**Goal:** Create a feature branch, make a commit, and open a pull request using the DevOps Automation Pack **Time:** 5 minutes **Difficulty:** Beginner ---
Scanned 6/1/2026
Install via CLI
openskills install tools-only/X-Skills# Quick Start Guide - Your First 5 Minutes
**Goal:** Create a feature branch, make a commit, and open a pull request using the DevOps Automation Pack
**Time:** 5 minutes
**Difficulty:** Beginner
---
## What You'll Do
In this guide, you'll use three powerful commands to automate your Git workflow:
1. Create a feature branch with proper naming
2. Make a smart conventional commit
3. Generate a professional pull request
**By the end,** you'll have completed a full development cycle using automation.
---
## Prerequisites Check
Before starting, make sure:
- [ ] DevOps Automation Pack is installed (see `INSTALLATION.md`)
- [ ] You're in a Git repository (`cd` into your project)
- [ ] You have some uncommitted changes to work with
- [ ] Git is configured with your name and email
**Don't have a test project?** Create one:
```bash
mkdir ~/test-devops-pack
cd ~/test-devops-pack
git init
git config user.name "Your Name"
git config user.email "[email protected]"
echo "# Test Project" > README.md
```
---
## Step 1: Create a Feature Branch (30 seconds)
Instead of manually creating branches, use the branch creator:
```bash
/branch-create
```
**What happens:**
The command will ask you:
- **Feature type?** (feature, bugfix, hotfix, etc.)
- **Brief description?** (what you're building)
**Example interaction:**
```
? Select branch type: feature
? Brief description: add user authentication
Created and switched to: feature/add-user-authentication
```
**Expected result:**
You're now on a new branch with a properly formatted name following team conventions.
**Verify:**
```bash
git branch
```
You should see `* feature/add-user-authentication` (or your branch name).
---
## Step 2: Make Changes and Smart Commit (2 minutes)
Let's make a simple change and commit it intelligently.
### Make a change:
```bash
echo "Added authentication system" >> README.md
```
### Create a smart commit:
Instead of writing your own commit message, let AI do it:
```bash
/commit-smart
```
**What happens:**
The command will:
1. Analyze your changes (sees you modified README.md)
2. Review your recent commit messages for style
3. Generate a conventional commit message
4. Show you the proposed commit
**Example output:**
```
Analyzing changes...
Found 1 modified file: README.md
Reviewed commit history for style
Suggested commit message:
─────────────────────────────────────
docs: document authentication system addition
- Update README with authentication feature
- Follow conventional commits format
─────────────────────────────────────
Create this commit? (y/n):
```
### Review and confirm:
Type `y` and press Enter.
**Expected result:**
```
Commit created: a3f8d92
Message follows conventional commits standard
Ready to push
Next step: Create a pull request with /pr-create
```
**Verify:**
```bash
git log -1
```
You'll see your beautifully formatted conventional commit!
> **Tip:** The shortcut `/gc` does the same thing (gc = Git Commit)
---
## Step 3: Create a Pull Request (2 minutes)
Now let's open a pull request using automation.
### Push your branch:
First, push to remote (if you have one configured):
```bash
git push -u origin feature/add-user-authentication
```
Don't have a remote? That's fine - you can still see the PR template generation.
### Generate pull request:
```bash
/pr-create
```
**What happens:**
The command will:
1. Detect your current branch
2. Analyze commits in this branch
3. Generate a professional PR description
4. Create the PR (if you're on GitHub/GitLab)
**Example output:**
```
Analyzing branch: feature/add-user-authentication
Found 1 commit
Detected base branch: main
Generated Pull Request:
─────────────────────────────────────
Title: Add user authentication
## Summary
This PR adds documentation for the new authentication system.
## Changes
- Updated README.md with authentication details
- Follows conventional commits standard
## Testing
- [ ] Documentation is clear
- [ ] Links work correctly
## Type of Change
- [x] Documentation update
- [ ] New feature
- [ ] Bug fix
─────────────────────────────────────
Create this PR? (y/n):
```
### Review and create:
Type `y` to create the pull request.
**Expected result:**
```
Pull request created!
URL: https://github.com/yourname/repo/pull/42
Next steps:
- Request reviewers
- Wait for CI/CD checks
- Merge when approved
```
**If no remote configured:**
The command will show you the PR template and instructions:
```
Pull request template generated
Save this to use when creating PR manually
Copy the template above and paste it when creating your PR on GitHub/GitLab.
```
> **Tip:** The shortcut `/gpr` does the same thing (gpr = Git Pull Request)
---
## Step 4: View Your Workflow (30 seconds)
Let's see what you just accomplished:
```bash
git log --oneline --graph --all
```
**You'll see:**
```
* a3f8d92 (HEAD -> feature/add-user-authentication) docs: document authentication system addition
* b2e7c81 (main) Initial commit
```
A clean, professional commit history with:
- Properly named feature branch
- Conventional commit message
- Professional pull request description
**All created in under 5 minutes!**
---
## What You Just Learned
In 5 minutes, you used the DevOps Automation Pack to:
1. **Create feature branches** with proper naming conventions
2. **Generate smart commits** following conventional commits standard
3. **Open pull requests** with professional descriptions
### Manual vs Automated
**Without the pack:**
- Manually type branch names (easy to mess up)
- Write commit messages from scratch (time-consuming)
- Format PR descriptions (often incomplete)
- **Total time:** 10-15 minutes per feature
**With the pack:**
- Quick guided workflows
- AI-generated messages
- Professional templates
- **Total time:** 5 minutes
**Time saved:** 50-70% on every feature!
---
## What's Next?
Now that you've mastered the basics, explore more commands:
### Try These Next:
**1. Optimize a Dockerfile:**
```bash
/docker-optimize
```
Analyzes your Dockerfile and suggests optimizations (can save 80%+ image size!)
**2. Generate a CI/CD Pipeline:**
```bash
/github-actions-create
```
Creates a GitHub Actions workflow with testing, linting, and deployment.
**3. Create Kubernetes Manifests:**
```bash
/k8s-manifest-generate
```
Generates production-ready K8s manifests with best practices.
**4. Build a Terraform Module:**
```bash
/terraform-module-create
```
Creates reusable infrastructure-as-code modules.
### Explore All 25 Plugins:
```bash
/help | grep devops
```
See complete list with descriptions and shortcuts.
### Read Real-World Examples:
See `docs/USE_CASES.md` for:
- Junior dev setting up first CI/CD
- Team migrating to Docker
- Startup deploying to Kubernetes
- And 4 more scenarios
### Get Advanced:
See `docs/000-docs/157-DR-FAQS-troubleshooting.md` for:
- Common issues and fixes
- Advanced configurations
- Performance tips
---
## Quick Reference
**Most Used Commands:**
| Command | Shortcut | What It Does |
|---------|----------|--------------|
| `/commit-smart` | `/gc` | Generate conventional commits |
| `/pr-create` | `/gpr` | Create pull requests |
| `/branch-create` | `/bc` | Create feature branches |
| `/docker-optimize` | `/do` | Reduce Docker image size |
| `/k8s-troubleshoot` | `/kt` | Debug Kubernetes pods |
**Get Help:**
- Command help: `/commit-smart --help`
- All commands: `/help`
- Support: mandy@intentsolutions.io
---
## Troubleshooting Your First Workflow
### Problem: "Git not configured"
**Solution:**
```bash
git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "[email protected]"
```
### Problem: "Not in a Git repository"
**Solution:**
```bash
cd /path/to/your/project
# OR create a test project:
git init
```
### Problem: "No changes to commit"
**Solution:**
Make some changes first:
```bash
echo "test" >> README.md
git add README.md
/commit-smart
```
### Problem: "Push failed - no remote"
**Solution:**
Either:
1. Add a remote: `git remote add origin <url>`
2. Or skip the push step - you can still create PR template
---
## Congratulations!
You've completed your first workflow with the DevOps Automation Pack.
**What you've achieved:**
- Created a properly named feature branch
- Made a conventional commit with AI assistance
- Generated a professional pull request
- Saved 10+ minutes of manual work
**Keep going!** Every command saves you time and enforces best practices.
**Questions?** Email mandy@intentsolutions.io
---
**Document Version:** 1.0.0
**Pack Version:** 1.0.0
**Last Updated:** October 10, 2025
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