Analyze a project folder or GitHub repository to detect programming language, framework, and version requirements. Use this skill when containerizing an application, selecting an S2I builder image, deploying to OpenShift or RHEL, or determining a project's tech stack. Supports Node.js, Python, Java, Go, Ruby, .NET, PHP, and Perl. Triggers on /detect-project command or when user needs build strategy recommendations. Run before /s2i-build or /rhel-deploy.
Install
npx skillscat add rhecosystemappeng/agentic-collections/detect-project Install via the SkillsCat registry.
/detect-project Skill
Critical Restrictions
- DO NOT CLONE remote repositories unless the user explicitly selects the "Clone & Inspect" option.
- ALWAYS use
github-mcp-servertools (list_directory,get_file_contents) for initial analysis of remote URLs. - NEVER assume you have permission to write to the local filesystem for analysis purposes.
Analyze the project to detect language/framework and recommend a build strategy. This skill handles both local project directories and remote Git repositories.
Critical: Human-in-the-Loop Requirements
See Human-in-the-Loop Requirements for mandatory checkpoint behavior.
IMPORTANT: This skill requires user confirmation before proceeding. You MUST:
- Wait for user confirmation on detected values before saving to session state
- Do NOT assume detection is correct - always present findings and ask for confirmation
- Present options clearly when multiple choices exist and wait for selection
- Never auto-select deployment strategies or images without user approval
Workflow
Step 1: Context Analysis
Scenario A: Local Files Available
If you are in a project directory with source code:
- Proceed to Step 2: Scan Project Files.
Scenario B: Remote Git URL Provided
If the user provided a Git URL (e.g., https://github.com/...):
Use the github-mcp-server to analyze the repository directly without cloning:
- Use GitHub MCP to list repository contents (look for indicator files)
- Use GitHub MCP to read key files (
package.json,pom.xml,requirements.txt,Dockerfile, etc.) - Proceed with analysis as if local files
## Analyzing Remote Repository
I'm inspecting the repository: `[git-url]`
Using GitHub API to analyze the project structure...
[Use github MCP to get_file_contents for indicator files]
**Files Found:**
- [list files from repo root]
[Continue with Step 2: Scan Project Files using the remote file contents]If GitHub MCP is unavailable or repo is private without access:
## Remote Repository Access
I see you want to deploy from: `[git-url]`
I couldn't access the repository directly. Options:
1. **Remote S2I Build** (Recommended for standard apps)
- OpenShift will clone and build the code directly.
- I need you to confirm the language/framework.
2. **Remote Podman Build** (Recommended if Containerfile/Dockerfile exists)
- OpenShift will use the Containerfile/Dockerfile in the repo.
- Best if you already have a custom build process.
3. **Clone & Inspect**
- I will clone the repo locally to analyze it first.
- This helps if you're unsure about the project details.
**Which approach do you prefer?**WAIT for user to select an option. Do NOT proceed until user makes a choice.
Scenario C: No Context
If no files and no URL:
- Ask the user for the Git URL or to navigate to a project folder.
Step 2: Scan Project Files (Local Only)
Look for these indicator files in the project root:
| File | Language | Framework Hint |
|---|---|---|
Chart.yaml |
Helm Chart | Existing Helm deployment available |
package.json |
Node.js | Check for next, angular, vue, react |
pom.xml |
Java | Check for spring-boot, quarkus deps |
build.gradle / build.gradle.kts |
Java | Check for spring, quarkus plugins |
requirements.txt |
Python | - |
Pipfile |
Python | Pipenv |
pyproject.toml |
Python | Poetry or modern Python |
go.mod |
Go | - |
Gemfile |
Ruby | Check for rails |
composer.json |
PHP | Check for laravel, symfony |
*.csproj / *.sln |
.NET | - |
Cargo.toml |
Rust | No official S2I |
Dockerfile / Containerfile |
Pre-containerized | May not need S2I |
Helm Chart Detection
Also check for Helm charts in these locations (in order):
| Priority | Path | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ./Chart.yaml |
Root directory |
| 2 | ./chart/Chart.yaml |
Chart subdirectory |
| 3 | ./charts/*/Chart.yaml |
Charts directory |
| 4 | ./helm/Chart.yaml |
Helm subdirectory |
| 5 | ./deploy/helm/Chart.yaml |
Deploy directory |
If Chart.yaml is found, parse it to extract:
name: Chart nameversion: Chart version (SemVer)appVersion: Application versiondescription: Chart description
Also check for:
values.yaml: Default configurationtemplates/: Template files
Step 3: Detect Version Requirements
For each detected language, extract version info:
Node.js:
- Check
engines.nodein package.json - Example:
"engines": { "node": ">=18" }
Python:
- Check
python_requiresin pyproject.toml - Check
runtime.txtfor version - Check
.python-versionfile
Java:
- Check
<java.version>or<maven.compiler.source>in pom.xml - Check
sourceCompatibilityin build.gradle
Go:
- Check
godirective in go.mod - Example:
go 1.21
Step 4: Detect Framework
Look for framework-specific indicators:
Node.js frameworks:
next.config.jsornext.config.mjs→ Next.jsangular.json→ Angularvue.config.jsorvite.config.tswith vue → Vue.jsremix.config.js→ Remix
Java frameworks:
quarkusin dependencies → Quarkusspring-bootin dependencies → Spring Bootmicronautin dependencies → Micronaut
Python frameworks:
djangoin requirements → Djangoflaskin requirements → Flaskfastapiin requirements → FastAPI
Step 4.5: Detect Python Entry Point (Python projects only)
For Python projects, detect the application entry point to ensure proper S2I configuration:
Check for entry point files (in order of S2I preference):
app.py- Default S2I Python entry point (no config needed)application.py- Alternative defaultwsgi.py- WSGI modulemain.py- Common alternative (requires APP_MODULE config)- Any file with
if __name__ == "__main__"and Flask/FastAPI app
Check requirements.txt/Pipfile/pyproject.toml for WSGI server:
gunicorn- Required for APP_MODULE to work with S2I Pythonuwsgi- Alternative WSGI server
Step 5: Present Findings
Format your response:
## Project Analysis Results
**Detected Language:** [Language]
**Framework:** [Framework or "None detected"]
**Version:** [Version or "Not specified"]
**Detection Confidence:** [High/Medium/Low]
- High: Clear indicator file with version info
- Medium: Indicator file found but no version specified
- Low: Multiple conflicting indicators or unusual setup
**Indicator Files Found:**
- [list of files]
---
**Recommended S2I Builder Image:**
`registry.access.redhat.com/ubi9/[image-name]`
**Why this image:**
- [Brief explanation]
**Alternative Options:**
1. `[alternative-1]` - [when to choose]
2. `[alternative-2]` - [when to choose]
---
**Suggested App Name:** `[derived-name]`
(based on [folder name / package.json name / pom artifactId])
---
**Image Selection Options:**
- **quick** - Use the recommended image above (good for most cases)
- **smart** - Run `/recommend-image` for use-case aware selection (production vs dev, security, performance)
Please confirm:
1. Is the detected language/framework correct?
2. Image selection: quick or smart?
3. Is the app name acceptable?
Type 'yes' to confirm all with quick image selection, 'smart' for tailored recommendation, or tell me what to change.WAIT for user confirmation. Do NOT save configuration or proceed until user explicitly confirms or provides corrections.
- If user says "yes" → Save configuration with quick image selection
- If user says "smart" → Invoke
/recommend-imageskill - If user provides corrections → Update values and show again for confirmation
Note: If the user selects "smart", invoke the /recommend-image skill with the detected LANGUAGE, FRAMEWORK, and VERSION values.
Output Variables
After successful detection, these values should be available for other skills:
| Variable | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
APP_NAME |
Application name | my-nodejs-app |
LANGUAGE |
Detected language | nodejs |
FRAMEWORK |
Detected framework | express |
VERSION |
Language version | 20 |
BUILDER_IMAGE |
Full S2I image reference | registry.access.redhat.com/ubi9/nodejs-20 |
BUILD_STRATEGY |
Build strategy | Source (S2I) or Podman |
DEPLOYMENT_TARGET |
Deployment target | openshift or rhel |
DEPLOYMENT_STRATEGY |
Deployment method | S2I, Podman, Helm (OpenShift) or container, native (RHEL) |
HELM_CHART_PATH |
Path to Helm chart | ./chart |
HELM_CHART_NAME |
Helm chart name | my-app |
HELM_CHART_VERSION |
Helm chart version | 0.1.0 |
HELM_CHART_DETECTED |
Whether Helm chart was found | true or false |
RHEL_HOST |
SSH target for RHEL deployment | user@192.168.1.100 |
PYTHON_ENTRY_FILE |
Python entry point file (Python only) | main.py |
PYTHON_APP_MODULE |
APP_MODULE value for S2I (Python only) | main:app |
PYTHON_HAS_GUNICORN |
Whether gunicorn is in requirements (Python only) | true or false |
MCP Tools Used
This skill uses:
github-mcp-server (for remote repositories)
IMPORTANT: GitHub MCP has two different patterns for browsing vs reading:
Browsing Repository Structure
Use mcp_github_get_file_contents to list directories:
mcp_github_get_file_contents(owner="org", repo="repo", path="/") → root listing
mcp_github_get_file_contents(owner="org", repo="repo", path="src") → src/ contentsReturns: JSON array with file metadata (name, path, sha, type, download_url)
Reading File Contents
Use fetch_mcp_resource with GitHub resource URI to read actual file content:
fetch_mcp_resource(server="github", uri="repo://owner/repo/contents/path/to/file")Returns: Actual file content as text
URI Format: repo://{owner}/{repo}/contents/{file-path}
Examples:
repo://RHEcosystemAppEng/sast-ai-frontend/contents/package.jsonrepo://facebook/react/contents/README.mdrepo://myorg/myrepo/contents/src/index.ts
Local file reading (for local projects)
- Standard file reading capabilities (
read_filetool)
Terminal (fallback)
run_terminal_cmd- Only if user selects "Clone & Inspect" for private repos
Reference Documentation
For detailed guidance, see:
- docs/builder-images.md - Language detection matrix, version-to-image mapping, S2I builder selection
- docs/python-s2i-entrypoints.md - Python entry point detection, APP_MODULE configuration
- docs/prerequisites.md - Required tools (git)