Repo Runner (run a GitHub project)

Goal: given a GitHub URL or a downloaded folder, get the project running as its docs intend, without guessing dangerously.

Inputs to ask for

• Repo source: GitHub URL (preferred) or local path
• Target: dev (local dev server) / build / test
• Constraints: allow installing deps? allow running postinstall scripts? allow Docker?

Safety rules (must follow)

• Treat repo code as untrusted.
• Before running npm/pnpm/yarn install (or any curl | bash), ask for confirmation.
• Never paste or store secrets. If .env is needed, ask user to provide values out-of-band.

Workflow

1. Clone / prepare workspace

   • Clone to <openclaw-workspace>/projects/<repo> (create projects/ if missing)
   • Typical workspace path is $HOME/.openclaw/workspace, but don’t assume.
   • If already exists, ask before git pull or deleting anything.

2. Find the canonical docs

   • Prefer README.md + docs/ + CONTRIBUTING.md
   • Extract: prerequisites (Node/Python/Docker/Go/Rust), install steps, env vars, run command(s), ports.

3. Detect project type(s)

   • From the repo-runner skill directory (typically <openclaw-workspace>/skills/repo-runner), run: bash scripts/detect_project.sh <repoDir>
   • A repo can match multiple types (e.g. type=node + type=docker). Use docs to choose the canonical path.

4. Set up prerequisites

   • Verify required runtimes exist (Node/pnpm/yarn, Python, Docker, Go, Rust)
   • If missing, propose options (install locally, use Docker, or switch to a supported env)

5. Configure env

   • If .env.example exists, copy to .env only after confirmation
   • Ask user to fill required keys

6. Install dependencies (after confirmation, based on project type)

   • Node (when package.json exists)

     • Prefer lockfile-safe commands:
       • pnpm install --frozen-lockfile (if pnpm-lock.yaml)
       • yarn install --frozen-lockfile (if yarn.lock)
       • npm ci (if package-lock.json)
     • If unsure, run: bash scripts/suggest_node_commands.sh <repoDir>

   • Python (when pyproject.toml / requirements.txt exists)

     • Create and use a virtualenv (don’t install into system Python).
     • Typical patterns (follow docs first):
       • python -m venv .venv && source .venv/bin/activate
       • pip install -r requirements.txt
       • If pyproject.toml: use the tool specified by docs (commonly poetry install or pip install -e .).

   • Rust (when Cargo.toml exists)

     • cargo build / cargo test / cargo run (follow docs for features/flags)

   • Go (when go.mod exists)

     • go test ./...
     • go run . or go build ./... (follow docs for main package path)

   • Docker (when docker-compose.yml / Dockerfile exists)

     • Prefer the documented compose path when present:
       • docker compose up (or docker-compose up depending on docs)

7. Run

   • Use the docs’ recommended run target (dev server, CLI, compose stack, etc.)
   • Capture logs, detect common failures, iterate

Common outputs to report back

• Exact commands run (copy/paste friendly)
• URL/port to open
• Next steps (build/test) and known caveats