web-dev/                      # JS/TS: settings, hooks, CLAUDE.md template
│   ├── python/                       # Python: settings, hooks, CLAUDE.md template
│   ├── rust/                         # Rust: settings, hooks, CLAUDE.md, reviewer agent
│   ├── go/                           # Go: settings, hooks, CLAUDE.md, reviewer agent
│   ├── java/                         # Java: settings, hooks, CLAUDE.md, reviewer agent
│   ├── php/                          # PHP: settings, hooks, CLAUDE.md, reviewer agent
│   ├── devops/                       # DevOps: settings, CLAUDE.md, infra reviewer
│   ├── data-science/                 # DS: settings, CLAUDE.md, data analyst agent
│   ├── mobile/                       # Mobile: settings
│   └── privacy-first/                # Hardened security settings
├── assets/
│   └── install-demo.svg              # Terminal screenshot for README
├── shell/
│   └── aliases.sh                    # 20+ commands with tab completion
└── docs/
    ├── WHY.md                        # Why every choice was made
    ├── CUSTOMIZE.md                  # How to modify for your needs
    ├── RECIPES.md                    # 10 end-to-end workflows
    ├── TIPS.md                       # Power user techniques
    ├── FAQ.md                        # Common questions answered
    └── TROUBLESHOOTING.md            # Quick fixes for common issues

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Philosophy

1. Opinionated > comprehensive. We pick the best things, not list everything.
2. Explain every choice. Read [WHY.md](docs/WHY.md) to understand the reasoning.
3. Safe defaults. Privacy on, destructive commands blocked, credentials protected.
4. Easy to undo. Automatic backup on install, clean uninstall script.
5. Profiles, not forks. One repo that adapts to your stack.
6. Verify your setup. cchealth tells you exactly what's working and what's not.

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Requirements

• Claude Code CLI installed
• Node.js 18+ (for MCP servers via npx)
• jq (auto-installed via Homebrew if missing)
• macOS or Linux

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Contributing

Found a hook that changed your workflow? An agent prompt that's unusually effective? PRs welcome — but remember the philosophy: every addition must earn its place. We'd rather have 10 great things than 50 mediocre ones.

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License

MIT

Source & license

This open-source MCP server is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

• Author: ypollak2
• Source: ypollak2/claude-code-kickstart
• License: MIT

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.