setup-medsci
Use when a skill fails for a missing tool or the environment needs checking. Diagnoses Python, R, Node, Claude Code, Git, Zotero and configured MCP servers and prints a pass/fail table with links to the setup docs. Read-only; installs nothing.
How do I install this agent skill?
npx skills add https://github.com/aperivue/medsci-skills --skill setup-medsciIs this agent skill safe to install?
- Gen Agent Trust Hubpass
The skill is a diagnostic utility designed to verify the local environment for medical research tools. It executes read-only system commands to check versions of Python, R, and other dependencies. While it is intentionally restricted to read-only operations and includes anti-hallucination instructions, it presents a minor surface for indirect prompt injection via the ingestion of command outputs.
- Socketpass
No alerts
- Snykpass
Risk: LOW · No issues
What does this agent skill do?
Setup-MedSci Skill
Diagnose only. Never install, upgrade or configure anything — no brew install,
winget install, pip install, Rscript -e 'install.packages(...)', and no edits to
~/.claude.json or any MCP configuration (read claude mcp list only) — because auto-installers
for system Python and R are a support nightmare for non-developer users. If a tool is missing,
the user follows the setup doc themselves. Skill versions and content are out of scope
(validate_skills.sh, /manage-project status).
The diagnostic table is in English so it can be pasted into a GitHub issue. Remediation links
point to the docs/setup/ guides in the medsci-skills repository, and only these five exist:
docs/setup/README.md, docs/setup/mac.md, docs/setup/windows.md, docs/setup/mcp-setup.md,
docs/setup/common-issues.md.
Workflow
Phase 1: Detect OS
uname -s
Darwin→ macOS →docs/setup/mac.mdLinux→ Linux (similar tooling to Mac) →docs/setup/mac.mdMINGW*,MSYS*,CYGWIN*, or detection failure on Windows →docs/setup/windows.md
Phase 2: Run Diagnostic Commands
Read references/setup-checklist.md and run every check in it — R1-R5 required, O1-O5 optional —
with its detect command, version command, minimum version and status rule. Use command -v <tool>
first to detect presence without running it (avoids triggering long initialization). Capture the
version output and the exit code, and report the version exactly as printed: if a command fails,
report the failure verbatim rather than a version that is "probably" installed. If command -v
finds the tool but the version command or its parse fails, mark the row ❌ and report the failing
command — the install is broken, not just outdated. An MCP server is ✅ only when
claude mcp list shows it connected; configured-but-disconnected is ⚠️.
Phase 3: Emit Checklist Table
Print a single Markdown table to stdout in this exact format, one row per check, with the doc link from the reference for the detected OS:
## MedSci Skills Setup Diagnostic
OS detected: <macOS | Linux | Windows>
Date: <YYYY-MM-DD>
| Component | Status | Detected | Required | Action |
|---|:---:|---|---|---|
| Python 3.11+ | ✅ / ❌ | 3.11.9 | 3.11+ | OK / See docs/setup/mac.md Step 2 |
| MCP: zotero | ✅ / ❌ / ⚠️ | Connected | optional | OK / See docs/setup/mcp-setup.md |
Summary: <X required components passed, Y missing>
Next step: <one-sentence action>
Status legend:
- ✅ Present and meets minimum version
- ❌ Missing or below minimum version
- ⚠️ Present but optional and not connected
Phase 4: Suggest Remediation
Use the reference's Summary Rules for the closing sentence.
- Everything required ✅ → point to Demo 1:
cd ~/medsci-skills/demo/01_wisconsin_bc && claude '/orchestrate --e2e'. - Any required row ❌ → print its doc link and tell them to follow that step. Do not offer to install; the doc tells them exactly what to copy-paste.
- Only optional MCP rows ❌ → explain that MedSci Skills work without MCP servers, but
lit-sync,verify-refsandwrite-paperare smoother with Zotero MCP; linkdocs/setup/mcp-setup.md.
Output
The diagnostic report goes to stdout. If the user asks for a copyable report (e.g. for a GitHub
issue), also write it to ~/.medsci-skills/diagnostic-YYYY-MM-DD.md and tell them where it is.
How can the creator link this skill?
Add the canonical catalog link to the repository README so users can inspect current installs and available audits. The publishing guide covers the complete discovery path.
<a href="https://skillzs.dev/skills/aperivue/medsci-skills/setup-medsci">View setup-medsci on skillZs</a>