RepoPulse is a user-invoked Codex skill for understanding unfamiliar Git repositories. Run repopulse pulse for a health snapshot, or repopulse trace "..." to investigate a question through Git history. Git is required; GitHub CLI (gh) is optional for pull-request context.

Quick start

Install

Clone the repository once:

git clone https://github.com/Guivyn/repopulse.git
cd repopulse

Install the skill:

Windows PowerShell

$skillsDir = if ($env:CODEX_HOME) { Join-Path $env:CODEX_HOME "skills" } else { Join-Path $HOME ".codex\skills" }
$skillDir = Join-Path $skillsDir "repopulse"
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force $skillDir | Out-Null
Copy-Item .\skills\repopulse\*.md -Destination $skillDir -Force

macOS / Linux

skill_dir="${CODEX_HOME:-$HOME/.codex}/skills/repopulse"
mkdir -p "$skill_dir"
cp skills/repopulse/*.md "$skill_dir/"

Run

In a Codex session pointed at a Git repository:

repopulse pulse
repopulse trace "Why does src/payment/handler.go keep changing?"

Example output

Examples are illustrative; repository details and commit IDs are fictional.

Pulse

Pulse: frayed

- Rhythm: 8 commits in the last 30 days, down from 18 in the previous 30.
- Shape: 7 of 8 commits came from one contributor; most churn is in src/payment/.
- Open work: 2 PRs, reported by gh.
- Gap: Git history has no deployment data, so production health is unknown.

Trace

Question: Why does src/payment/handler.go keep changing?

Answer: Two inspected patches change retry handling. That describes the code changes, not their cause.
Evidence:
- a1b2c3d — diff changes retry handling in src/payment/handler.go.
- d4e5f6a — diff adds timeout coverage in src/payment/handler_test.go.
Inference: the changes appear focused on retry behavior.
Unknown: Git history does not establish the production incident or original motivation.

How it works

Pulse reads recent commit rhythm, contributor shape, and file churn. If gh is available, it can also include open pull requests. The verdict—steady, frayed, or hot—is a quick signal, not a production audit.

Trace starts with targeted history, then inspects relevant patches with git show. Historical claims include a commit SHA and path; interpretations are labeled as inference, and causes or intent that Git cannot establish are stated as unknown. A commit title alone is not evidence of why code changed.

Project files

• skills/repopulse/SKILL.md — the two workflows and evidence rules.
• skills/repopulse/commands.md — exact Git commands for common questions.

Edit these files to change the skill. The repository is MIT licensed; see LICENSE.