Repo2Prod — From Repo to Verified Runtime

Getting an unfamiliar repository running locally is often much harder than it looks. Setup instructions may be incomplete, Docker configuration may be missing or broken, environment requirements may be unclear, and generated configuration can appear correct without ever being executed. Developers lose time debugging setup instead of working on the product. Repo2Prod solves this by turning an unfamiliar or broken repository into a verified, reproducible local runtime inside IBM Bob IDE. It combines IBM Bob's code understanding and repair capabilities with deterministic analysis, real Docker/Compose execution, observed verification, bounded diagnostics, repair retries, readiness reporting, and CI generation. The workflow is intentionally evidence-driven. Repo2Prod first analyzes the repository deterministically and creates a runtime plan for the developer to review. The developer then invokes /repo2prod in IBM Bob Agent mode, where Bob creates or minimally repairs the runtime configuration. Repo2Prod does not assume those changes work: it actually builds and starts the application, checks Docker and Compose, verifies the app and health endpoint, and runs tests when a real test command is available. If execution fails, Repo2Prod captures bounded and redacted diagnostics from the real failure and prepares /repo2prod-repair. Bob uses that evidence to identify the root cause and make the smallest targeted change. Repo2Prod then retries the same verification path. Repair attempts are intentionally limited to two per run to avoid uncontrolled autonomous loops. Once the local runtime is verified, Repo2Prod produces an evidence-backed readiness report. Only then can the developer invoke /repo2prod-ci, which asks Bob to generate a minimal GitHub Actions workflow based on the path that was actually verified. Repo2Prod preserves uncertainty honestly: a check that was not applicable or not observed remains NOT_RUN rather than being reported as PASS. Repo2Prod is aimed at developers onboarding to unfamiliar codebases, maintainers inheriting broken projects, hackathon teams, and anyone who wants AI-assisted setup without giving up execution-based proof. What makes Repo2Prod unique is the separation of responsibilities: Bob understands and changes the code; Repo2Prod orchestrates execution and proves whether those changes work. Instead of treating generated Docker or CI files as the finish line, Repo2Prod closes the loop from repository understanding to a verified local runtime and reproducible CI artifact.