MCPInstall

grepai-init

by yoanbernabeuCode Quality & Workflow

Initialize GrepAI in a project. Use this skill when setting up GrepAI for the first time in a codebase.

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Install

Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.

npx skills add https://github.com/yoanbernabeu/grepai-skills --skill grepai-init
  1. 01

    Install

    Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.

  2. 02

    Describe the task

    Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads grepai-init automatically when relevant.

  3. 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.

GrepAI Init

This skill covers the grepai init command and project initialization.

When to Use This Skill

  • Setting up GrepAI in a new project
  • Understanding what grepai init creates
  • Customizing initial configuration
  • Troubleshooting initialization issues

Basic Usage

cd /path/to/your/project
grepai init

What Init Creates

Running grepai init creates the .grepai/ directory with:

.grepai/
├── config.yaml    # Configuration file
├── index.gob      # Vector index (created by watch)
└── symbols.gob    # Symbol index for trace (created by watch)

Default Configuration

The generated config.yaml:

version: 1

embedder:
  provider: ollama
  model: nomic-embed-text
  endpoint: http://localhost:11434

store:
  backend: gob

chunking:
  size: 512
  overlap: 50

watch:
  debounce_ms: 500

trace:
  mode: fast
  enabled_languages:
    - .go
    - .js
    - .ts
    - .jsx
    - .tsx
    - .py
    - .php
    - .c
    - .h
    - .cpp
    - .hpp
    - .cc
    - .cxx
    - .rs
    - .zig
    - .cs
    - .pas
    - .dpr

ignore:
  - .git
  - .grepai
  - node_modules
  - vendor
  - target
  - __pycache__
  - dist
  - build

Understanding Default Settings

Embedder Settings

SettingDefaultPurpose
providerollamaLocal embedding generation
modelnomic-embed-text768-dimension model
endpointhttp://localhost:11434Ollama API URL

Store Settings

SettingDefaultPurpose
backendgobLocal file storage

Chunking Settings

SettingDefaultPurpose
size512Tokens per chunk
overlap50Overlap for context

Watch Settings

SettingDefaultPurpose
debounce_ms500Wait time before re-indexing

Ignore Patterns

Default patterns exclude:

  • Version control: .git
  • GrepAI data: .grepai
  • Dependencies: node_modules, vendor
  • Build outputs: target, dist, build
  • Cache: __pycache__

Customizing After Init

Edit .grepai/config.yaml to customize:

Change Embedding Provider

embedder:
  provider: openai
  model: text-embedding-3-small
  api_key: ${OPENAI_API_KEY}

Change Storage Backend

store:
  backend: postgres
  postgres:
    dsn: postgres://user:pass@localhost:5432/grepai

Add Custom Ignore Patterns

ignore:
  - .git
  - .grepai
  - node_modules
  - "*.min.js"
  - "*.bundle.js"
  - coverage/
  - .nyc_output/

Init in Monorepos

For monorepos, init at the root:

cd /path/to/monorepo
grepai init

Or use workspaces for separate indices:

grepai workspace create my-workspace
grepai workspace add my-workspace /path/to/project1
grepai workspace add my-workspace /path/to/project2

Re-Initialization

If you need to reset:

# Remove existing config
rm -rf .grepai

# Re-initialize
grepai init

Warning: This deletes your index. You'll need to re-run grepai watch.

Verifying Initialization

After init, verify with:

# Check config exists
cat .grepai/config.yaml

# Check status (will show no index yet)
grepai status

Common Issues

❌ Problem: .grepai already exists ✅ Solution: Delete it first or edit existing config:

rm -rf .grepai && grepai init

❌ Problem: Config created but Ollama not running ✅ Solution: Start Ollama before running grepai watch:

ollama serve

❌ Problem: Wrong directory initialized ✅ Solution: Remove .grepai and init in correct directory

Best Practices

  1. Init at project root: Where your main code lives
  2. Add .grepai/ to .gitignore: Index is machine-specific
  3. Customize ignore patterns: Exclude generated/vendored code
  4. Review config after init: Adjust for your stack

Example .gitignore Addition

# GrepAI
.grepai/

Output Format

After successful initialization:

✅ GrepAI Initialized

   Config: .grepai/config.yaml

   Default settings:
   - Embedder: Ollama (nomic-embed-text)
   - Storage: GOB (local file)
   - Chunking: 512 tokens, 50 overlap

   Next steps:
   1. Ensure Ollama is running: ollama serve
   2. Start indexing: grepai watch

FAQ

What does the grepai-init skill do?

Initialize GrepAI in a project. Use this skill when setting up GrepAI for the first time in a codebase.

How do I install grepai-init?

Run npx skills add https://github.com/yoanbernabeu/grepai-skills --skill grepai-init 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/grepai-init/ (personal) or .claude/skills/grepai-init/ (project).

Which AI agents can use grepai-init?

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 grepai-init 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 grepai-init?

It is published by yoanbernabeu in yoanbernabeu/grepai-skills. It has 696 recorded installs.

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