User Guide
What is Project Igniter?
Project Igniter is a desktop app that turns project setup instructions into interactive installers. Instead of reading a README and manually running commands, contributors run a single script that handles everything.
It works in three phases: analyze a project to understand its setup, compose a visual workflow describing each step, and forge it into zero-dependency shell scripts.
Getting Started (for Maintainers)
1. Open a Project
Launch Project Igniter and click "Open Project" to select your project directory. The app scans for existing workflows or presents a blank slate.
2. Create a Workflow
From the Project Overview page, click "New Workflow" to open the Workflow Composer. You start with a blank workflow — add steps one by one using the "Add Step" button.
3. Model Your Setup
Think about what someone needs to do to set up your project. Common steps include:
- •Input — ask for project name, API key, database URL
- •Check — verify Node.js is installed, a file exists, an env var is set
- •Command — run npm install, create a venv, build assets
- •OS Branch — different commands for macOS vs Windows
Steps run in order from top to bottom. Steps with branches (like checks and commands) have sub-workflows for success and failure paths.
4. Generate Scripts
Back on the Project Overview page, click "Generate Scripts". This compiles your workflow into Bash and PowerShell scripts saved inside the.project-igniter/directory. Commit this directory to your repo.
5. Share with Contributors
Contributors pull your repo and run bash setup.shin their terminal. The script walks them through each step automatically.
The Workflow Editor
The editor has three panels:
Left Panel — Context Variables
Shows every variable used across your workflow. At a glance you can see what data flows through the setup: user inputs, captured command output, and condition values.
Center Panel — Workflow Tree
The main workspace. Steps appear as a tree. Click to select, drag by the grip handle to reorder. Steps with branches can be expanded inline to show their sub-workflows. Use the "Add Step" button to insert new steps.
Right Panel — Properties
Select a step to see its properties here. Each step type has its own form — text fields, dropdowns, toggles. Changes apply immediately.
A good way to start: add an Input step asking for the project name, a Check step verifying the required runtime is installed, a Command step to install dependencies, then an Information step telling the user setup is complete.
Running Setup Scripts (for Contributors)
If a project uses Project Igniter, you'll see a setup.shfile in the project root. Run it to set up the project:
Available Flags
| Flag | What it does |
|---|---|
| (none) | Runs setup with default environment. Prompts for any values not saved yet. |
| --env <name> | Target a specific environment like staging or production. |
| --reset | Clear all saved answers. Next run starts fresh. |
| --status | Show what's currently configured and when you last ran setup. |
| --help | Print usage information. |
Examples
Where Your Answers Are Stored
When you run a setup script, your answers are saved locally so you don't have to re-enter them next time. They're stored at:
Each value gets its own file. A meta file tracks the schema version and last run date. If the maintainer updates the workflow, the script detects the change, prints an info message, and auto-updates — no action needed.
Monorepo Support
In a monorepo, run the setup script from inside the sub-project directory. The script automatically detects which project you're setting up:
bash ../../setup.sh --env staging