claude-code-kickstart

March 26, 2026 · View on GitHub

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.

Installation demo

What You Get

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 Claude stops hallucinating outdated APIs.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.

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dependency-auditor	Sonnet	Read-only	Outdated packages, CVEs, unused deps, license issues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 <file>       # Write tests for a file
ccrefactor <file>   # Refactor a file safely
cce <file>          # Explain a file
ccrf <file>         # Review a specific file
ccq 'question'      # Quick one-shot question

# Git helpers
cccommit            # Smart commit message
ccpr <number>       # 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.

Profiles

Pick a profile during install, or pass --profile <name>:

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.

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.

Documentation

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

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

Philosophy

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

Requirements

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

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.

License

MIT