You MUST complete ALL steps below. Do not stop after Step 1.
Step 1: Run init script
Run the command from <spex-init-command> in the <spex-context> system reminder. This is your first and only Bash call. Do not run anything else before it.
- If output contains
NEED_INSTALL: show output, STOP. - If output contains
ERROR: show error, STOP. - If the command was run with
--refreshor--updateand output containsRESTART_REQUIRED: SKIP Steps 2 and 3. Templates and extensions were refreshed but the existing configuration (enabled extensions, permissions) is preserved. Go directly to Step 4 and report that the refresh completed. Tell the user to restart Claude Code. - If output contains
READYorRESTART_REQUIRED: do not summarize yet, go to Step 2.
Step 2: Ask about extensions and permissions
You MUST ask all 3 questions below in a SINGLE AskUserQuestion call. Do NOT split, merge, reword, or reorder them. Pass them exactly as specified:
-
(
multiSelect: true, header: "Quality"): "Which quality & review extensions do you want to enable?"- "spex-gates": "Quality gates on speckit commands (review-spec, review-code, verification)"
- "spex-deep-review": "Multi-perspective code review with autonomous fix loop (5 agents)"
- "spex-teams": "Parallel implementation with spec guardian review via Agent Teams (experimental, requires: spex-gates)"
-
(
multiSelect: true, header: "Workflow"): "Which workflow extensions do you want to enable?"- "spex-worktrees": "Git worktree isolation after speckit-specify (creates worktree in .claude/worktrees/)"
- "spex-collab": "Phase-split collaboration with REVIEWERS.md for team PRs"
- "spex-detach": "Strip spec artifacts at PR time for contributing to repos that don't use SDD"
-
(
multiSelect: false, header: "Permissions"): "How should spex commands handle permission prompts?"- "Standard (Recommended)": "Auto-approve spex plugin scripts (spex-init.sh, specify CLI)"
- "YOLO": "Auto-approve everything, bypass all permission prompts for unattended workflows"
- "None": "Confirm every spex command before execution"
Then apply the selections:
Dependency resolution: If the user selected spex-teams but NOT spex-gates, auto-enable spex-gates and warn:
Note: spex-gates was auto-enabled because spex-teams depends on it for spec guardian review.
Extensions: Extensions are already installed and enabled by the init script. For any extensions the user did NOT select (after dependency resolution), disable them:
# Disable unselected extensions (ignore errors if already in desired state)
specify extension disable <extension-name> 2>/dev/null || true
If the user selected all extensions, no action needed (all are enabled by default after init).
Permissions: The specify CLI does not manage permissions. Instead, write permission allowlists directly to .claude/settings.json based on the user's choice. Use the EXACT allow arrays below (copy verbatim, do not modify or rephrase the permission strings):
- Standard:
{"permissions": {"allow": ["Skill", "Bash(specify *)", "Bash(*spex-init.sh*)", "Bash(*spex-ship-statusline.sh*)"]}} - YOLO:
Note:{"permissions": {"defaultMode": "bypassPermissions", "allow": ["Bash(*)", "Read(*)", "Edit(*)", "Write(*)", "WebFetch", "WebSearch", "Skill", "Bash(specify *)", "Bash(*spex-init.sh*)", "Bash(*spex-ship-statusline.sh*)"]}}defaultMode: "bypassPermissions"skips all permission prompts. The broadallowrules serve as additional fallback. Use this for unattended ship pipelines or when you trust the agent fully. - None: Do not modify permissions (leave defaults)
Use the existing project .claude/settings.json (create if missing). Merge permission entries without overwriting existing settings.
Step 3: Detect companion plugins and seed memory
Scan the available skills list from the system reminder for companion plugins:
3a: Superpowers plugin
Check for any of these upstream superpowers skills: test-driven-development, systematic-debugging, brainstorming, writing-plans. These are skills from obra/superpowers that complement spex but are NOT bundled with it.
- If found: record "superpowers" as a detected companion plugin in the Step 4 report. No further action needed.
- If not found and the user enabled the
spex-gatesextension in Step 2: show a recommendation in the Step 4 report (see below). Do NOT block init or make it an error.
Step 4: Report
Summarize: extensions enabled, permission level, and companion plugins detected. If Step 1 said RESTART_REQUIRED or Step 2 permissions said CHANGED, tell user to restart Claude Code.
If superpowers companion plugin was NOT detected (Step 3b), append this to the report:
Recommended companion: The Superpowers plugin by Jesse Vincent adds TDD discipline and systematic debugging skills that complement spex's spec-first workflow. spex absorbs superpowers' quality gates and anti-rationalization patterns, but does not bundle these standalone skills:
- test-driven-development: strict RED-GREEN-REFACTOR, no production code without failing test
- systematic-debugging: 4-phase root cause analysis with defense-in-depth
Install with:
/plugin install superpowers@claude-plugins-official(orclaude plugin install superpowers@claude-plugins-officialfrom the terminal)