cstack

cstack turns Codex from one generic assistant into a set of explicit delivery modes.

Inspired by gstack, this pack gives you clear workflow gears for planning, engineering design, review, release, QA, and retrospectives.

Why cstack

Without explicit modes, requests blur together:

• product planning gets mixed with implementation details
• review quality varies by prompt quality
• shipping can drift into open-ended discussion

With cstack, you pick the right mode for the phase and get more consistent output quality.

Modes

Skill	Mode	What it does
plan-product-review	Product strategy	Reframes the request around user outcomes and sharp v1 scope.
plan-eng-review	Technical design	Produces architecture, edge cases, risks, and test matrix before coding.
review	Production reviewer	Prioritizes bugs, regressions, trust boundaries, and missing tests.
ship	Release execution	Checks merge readiness, validation status, and remaining blockers.
qa	Validation lead	Runs quick/standard/full test scopes with evidence and confidence level.
retro	Continuous improvement	Captures wins, pain points, and concrete next-cycle improvements.

Example Flow

You: Use $plan-product-review for this feature idea.
Codex: Clarifies user job, defines v1, surfaces product risks.

You: Now run $plan-eng-review.
Codex: Architecture + failure modes + test plan + execution order.

You: Implement.

You: Run $review on current changes.
Codex: Lists high-risk findings first with concrete file references.

You: Apply fixes.

You: Use $ship.
Codex: Reports ship-readiness, checks run, and any blockers.

You: Run $qa quick.
Codex: Smoke coverage + evidence + confidence recommendation.

You: Run $retro.
Codex: What worked, what hurt, and what to improve next.

Installation

macOS

mkdir -p "$CODEX_HOME/skills"
git clone https://github.com/SilentJMA/codex-cstack.git "$CODEX_HOME/skills/cstack"
cd "$CODEX_HOME/skills/cstack"
chmod +x setup
./setup

Linux

mkdir -p "$CODEX_HOME/skills"
git clone https://github.com/SilentJMA/codex-cstack.git "$CODEX_HOME/skills/cstack"
cd "$CODEX_HOME/skills/cstack"
chmod +x setup
./setup

Windows (PowerShell)

$skills = Join-Path $env:CODEX_HOME "skills"
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path $skills | Out-Null
git clone https://github.com/SilentJMA/codex-cstack.git (Join-Path $skills "cstack")
wsl bash -lc 'cd "$CODEX_HOME/skills/cstack" && chmod +x setup && ./setup'

Windows (Git Bash / WSL)

mkdir -p "$CODEX_HOME/skills"
git clone https://github.com/SilentJMA/codex-cstack.git "$CODEX_HOME/skills/cstack"
cd "$CODEX_HOME/skills/cstack"
chmod +x setup
./setup

Notes:

• WSL is recommended on Windows for best compatibility.
• If symlinks fail, enable Windows Developer Mode or run terminal as Administrator.

AGENTS.md Default Snippet

If your project uses AGENTS.md, add this:

Use cstack skills by default for structured software delivery work.

Planning:
- $plan-product-review first
- then $plan-eng-review

Review:
- $review by default

Shipping:
- $ship by default

This keeps behavior consistent across contributors and sessions.

Usage Prompts

• Use $plan-product-review for this request before coding.
• Run $plan-eng-review and include architecture plus test matrix.
• Do a $review and list findings by severity.
• Use $ship and tell me if this branch is merge-ready.
• Run $qa in standard mode for this feature.
• Create a $retro for this delivery.

Repository Layout

• AGENTS.md: default routing guidance for planning/review/shipping
• SKILL.md: meta skill with selection guide
• setup: symlink helper for sub-skills
• <skill>/SKILL.md: mode-specific instructions

Inspiration

cstack is inspired by gstack's explicit workflow model and adapted for Codex-native skill triggering.

License

MIT