Addresses community feedback about missing setup steps. New Documentation: + BULLETPROOF_QUICKSTART.md - Complete beginner guide - Step-by-step Python/Git installation - Every step with expected output - Troubleshooting for each step - Test example (5-page scrape) - 15-30 minute complete setup + TROUBLESHOOTING.md - Comprehensive troubleshooting - Installation issues (Python, pip, permissions) - Runtime issues (file not found, configs) - MCP setup issues (placeholder paths!) - Scraping issues (slow, empty content) - Platform-specific (macOS/Linux/Windows) - Verification commands Setup Script Improvements: ✅ Fixed setup_mcp.sh path expansion - Now shows ACTUAL paths (not $REPO_PATH placeholder) - Verifies paths exist after writing config - Shows config contents for verification - Tests MCP server path validity - Clear warning about placeholders README Updates: ✅ Added Prerequisites section - Python 3.10+ requirement clear - Git requirement clear - Links to bulletproof guide ✅ Added git clone step to Quick Start ✅ Reorganized Documentation section - Getting Started (new, beginner, troubleshooting) - Guides (advanced topics) - Technical (architecture) Fixes: - Issue #8 - Prereqs to Getting Started - Issue #114 on project board (H1.1) - Placeholder path problem in MCP setup - Missing beginner-friendly docs Impact: New users can now get started without confusion!
9.3 KiB
Bulletproof Quick Start Guide
Target Audience: Complete beginners | Never used Python/git before? Start here!
Time: 15-30 minutes total (including all installations)
Result: Working Skill Seeker installation + your first Claude skill created
📋 What You'll Need
Before starting, you need:
- A computer (macOS, Linux, or Windows with WSL)
- Internet connection
- 30 minutes of time
That's it! We'll install everything else together.
Step 1: Install Python (5 minutes)
Check if You Already Have Python
Open Terminal (macOS/Linux) or Command Prompt (Windows) and type:
python3 --version
✅ If you see: Python 3.10.x or Python 3.11.x or higher → Skip to Step 2!
❌ If you see: command not found or version less than 3.10 → Continue below
Install Python
macOS:
# Install Homebrew (if not installed)
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"
# Install Python
brew install python3
Verify:
python3 --version
# Should show: Python 3.11.x or similar
Linux (Ubuntu/Debian):
sudo apt update
sudo apt install python3 python3-pip
Verify:
python3 --version
pip3 --version
Windows:
- Download Python from: https://www.python.org/downloads/
- Run installer
- IMPORTANT: Check "Add Python to PATH" during installation
- Open Command Prompt and verify:
python --version
✅ Success looks like:
Python 3.11.5
Step 2: Install Git (3 minutes)
Check if You Have Git
git --version
✅ If you see: git version 2.x.x → Skip to Step 3!
❌ If not installed:
macOS:
brew install git
Linux:
sudo apt install git
Windows:
Download from: https://git-scm.com/download/win
Verify:
git --version
# Should show: git version 2.x.x
Step 3: Get Skill Seeker (2 minutes)
Choose Where to Put It
Pick a location for the project. Good choices:
- macOS/Linux:
~/Projects/or~/Documents/ - Windows:
C:\Users\YourName\Projects\
Clone the Repository
# Create Projects directory (if it doesn't exist)
mkdir -p ~/Projects
cd ~/Projects
# Clone Skill Seeker
git clone https://github.com/yusufkaraaslan/Skill_Seekers.git
# Enter the directory
cd Skill_Seekers
✅ Success looks like:
Cloning into 'Skill_Seekers'...
remote: Enumerating objects: 245, done.
remote: Counting objects: 100% (245/245), done.
Verify you're in the right place:
pwd
# Should show: /Users/yourname/Projects/Skill_Seekers (or similar)
ls
# Should show: README.md, cli/, mcp/, configs/, etc.
❌ If git clone fails:
# Check internet connection
ping google.com
# Or download ZIP manually:
# https://github.com/yusufkaraaslan/Skill_Seekers/archive/refs/heads/main.zip
# Then unzip and cd into it
Step 4: Install Dependencies (2 minutes)
# Make sure you're in the Skill_Seekers directory
cd ~/Projects/Skill_Seekers # Adjust path if you chose different location
# Install required packages
pip3 install requests beautifulsoup4
✅ Success looks like:
Successfully installed requests-2.31.0 beautifulsoup4-4.12.3
❌ If pip3 not found:
# Try without the 3
pip install requests beautifulsoup4
❌ If permission denied:
# Add --user flag
pip3 install --user requests beautifulsoup4
Step 5: Test Your Installation (1 minute)
Let's make sure everything works:
# Test the main script can run
python3 cli/doc_scraper.py --help
✅ Success looks like:
usage: doc_scraper.py [-h] [--config CONFIG] [--interactive] ...
❌ If you see "No such file or directory":
# Check you're in the right directory
pwd
# Should show path ending in /Skill_Seekers
# List files
ls cli/
# Should show: doc_scraper.py, estimate_pages.py, etc.
Step 6: Create Your First Skill! (5-10 minutes)
Let's create a simple skill using a preset configuration.
Option A: Small Test (Recommended First Time)
# Create a config for a small site first
cat > configs/test.json << 'EOF'
{
"name": "test-skill",
"description": "Test skill creation",
"base_url": "https://tailwindcss.com/docs/installation",
"max_pages": 5,
"rate_limit": 0.5
}
EOF
# Run the scraper
python3 cli/doc_scraper.py --config configs/test.json
What happens:
- Scrapes 5 pages from Tailwind CSS docs
- Creates
output/test-skill/directory - Generates SKILL.md and reference files
⏱️ Time: ~30 seconds
✅ Success looks like:
Scraping: https://tailwindcss.com/docs/installation
Page 1/5: Installation
Page 2/5: Editor Setup
...
✅ Skill created at: output/test-skill/
Option B: Full Example (React Docs)
# Use the React preset
python3 cli/doc_scraper.py --config configs/react.json --max-pages 50
⏱️ Time: ~5 minutes
What you get:
output/react/SKILL.md- Main skill fileoutput/react/references/- Organized documentation
Verify It Worked
# Check the output
ls output/test-skill/
# Should show: SKILL.md, references/, scripts/, assets/
# Look at the generated skill
head output/test-skill/SKILL.md
Step 7: Package for Claude (30 seconds)
# Package the skill
python3 cli/package_skill.py output/test-skill/
✅ Success looks like:
✅ Skill packaged successfully!
📦 Created: output/test-skill.zip
📏 Size: 45.2 KB
Ready to upload to Claude AI!
Now you have: output/test-skill.zip ready to upload to Claude!
Step 8: Upload to Claude (2 minutes)
- Go to https://claude.ai
- Click your profile → Settings
- Click "Knowledge" or "Skills"
- Click "Upload Skill"
- Select
output/test-skill.zip - Done! Claude can now use this skill
🎉 Success! What's Next?
You now have a working Skill Seeker installation! Here's what you can do:
Try Other Presets
# See all available presets
ls configs/
# Try Vue.js
python3 cli/doc_scraper.py --config configs/vue.json --max-pages 50
# Try Django
python3 cli/doc_scraper.py --config configs/django.json --max-pages 50
Create Custom Skills
# Interactive mode - answer questions
python3 cli/doc_scraper.py --interactive
# Or create config for any website
python3 cli/doc_scraper.py \
--name myframework \
--url https://docs.myframework.com/ \
--description "My favorite framework"
Use with Claude Code (Advanced)
If you have Claude Code installed:
# One-time setup
./setup_mcp.sh
# Then use natural language in Claude Code:
# "Generate a skill for Svelte docs"
# "Package the skill at output/svelte/"
See: docs/MCP_SETUP.md for full MCP setup
🔧 Troubleshooting
"Command not found" errors
Problem: python3: command not found
Solution: Python not installed or not in PATH
- macOS/Linux: Reinstall Python with brew/apt
- Windows: Reinstall Python, check "Add to PATH"
- Try
pythoninstead ofpython3
"Permission denied" errors
Problem: Can't install packages or run scripts
Solution:
# Use --user flag
pip3 install --user requests beautifulsoup4
# Or make script executable
chmod +x cli/doc_scraper.py
"No such file or directory"
Problem: Can't find cli/doc_scraper.py
Solution: You're not in the right directory
# Go to the Skill_Seekers directory
cd ~/Projects/Skill_Seekers # Adjust your path
# Verify
ls cli/
# Should show doc_scraper.py
"ModuleNotFoundError"
Problem: Missing Python packages
Solution:
# Install dependencies again
pip3 install requests beautifulsoup4
# If that fails, try:
pip3 install --user requests beautifulsoup4
Scraping is slow or fails
Problem: Takes forever or gets errors
Solution:
# Use smaller max_pages for testing
python3 cli/doc_scraper.py --config configs/react.json --max-pages 10
# Check internet connection
ping google.com
# Check the website is accessible
curl -I https://docs.yoursite.com
Still stuck?
- Check our detailed troubleshooting guide: TROUBLESHOOTING.md
- Open an issue: https://github.com/yusufkaraaslan/Skill_Seekers/issues
- Include this info:
- Operating system (macOS 13, Ubuntu 22.04, Windows 11, etc.)
- Python version (
python3 --version) - Full error message
- What command you ran
📚 Next Steps
- Read the full README: README.md
- Learn about presets: configs/
- Try MCP integration: docs/MCP_SETUP.md
- Advanced usage: docs/
✅ Quick Reference
# Your typical workflow:
# 1. Create/use a config
python3 cli/doc_scraper.py --config configs/react.json --max-pages 50
# 2. Package it
python3 cli/package_skill.py output/react/
# 3. Upload output/react.zip to Claude
# Done! 🎉
Common locations:
- Configs:
configs/*.json - Output:
output/skill-name/ - Packaged skills:
output/skill-name.zip
Time estimates:
- Small skill (5-10 pages): 30 seconds
- Medium skill (50-100 pages): 3-5 minutes
- Large skill (500+ pages): 15-30 minutes
Still confused? That's okay! Open an issue and we'll help you get started: https://github.com/yusufkaraaslan/Skill_Seekers/issues/new