Daidala Setup
Overview
Guide a user from an installed Daidala plugin to one explicitly confirmed
workflow start. Setup prepares and starts; daidala:orchestrate remains the
worker contract. This skill works without the web dashboard and uses the same
daidala_start request in dashboard and non-dashboard sessions.
When to Use
Load this skill explicitly as daidala:setup when the user wants to install,
check, configure, or start Daidala. Do not use it for stage execution or for
resuming an already-created workflow.
Procedure
- Check the active Hermes version, Daidala plugin state, gateway or dispatcher
availability, selected pack, exact required skills, available profiles, and
named Kanban boards. Use documented Hermes surfaces and
daidala_pack_info; do not inspect private databases or infer names. - Present missing prerequisites with exact commands or tool calls. Installation, board creation, pack setup, and other mutations require a separate preview and explicit confirmation before execution. Never request or display credentials.
- Ask the user to select an existing named board. Offer explicit board creation only through the documented Hermes Kanban operation. If creation is declined, keep setup read-only.
- Ask for one default existing profile for every executable stage. Show the
complete mapping and ask only for explicit overrides of
define,plan,implement,verify,review, ordeliver. - Ask for the pack, absolute target repository, stable workflow ID, and complete goal. Do not infer a path from prose or generate an unstable identifier.
- Ask the user to choose exactly one policy source: no constraints; explicit validated YAML content; or an exact installed policy skill plus its verified complete-directory SHA-256 digest. Never infer a policy source.
- Build and display the exact request below. Validate required fields and show
the selected board, pack, repository, workflow ID, full stage-profile map,
and constraint provenance. Do not call
daidala_startyet. - Ask the user to explicitly confirm that exact preview. A general request to configure Daidala is not confirmation. If the preview changes, show it again and obtain fresh confirmation.
- After confirmation, call
daidala_startexactly once. Report the returned workflow and card identities and point the user to native Kanban. If the dashboard is available,/daidalais an optional observation surface; its absence never changes the request or blocks setup. - Stop after start. Hermes Kanban dispatches workers using
daidala:orchestrate; setup does not execute lifecycle stages.
Exact Start Request
Use only the current daidala_start argument names:
board_slug: selected existing board;target_repository: absolute clean local Git checkout;goal: complete development goal;stage_profiles: object with exactlydefine,plan,implement,verify,review, anddeliver, each mapped to an existing profile;pack: selected bundled pack;workflow_id: explicit stable identifier;- optional
constraints_content; or optionalconstraints_skilltogether withconstraints_skill_digest.
constraints_content and constraints_skill are mutually exclusive. A
constraints_skill_digest without constraints_skill is invalid. Do not add
aliases, omit executable stages, or translate this request into a second setup
schema.
Common Pitfalls
- Starting before the exact preview receives explicit confirmation.
- Treating a missing dashboard as a setup failure.
- Guessing board, profile, repository, workflow ID, or policy source.
- Using
--profileas Daidala's default-profile input; it is a Hermes host option. The CLI uses--default-profileand optional--stage-profile. - Installing skills or creating boards without a separate mutation preview.
- Starting stage work in the setup session instead of leaving it to Kanban.
- Copying pack lifecycle data instead of calling
daidala_pack_info.
Verification Checklist
- Supported Hermes and enabled Daidala plugin checked.
- Pack and exact required skills checked.
- Existing board and profiles selected explicitly.
- Absolute repository, stable workflow ID, goal, and policy source explicit.
- Preview contains the complete current
daidala_startrequest. - Human explicitly confirmed the unchanged preview.
-
daidala_startcalled exactly once after confirmation. - Dashboard availability did not alter the request.
- Setup stopped after returning workflow and card identities.