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Buddy Changesets

init-changesets

Sets changesets up in a repository: initializes .changeset/, writes the config, adds the version and release scripts, and creates the CI release workflow. It also migrates a repository off another release tool.

When it runs

Section titled “When it runs”

Ask for it directly, or say something like “add changesets”, “set up releases”, or “configure versioning”. It also fits when the release workflow is missing or broken, or when you want to move off semantic-release, release-it, lerna, release-please, or a similar tool.

To add or review a changeset in an existing setup, use changesets instead.

What it does

Section titled “What it does”
  1. Detects the package manager, monorepo layout, CI platform, and any competing release tool from the filesystem — it asks only what the files cannot answer.
  2. Offers to migrate if another release tool is present, and stops if you decline.
  3. Runs changeset init (skipped when .changeset/ already exists) and writes .changeset/config.json, including fixed, linked, and ignore groups for a monorepo.
  4. Adds version, release, and cs scripts to package.json.
  5. Writes the release workflow — an inline GitHub Actions workflow, a shared one in your <org>/.github repository, or the equivalent for GitLab, CircleCI, Bitbucket, Azure Pipelines, Jenkins, Travis, or Drone.
  6. Tells you which secrets to add, and verifies the setup.

In an agent plugin repository that publishes nothing to npm, the scripts and workflow instead sync the plugin manifests and create a git tag and GitHub release. See Releasing agent plugins.

What you need

Section titled “What you need”
  • A repository with at least one package.json.
  • On GitHub, for a package published to npm, an npm trusted publisher registered for the release workflow. Other CI platforms, or packages without a trusted publisher, need an npm automation token stored as NPM_TOKEN in the CI secrets.
  • On GitHub, a PAT stored as RELEASE_TOKEN only if branch protection blocks the Version Packages PR.

References

Section titled “References”

The skill reads these on demand — one migration file per detected tool, one CI file per detected platform. It never loads them all.

  • references/migration/ — semantic-release, release-it, standard-version, beachball, release-please, auto, Nx Release, lerna, bumpp, changelogen
  • references/ci/ — _common.md plus GitLab, CircleCI, Bitbucket, Azure Pipelines, Jenkins, Travis, Drone