using-grove

I'm using the using-grove skill to create an isolated workspace with warm build state.

Workflow

Step 1: Verify Grove is initialized

test -f "$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)/.grove/config.json"

If .grove/config.json is not found: Grove is not initialized in this repo. Use the grove:grove-config skill to set it up first.

Step 2: Verify grove CLI is installed

command -v grove

If not found: Grove CLI is not installed. See https://github.com/chrisbanes/grove for installation instructions.

Step 3: Create workspace

grove create --branch <branch-name> --json

Parse the JSON output for path and id:

{
  "id": "abc1",
  "path": "/tmp/grove/myapp/abc1",
  "branch": "agent/fix-login",
  "created_at": "2026-02-17T10:20:00Z",
  "golden_copy": "/Users/chris/dev/myapp"
}

Step 4: Enter the workspace

cd <path-from-json>

Step 5: Verify baseline

Run the project test suite. Auto-detect the test command from marker files:

Marker file	Test command
`go.mod`	`go test ./...`
`package.json`	`npm test`
`Cargo.toml`	`cargo test`
`build.gradle` / `build.gradle.kts`	`./gradlew test`
`pyproject.toml` / `requirements.txt`	`pytest`
`Makefile`	`make test`

If tests fail, report the failures and ask whether to proceed.

Step 6: Report ready

Grove workspace ready.
  Path:        <workspace-path>
  Branch:      <branch-name>
  Build state: warm (cloned from golden copy)

Quick Reference

Command	Purpose
`grove create --branch <name> --json`	Create workspace, get JSON output
`grove list`	List active workspaces
`grove destroy <id>`	Remove a workspace

Common Mistakes

Using plain git worktree — worktrees start with a cold build cache. Grove's CoW clone preserves warm build state, making the first build incremental rather than from scratch.
Skipping --json flag — the JSON output is required to reliably extract the workspace path and ID for later use.
Not verifying grove initialized — grove create will fail confusingly if .grove/ is absent. Always check first.

Red Flags

grove create errors about uncommitted changes on the golden copy — clean up or commit the golden copy first, or use --force if the changes are intentional.
Tests fail at baseline — the golden copy's build state is stale. Run grove update on the golden copy before creating workspaces.
grove command not found after install — check PATH; grove installs to $GOPATH/bin by default.

Integration

Replaces: superpowers:using-git-worktrees — prefer this skill in any Grove project. Disable using-git-worktrees to avoid conflicts.
Called by: superpowers:brainstorming (Phase 4), superpowers:subagent-driven-development, superpowers:executing-plans
Pairs with: grove:finishing-grove-workspace — use that skill when implementation is complete and the workspace is ready to clean up.

Safety Notice

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