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Guide · Open source

How to use gstack: install it in Claude Code and run its skills

Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data

gstack is an open-source, MIT-licensed set of slash-command skills, written in Markdown with TypeScript tooling, that you install into Claude Code. Each skill gives the agent a specific engineering role, such as product review, code review, browser-based QA, security audit and shipping a pull request. This guide shows you how to install it, run the first few skills and decide whether a team should require it.

gstackgarrytan/gstack · ★ 139k · MIT

Quick start

  1. 1Check prerequisites. Make sure Claude Code, Git, Bun v1.4.2 or newer and Node.js (on Windows) are installed. Setup refuses Bun older than 1.3.3.
  2. 2Clone and run setup. Clone the repo into ~/.claude/skills/gstack and run ./setup from that folder.
  3. 3Run /office-hours. Describe what you are building. The skill pushes back on your framing and writes a design doc.
  4. 4Run /review on a branch. Run /review on any branch with changes to find bugs and fix the obvious ones.
  5. 5Run /qa on a staging URL. Point /qa at a staging URL or an isolated local service so it can open a browser, reproduce bugs and fix them.
  6. 6Optionally enable team mode. Run the team-mode command in a shared repo to require gstack for teammates, then commit the change.

Check the requirements before you install

gstack runs inside Claude Code, so you need Claude Code and Git. The README also lists Bun v1.4.2 or newer as the tested version. Setup refuses Bun older than 1.3.3, which would let compiled tools read a project's .env file. Node.js is required on Windows and for team-mode hooks.

  • Claude Code
  • Git
  • Bun v1.4.2+ (setup refuses versions older than 1.3.3)
  • Node.js (required on Windows and for team-mode hooks)
  • On macOS, the optional /cso security audit needs a native toolchain. Without one, setup leaves /cso unavailable.

Install gstack into Claude Code

The README's default path clones gstack into your Claude Code skills folder and runs setup. Open Claude Code and paste the install command, or run it in a terminal. Setup takes about 30 seconds according to the README.

  • Clone into ~/.claude/skills/gstack, then run ./setup from that folder.
  • To install for every agent setup detects on your machine, clone into ~/gstack and run ./setup --host auto instead.
  • Check what was installed with ./setup --status, which shows one row per install.
git clone --single-branch --depth 1 https://github.com/garrytan/gstack.git ~/.claude/skills/gstack && cd ~/.claude/skills/gstack && ./setup

Run your first skills: /office-hours, /review and /qa

The README suggests a short starting path. Run /office-hours and describe what you are building. It pushes back on your framing and writes a design doc that other skills read.

Next, run /review on any branch that has changes. The README says it finds bugs that pass CI but break in production, and fixes the obvious ones. Then run /qa on a staging URL, or on an isolated local API, CLI, job or webhook. It opens a real browser, reproduces bugs and fixes them.

  • /office-hours: frames the problem and writes a design doc
  • /review: reviews a branch with changes and fixes obvious bugs
  • /qa: opens a real browser on a staging URL and reproduces bugs
  • /autoplan: reviews a plan end to end
  • /ship: runs tests, review and the pull request

Set up team mode for a shared repo (optional)

Team mode bootstraps a repo so teammates get gstack automatically. The README's command switches you to team mode, bootstraps the repo with a required hook and commits the change. Team mode follows the stable channel, which is a tagged release, not every merge to main.

Swap required for optional if you would rather nudge teammates than block them. Every teammate needs Node.js on PATH because the required hook runs on Node.js. To remove gstack later, see the uninstall documentation linked in the README.

  • Team mode leaves no vendored files in your repo.
  • Use gstack-config set update_channel main if you want every merge instead of stable releases.
  • Use optional instead of required to nudge rather than block.
(cd ~/.claude/skills/gstack && ./setup --team) && ~/.claude/skills/gstack/bin/gstack-team-init required && git add .claude/ CLAUDE.md && git commit -m "require gstack for AI-assisted work"

Use gstack with other agents

The README says gstack runs on more agents than Claude. Bare ./setup installs for Claude Code only. Pick another agent with --host, or install for all detected agents with --host auto. The README lists tiers: full, experimental and instruction-only. Only Claude Code is listed as full in the README's table, which records a real workflow certification run.

  • Claude Code: --host claude (default), tier full
  • OpenAI Codex CLI: --host codex, tier experimental
  • Cursor: --host cursor, tier experimental
  • An explicit --host X installs for X only and does not change another agent's install.
git clone --single-branch --depth 1 https://github.com/garrytan/gstack.git ~/gstack && cd ~/gstack && ./setup --host auto

What people use it for

  • Reviewing a pull request for bugs that pass CI but break in production, using /review.
  • Running browser-based QA on a staging site with /qa.
  • Writing a design doc with /office-hours before building a feature.
  • Keeping review, QA and release steps consistent across a team's pull requests with team mode.

Frequently asked questions

Is gstack free?

The README says gstack is free and released under the MIT license. Claude Code, the agent it runs inside, is a separate tool that the README links to in its requirements.

What do I need to install gstack?

You need Claude Code, Git, Bun v1.4.2 or newer (setup refuses versions older than 1.3.3) and Node.js on Windows. Node.js is also required for team-mode hooks.

How do I install gstack?

Clone the repo into ~/.claude/skills/gstack and run ./setup from that folder. The README says this takes about 30 seconds.

Why does setup refuse my Bun version?

The README says setup refuses Bun older than 1.3.3 because older versions would let compiled tools read a project's .env file. Upgrade Bun to the tested version, v1.4.2 or newer.

Can I use gstack with agents other than Claude Code?

Yes, according to the README. Use --host with an agent name, such as --host codex or --host cursor, or use --host auto to install for every detected agent. Only Claude Code is marked full in the README; the others are experimental or instruction-only.

Why is /cso not working on my Mac?

The README says /cso needs a native toolchain. If the toolchain is missing, setup leaves /cso unavailable. Install the toolchain and run setup again to enable it.

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Our verdict

gstack suits developers and tech leads who already use Claude Code and want fixed review, QA and release roles instead of a blank prompt. It is a poor fit if you do not use Claude Code or a supported agent, or if your team cannot install Bun 1.3.3 or newer. Try the single-user install first before adding the team hook.

Install options & downloads