Agent skill · writing content · jeremylongshore
navigating-github
First-time GitHub setup and interactive git learning. Walks users from\n\
Why this skill is useful
Provides a structured learning path for Git and GitHub, including hands-on lessons that the AI wouldn't generate on its own.
What it needs
Requires gh, git installed locally. Requires github account access. About 5k tokens when loaded. Last updated 2026-08-07. 2,604 stars on the source repository.
What this skill does
Navigating GitHub First-time GitHub setup and interactive git learning. Get set up, then learn by doing. Table of Contents 1. Overview — 2. Prerequisites — 3. Instructions — 4. Modes — 5. Examples — 6. Output — 7. Resources Overview Problem: Getting started with GitHub is the #1 barrier for people building with AI. Beginners stall at setup, don't understand commits vs pushes vs PRs, and have nobody to walk them through it hands-on. AI coding tools can run git commands, but they don't teach you what those commands mean or guide you through setup from scratch. Solution: Walk users through GitHub setup step by step, then teach git and GitHub through 9 progressive hands-on lessons on their actual project. Every lesson uses do-then-explain: run the command, see the result, then understand why. Adapts language and depth to skill level automatically. Prerequisites Terminal access with git installed gh CLI installed (Setup handles installation if missing) GitHub account (Setup handles creation if missing) Instructions Step 1 — Route Determine mode from the user's request. Act immediately — no preamble. 1. No .git/ directory OR gh auth status fails → Setup (check with test -d .git and gh auth status) 2. Keywords "teach", "learn", "what are", "how do", "explain", "lesson" → Learn 3. Keywords "set up", "new repo", "init", "get started" → Setup 4. Generic ("help me with github") → check environment, route to Setup if no repo, otherwise offer lesson menu Step 2 — Infer Skill Level Each mode runs git status as part of its normal operation. Infer level from those signals — no extra commands: Only main branch + short/vague commit messages → Beginner A few branches + descriptive commits → Intermediate Branch naming conventions + conventional commits → Advanced Complex history, multiple remotes, CI configured → Expert Only ask via AskUserQuestion when signals are genuinely ambiguous. Read ${CLAUDESKILLDIR}/references/skill-assessment-guide.md for the full adaptive behavior matrix. …
How to use it
Reference it in AdaL, Claude Code, Cursor or any coding agent — nothing to install:
@skills jeremylongshore/navigating-github