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How to Install and Set Up Get Shit Done (GSD) for Your First AI-Assisted Project

Cowrie
Cowrie
Dev @ Bswen

GSD Installation Guide

I’ve been using AI coding assistants for a while now, and one thing that always bothered me was the friction in setting up projects. Every time I wanted to start something new, I had to manually configure things, set up directories, and manage context. That’s when I discovered Get Shit Done (GSD), a project scaffolding tool designed for AI-assisted development. In this post, I’ll walk you through installing GSD and setting up your first project.

What is GSD?

GSD is a scaffolding tool that helps you manage AI-assisted projects. It creates a structured workflow with phases, tasks, and documentation that your AI coding assistant can understand and work with. Instead of explaining your project context repeatedly, GSD provides a standardized way to organize your work.

Prerequisites

Before installing GSD, make sure you have:

  • Node.js 22+ installed on your system
  • An AI coding assistant like Claude Code, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, or Windsurf
  • Basic familiarity with command line operations

Installing GSD

The installation process is straightforward. Open your terminal and run:

Install GSD
npx get-shit-done-cc@latest

The installer will prompt you with a few questions:

Installation Prompts
? Choose your runtime:
  ❯ Claude Code
    Gemini CLI
    GitHub Copilot
    Cursor
    Windsurf
    Codex
    Cline


? Installation location:
  ❯ Global (~/.claude/)
    Local (.claude/)

I chose Claude Code as my runtime and global installation. Global installation means GSD will be available in all your projects, while local installation keeps it project-specific.

Non-Interactive Installation

If you’re setting up GSD in a CI/CD pipeline or Docker container, you can skip the prompts:

Non-Interactive Install Options
# Install for Claude Code globally
npx get-shit-done-cc --claude --global


# Install for Gemini locally
npx get-shit-done-cc --gemini --local


# Docker environment with absolute paths
CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR=/home/youruser/.claude npx get-shit-done-cc --global

Verifying the Installation

After installation, verify everything works by checking the GSD help command. In Claude Code, Gemini, or Copilot, type:

Verify Installation
/gsd-help

For Codex, use:

Verify in Codex
$gsd-help

If you see the GSD help documentation, you’re all set.

Development Installation

If you want to contribute to GSD or install from source:

Install from Source
git clone https://github.com/gsd-build/get-shit-done.git
cd get-shit-done
npm run build:hooks
node bin/install.js --claude --local

Starting Your First Project

Once GSD is installed, initialize a new project:

Create New Project
/gsd-new-project

This creates a structured directory with:

  • plan/ - Project planning documents
  • research/ - Research notes and findings
  • context/ - Context files for your AI assistant
  • review/ - Review and documentation

The AI assistant will guide you through defining your project scope, breaking it into phases, and tracking progress.

GSD is designed for frictionless automation. By default, AI assistants may ask for permission before running commands like git commit or date. This constant approval loop defeats the purpose of automation.

I recommend running Claude Code with:

Skip Permissions Mode
claude --dangerously-skip-permissions

This allows GSD to execute commands without interruption. If you prefer granular control, you can configure specific permissions in .claude/settings.json.

Keeping GSD Updated

GSD is actively developed. To update to the latest version:

Update GSD
npx get-shit-done-cc@latest

The installer handles updates automatically, preserving your existing configuration.

Summary

In this post, I covered how to install and set up GSD for AI-assisted development. The one-line install (npx get-shit-done-cc@latest) works across Mac, Windows, and Linux. I verified my installation with /gsd-help and initialized my first project with /gsd-new-project. For the best experience, I recommend using --dangerously-skip-permissions mode to enable frictionless automation. GSD has streamlined my workflow with AI coding assistants, and I hope it does the same for you.

Final Words + More Resources

My intention with this article was to help others share my knowledge and experience. If you want to contact me, you can contact by email: Email me

Here are also the most important links from this article along with some further resources that will help you in this scope:

Oh, and if you found these resources useful, don’t forget to support me by starring the repo on GitHub!

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