bmad-taskmaster-mcp-bootstrap

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Bootstraps the TaskMaster MCP server and aligns it with BMAD hooks.

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[Tool Routing and Orchestration]

When & Why to Use This Skill

This Claude skill automates the bootstrapping and configuration of the TaskMaster MCP server, seamlessly integrating it with BMAD hooks to provide a robust, persistent task management infrastructure for AI agents. It streamlines the transition from basic Markdown tracking to a managed server-side task engine, ensuring environment readiness and secure configuration.

Use Cases

  • Case 1: Provisioning a managed TaskMaster environment to replace lightweight, manual Markdown-based task tracking for complex projects.
  • Case 2: Automating the installation and dependency management of Node.js-based MCP servers using standardized bootstrap scripts.
  • Case 3: Synchronizing session-start and session-save hooks to ensure task persistence and state consistency across different AI agent sessions.
  • Case 4: Configuring secure API keys and environment variables for TaskMaster persistence without exposing sensitive data in chat logs.
  • Case 5: Verifying the health and tool availability of an MCP server deployment through automated status checks and configuration validation.
namebmad-taskmaster-mcp-bootstrap
descriptionBootstraps the TaskMaster MCP server and aligns it with BMAD hooks.
licenseComplete terms in LICENSE.txt
allowed-tools["Read", "Write", "Grep", "Bash"]
auto-invokefalse

TaskMaster MCP Bootstrapper

Set up the TaskMaster MCP server and wire it into BMAD's Skills + Hooks workflow. Use this skill whenever a project needs TaskMaster's task engine instead of the lightweight Markdown-only flow.

When to Invoke

Activate when the user:

  • Wants Claude to "create", "install", or "bootstrap" the TaskMaster MCP server.
  • Requests a managed TaskMaster environment that BMAD Skills can call.
  • Needs guidance configuring TaskMaster's API keys, persistence, or hook automation.
  • Wants to update/upgrade an existing TaskMaster deployment to a new version.

Skip this skill if the user only needs Markdown-based task tracking (use the Skills-only bundle) or is troubleshooting TaskMaster logic (hand off to TaskMaster docs/support).

Responsibilities

You are accountable for:

  1. Environment Readiness – confirm Node.js/npm/git availability and workspace permissions.
  2. Server Provisioning – fetch TaskMaster MCP via npx or git clone, install dependencies, and prepare launch scripts.
  3. Configuration – collect API keys, choose tool subsets, set persistence paths, and produce mcp.json/.env entries.
  4. Verification – run health checks, list exposed tools, and confirm TaskMaster can read/write the shared tasks.md files.
  5. Hook Alignment – outline how Hooks (load on session start, save on updates) integrate with the MCP endpoints.
  6. Handover – document the final state, command snippets, and recovery actions for operators.

Use WORKFLOW.md for the ordered procedure and CHECKLIST.md as the go/no-go gate before declaring success. Load REFERENCE.md when you need detailed env var guidance, editor-specific MCP config snippets, or troubleshooting steps.

Guardrails

  • Do not embed private API keys in responses; instruct the operator to supply them interactively.
  • Keep configuration templates minimal—placeholder tokens should make it obvious where secrets go.
  • Prefer deterministic scripts (see scripts/bootstrap_taskmaster.sh) for repetitive shell work; describe how to run them rather than pasting large command blobs repeatedly.
  • Call out manual steps the user must complete outside Claude (e.g., storing secrets, restarting an editor).
  • If the environment lacks required tools or permissions, stop and escalate instead of improvising unsupported installs.

Quickstart Snapshot

  1. Review WORKFLOW.md → confirms prerequisites, chooses install mode (global npx vs managed clone).
  2. Gather secrets per REFERENCE.md → decide which providers to enable and capture required tokens.
  3. Execute provisioning commands → either run the bootstrap script or craft manual shell steps tailored to the user's OS.
  4. Produce editor MCP config + .env scaffolding → highlight key paths and placeholders.
  5. Validate with npx task-master-ai --help and task-master-ai status → confirm TaskMaster reports enabled tools.
  6. Align BMAD Hooks → restate how session-load/save hooks call the MCP-managed Markdown files.

Once the checklist passes, hand back a concise operations summary: version deployed, commands to start/stop, file locations, and follow-up tasks (e.g., schedule backups).

Hand-off Artifacts

Every successful run should deliver:

  • Installation log or summary (commands executed, directories created).
  • Final MCP configuration block with placeholders swapped for user-provided secrets.
  • Instructions for starting/stopping the server and verifying health.
  • Recommendations for connecting BMAD Hooks, archiving tasks.md, and future upgrades.

Document assumptions and any deviations from the standard workflow so future sessions can resume confidently.