repo-attributes
Configure .gitattributes, .editorconfig, .gitignore, and Git LFS filters for a repository: normalize line endings, mark generated, vendored, and documentation paths for GitHub linguist, set per-language editor defaults, and merge .gitignore content from GitHub templates. Use when the user says "add .gitattributes", "fix line endings", "CRLF", "linguist", "mark generated files", "set up .editorconfig", "gitignore template", "git lfs", or invokes /repo-attributes. Do NOT use for prek or pre-commit hook configuration — use /prek. GitHub custom properties (organization-level metadata) are out of scope; this skill only touches per-repository attribute, editor, and ignore files. Community health files (README, LICENSE, CODEOFCONDUCT, CONTRIBUTING, SECURITY) belong to /oss-hygiene, not this skill.
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Install
Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.
npx skills add https://github.com/paulnsorensen/git-gouda --skill repo-attributes- 01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
- 02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads repo-attributes automatically when relevant.
- 03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.
SKILL.md
The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.
repo-attributes
Configures the file-level attribute layer of a repository: .gitattributes, .editorconfig, .gitignore, and Git LFS filter patterns.
This is repository-only configuration. It does not touch pre-commit hooks, CI pipelines, org-level custom properties, or community health files.
Where this skill fits
| Concern | Skill |
|---|---|
| Line endings, linguist overrides, editor defaults, ignore rules, LFS patterns | /repo-attributes (this skill) |
Pre-commit / prek hook selection and prek.toml | /prek |
| Community health files (README, LICENSE, CODE_OF_CONDUCT, CONTRIBUTING, SECURITY) | /oss-hygiene |
| Org-wide settings as code, including custom properties | /safe-settings |
Protocol
1. Detect language markers and existing config
Scan the repo root for language markers, reusing the same detection approach as /prek:
| Marker file | Language/Framework |
|---|---|
Cargo.toml | Rust |
pyproject.toml, setup.py, requirements.txt | Python |
package.json | TypeScript/JavaScript |
go.mod | Go |
Gemfile | Ruby |
*.sh, zsh/, bin/ | Shell |
Dockerfile | Docker |
Multiple markers mean a polyglot project. Cover every detected language in the generated files.
Check for existing .gitattributes, .editorconfig, .gitignore, and .gitmodules. Read each file present and treat its content as a floor, not a target for replacement.
Check for Git LFS usage:
git lfs ls-files
When git lfs is not installed, skip LFS detection and say so; do not guess at LFS-tracked paths.
2. Propose .gitattributes
Use assets/gitattributes.example as the starting shape. Include, based on step 1 detection:
* text=auto— let Git normalize line endings for text files it detects.- Explicit
eol=lffor scripts and other files that must never gain CRLF, for example*.sh text eol=lf. - Binary markers for asset types that must skip line-ending and diff conversion, for example
*.png binary. linguist-generated,linguist-vendored, andlinguist-documentationfor paths that should not count toward the GitHub language bar or code review diffs.merge=unionfor append-only files such asCHANGELOG.md, so parallel entries merge instead of conflicting.export-ignorefor paths that should not ship ingit archiveoutput, for example CI-only directories.diff=drivers for file types with a more useful semantic diff (for example*.md diff=markdown, when the driver is already configured).- LFS patterns (
filter=lfs diff=lfs merge=lfs -text) for any path already tracked bygit lfs ls-files, or ones the user names.
Diff the proposal against any existing .gitattributes and ask before overwriting a line that already exists with different content.
3. Propose .editorconfig
Use assets/editorconfig.example. Include root = true, a [*] section with charset, end_of_line, insert_final_newline, trim_trailing_whitespace, indent_style, and indent_size, then one override section per detected language for its idiomatic indent style (for example tabs for Go and Makefiles, four-space indents for Python).
4. Propose .gitignore
Fetch the templates GitHub ships for the detected languages:
gh api /gitignore/templates
gh api /gitignore/templates/{name} --jq .source
Merge the fetched template content with any existing .gitignore. Append missing template lines; never remove an existing user entry, even one that looks redundant.
5. Renormalize line endings (only when authorized)
When .gitattributes changes alter how tracked files should be stored, git add --renormalize . rewrites tracked file content to match the new rules. This is a destructive rewrite of tracked content, so:
- Require a clean working tree first:
git status --porcelainmust print nothing. - Require explicit user authorization before running the command. Never renormalize as a side effect of proposing
.gitattributes. - If the tree is dirty, stop and ask the user to commit or stash before renormalizing.
6. Verify
git check-attr -a <file>
git ls-files --eol
gh api repos/{owner}/{repo}/languages
Use git check-attr -a <file> to confirm the attributes applied match the proposal. Use git ls-files --eol to confirm working-tree and index line endings agree with .gitattributes. Use the GitHub languages API call to confirm linguist overrides changed the reported language mix, after the change reaches GitHub.
What this skill is NOT for
- Pre-commit or prek hook selection — that's
/prek. - GitHub custom properties or other organization-level metadata — out of scope for this skill.
- Community health files (README, LICENSE, CODE_OF_CONDUCT, CONTRIBUTING, SECURITY) — that's
/oss-hygiene. - CI pipeline configuration — not a repo-attributes concern.
Gotchas
* text=autoalone does not force LF for scripts on a contributor's Windows checkout; pair it with an expliciteol=lfrule for files that must not gain CRLF.linguist-generatedandlinguist-vendoredchange the GitHub language bar and default PR diff collapsing, not localgit diffoutput.git add --renormalize .only rewrites the index and working tree; it does not rewrite history. Existing clones still show the old line endings until they pull and re-run it themselves.- LFS filter patterns without
git lfs installrun locally have no effect; confirm LFS is installed before proposing filter patterns as the fix for a large-file problem. .gitignoreonly affects untracked files. A path already tracked keeps being tracked until it is explicitly removed withgit rm --cached.
References
references/attributes.md— cited sources for.gitattributes, linguist overrides,.editorconfig, line-ending configuration,.gitignore, and Git LFS.
FAQ
What does the repo-attributes skill do?
Configure .gitattributes, .editorconfig, .gitignore, and Git LFS filters for a repository: normalize line endings, mark generated, vendored, and documentation paths for GitHub linguist, set per-language editor defaults, and merge .gitignore content from GitHub templates. Use when the user says "add .gitattributes", "fix line endings", "CRLF", "linguist", "mark generated files", "set up .editorconfig", "gitignore template", "git lfs", or invokes /repo-attributes. Do NOT use for prek or pre-commit hook configuration — use /prek. GitHub custom properties (organization-level metadata) are out of scope; this skill only touches per-repository attribute, editor, and ignore files. Community health files (README, LICENSE, CODEOFCONDUCT, CONTRIBUTING, SECURITY) belong to /oss-hygiene, not this skill.
How do I install repo-attributes?
Run npx skills add https://github.com/paulnsorensen/git-gouda --skill repo-attributes in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/repo-attributes/ (personal) or .claude/skills/repo-attributes/ (project).
Which AI agents can use repo-attributes?
Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.
Is repo-attributes safe to install?
No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.
Who maintains repo-attributes?
It is published by paulnsorensen in paulnsorensen/git-gouda. It has 53 recorded installs.
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