Installation

Prerequisites

Before setting up dot-skills, make sure you have the following installed:

• Bun — the JavaScript runtime used by the kanban server. Install from bun.sh.
• Git — required for repository cloning and the auto-commit feature.
• Claude Code CLI — the Claude Code command-line interface where plugins are loaded.

Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/kormie/dot-skills.git
cd dot-skills

Register the Plugin Marketplace

Add dot-skills as a known marketplace in your Claude Code configuration. Create or edit ~/.claude/plugins/known_marketplaces.json:

{
  "dot-skills": {
    "source": {
      "source": "github",
      "repo": "kormie/dot-skills"
    },
    "installLocation": "~/.claude/plugins/marketplaces/dot-skills",
    "autoUpdate": true
  }
}

Then enable plugins in your Claude Code settings. Once registered, the kanban-skill plugin and its skills, commands, and hooks will be available in all Claude Code sessions.

Starting the Web Server

The kanban web server serves the board viewer at localhost:3333. Start it with:

cd plugins/kanban-skill/server && KANBAN_ROOT=$PWD/../../.. bun run index.ts

The KANBAN_ROOT environment variable tells the server where to find the kanban/ directory. The command above sets it to the repository root, which is the standard layout.

Alternatively, use the /kanban-serve command inside a Claude Code session to start the server automatically.

Running Tests

Run the test suite from the server directory:

cd plugins/kanban-skill/server && bun test

No build step is required. Tests run directly against the TypeScript source.

Configuration

The server accepts two environment variables:

Variable	Default	Description
PORT	3333	The port the web server listens on
KANBAN_ROOT	(required)	Absolute path to the directory containing the kanban/ folder

Example with Custom Port

cd plugins/kanban-skill/server && PORT=8080 KANBAN_ROOT=$PWD/../../.. bun run index.ts

Verifying the Setup

After starting the server, open http://localhost:3333 in your browser. You should see the kanban board viewer with three view options: Board, Table, and Swimlane.

If the kanban/ directory does not yet exist at your KANBAN_ROOT, create the required directories:

mkdir -p kanban/{todo,in-progress,ready-to-review,done,reviews,workstreams}

Next Steps

With the server running, explore the Kanban Board guide to learn how to create tickets, manage workstreams, and use the web viewer.