EPA Project Setup Skill

This skill provides procedures for setting up project configuration and tooling when starting work on a new project. It covers language detection, package manager initialization, dependency installation, linting configuration, testing framework setup, and SERENA MCP activation.

Supported Languages

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when:

• •Starting work on a new project for the first time
• •The project lacks proper tooling configuration
• •You need to set up a consistent development environment
• •Onboarding to an existing project that needs tooling verification

Prerequisites

Before using this skill:

1. •Have access to the project directory
2. •Have SERENA MCP available for activation
3. •Know the target programming language (or be ready to detect it)

Operations Reference

This skill provides the following operations. Read each operation file before executing its procedure.

1. Detect Project Language

File: op-detect-project-language.md

Contents:

• •1.1 When to detect project language
• •1.2 File-based language detection patterns
• •1.3 Configuration file indicators
• •1.4 Fallback detection strategies
• •1.5 Multi-language project handling

2. Initialize Package Manager

File: op-initialize-package-manager.md

Contents:

• •2.1 When to initialize package manager
• •2.2 Python: uv initialization
• •2.3 JavaScript/TypeScript: bun or pnpm initialization
• •2.4 Rust: cargo initialization
• •2.5 Go: go mod initialization
• •2.6 Other languages: initialization procedures

3. Install Dependencies

File: op-install-dependencies.md

Contents:

• •3.1 When to install dependencies
• •3.2 Reading dependency files
• •3.3 Package manager specific install commands
• •3.4 Handling missing or outdated dependencies
• •3.5 Virtual environment management

4. Configure Linting

File: op-configure-linting.md

Contents:

• •4.1 When to configure linting
• •4.2 Python: ruff and mypy configuration
• •4.3 JavaScript/TypeScript: eslint configuration
• •4.4 Rust: clippy configuration
• •4.5 Other languages: linter setup

For ruff linter and formatter configuration, see ruff-configuration-patterns.md:

• •When to configure ruff for a new project
• •Standard ruff.toml template for Emasoft projects
• •What each rule set does and why it is enabled
• •What each ignored rule means and why it is ignored
• •Per-file ignore patterns and when to use them
• •Formatter settings (quote style, indent, line endings)
• •How to run ruff check and ruff format
• •Customizing ruff for specific project types

5. Setup Testing Framework

File: op-setup-testing-framework.md

Contents:

• •5.1 When to setup testing framework
• •5.2 Python: pytest configuration
• •5.3 JavaScript/TypeScript: jest or vitest configuration
• •5.4 Rust: cargo test configuration
• •5.5 Other languages: test framework setup

6. Activate SERENA MCP

File: op-activate-serena-mcp.md

Contents:

• •6.1 When to activate SERENA MCP
• •6.2 SERENA activation procedure
• •6.3 Verifying SERENA connection
• •6.4 SERENA tool availability check
• •6.5 Troubleshooting SERENA activation

Standard Setup Procedure

Execute these operations in order for a complete project setup:

1. •Detect Language - Run op-detect-project-language to identify the project language
2. •Initialize Package Manager - Run op-initialize-package-manager for the detected language
3. •Install Dependencies - Run op-install-dependencies to get all required packages
4. •Configure Linting - Run op-configure-linting to enable code quality checks
5. •Setup Testing - Run op-setup-testing-framework to enable test execution
6. •Activate SERENA - Run op-activate-serena-mcp for code navigation

Checklist

Use this checklist to track setup progress:

• • Project language detected and confirmed
• • Package manager initialized and verified
• • All dependencies installed successfully
• • Linting tools configured and tested
• • Testing framework configured and verified
• • SERENA MCP activated and responding

Troubleshooting

Package Manager Not Found

Problem: The expected package manager is not installed on the system.

Solution: Install the package manager first. See the specific operation file for installation instructions for each package manager.

Dependency Installation Fails

Problem: Dependencies fail to install due to version conflicts or missing packages.

Solution: Check the op-install-dependencies.md file for troubleshooting steps specific to each package manager.

Linter Configuration Errors

Problem: Linter fails to run or produces incorrect configuration errors.

Solution: Verify the linter configuration file format. See op-configure-linting.md for correct configuration templates.

SERENA MCP Not Responding

Problem: SERENA MCP fails to activate or does not respond to commands.

Solution: See op-activate-serena-mcp.md for SERENA-specific troubleshooting steps.

Multi-Language Project Setup

Problem: Project uses multiple languages and needs multiple toolchains.

Solution: Run the setup procedure for each language independently. Start with the primary language (usually the one with the entry point), then set up secondary languages.