<objective> Set up the Ralph autonomous coding loop in any project. Ralph runs AI agents in a loop, picking tasks from a PRD, implementing one at a time, committing after each, and accumulating learnings until all tasks are complete.

This skill ONLY sets up Ralph - you run the commands yourself. </objective>

<quick_start> Setup Ralph interactively (recommended):

bash

/setup-ralph -i

Setup for specific feature:

bash

/setup-ralph -f 01-add-authentication

What this does:

•Creates .claude/ralph/ structure in your project
•Runs setup script to create all Ralph files
•(If -i): Brainstorms PRD with you interactively
•Transforms PRD into user stories (prd.json)
•Shows you the command to run Ralph (you run it yourself)

After setup, you run:

bash

bun run .claude/ralph/ralph.sh -f <feature-name>

</quick_start>

<critical_rule> 🛑 NEVER run ralph.sh or any execution commands automatically 🛑 NEVER execute the loop - only set up files and show instructions ✅ ALWAYS let the user copy and run commands themselves ✅ ALWAYS end by showing the exact command to run </critical_rule>

<when_to_use> Use this skill when:

•Starting a new feature that can be broken into small stories
•Setting up Ralph in a new project
•Creating a new feature PRD interactively

Don't use for:

•Simple single-file changes
•Exploratory work without clear requirements
•Major refactors without acceptance criteria </when_to_use>

<parameters> | Flag | Description | |------|-------------| | `<project-path>` | Path to the project (defaults to current directory) | | `-i, --interactive` | Interactive mode: brainstorm PRD with AI assistance | | `-f, --feature <name>` | Feature folder name (e.g., `01-add-auth`) |

Examples:

bash

/setup-ralph /path/to/project -i              # Interactive PRD creation
/setup-ralph . -f 01-add-auth                 # Setup for specific feature
/setup-ralph -i -f 02-user-dashboard          # Interactive with specific name

</parameters>

<state_variables>

Variable	Type	Description
`{project_path}`	string	Absolute path to target project
`{ralph_dir}`	string	Path to .claude/ralph in project
`{feature_name}`	string	Feature folder name (e.g., `01-add-auth`)
`{feature_dir}`	string	Path to task folder
`{interactive_mode}`	boolean	Whether to brainstorm PRD interactively
`{prd_content}`	string	PRD markdown content
`{user_stories}`	array	User stories extracted from PRD
`{branch_name}`	string	Git branch for the feature
</state_variables>

<entry_point> Load steps/step-00-init.md </entry_point>

<step_files>

Step	File	Purpose
00	`step-00-init.md`	Parse flags, run setup script, create structure
01	`step-01-interactive-prd.md`	Interactive PRD brainstorming and creation
02	`step-02-create-stories.md`	Transform PRD into user stories (prd.json)
03	`step-03-finish.md`	Show run command (user runs it themselves)
</step_files>

<scripts> | Script | Purpose | |--------|---------| | `scripts/setup.sh` | Creates all Ralph files in the project | </scripts>

<execution_rules>

•Progressive Loading: Load one step at a time
•Script Execution: Use scripts/setup.sh to create files atomically
•Interactive Mode: If -i flag, run brainstorming conversation
•State Persistence: Track progress in feature_dir/progress.txt
•Resume Support: Detect existing PRD.md and resume from there
•NEVER RUN RALPH: Only setup and show commands - user runs them </execution_rules>

<success_criteria> ✅ Ralph structure created at {project_path}/.claude/ralph ✅ Feature folder created with PRD.md, prd.json, progress.txt ✅ User stories properly formatted in prd.json ✅ Clear run command provided to user (they run it themselves) </success_criteria>