diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 2c1f771..6793982 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ TARGET_DIR=~/work/rta-handbook \
 ## Daily Flow
 
 ```sh
+section0-docs doctor
 section0-docs pull
 
 # Edit Markdown files in your normal editor.
@@ -60,6 +61,27 @@ After a push, ask the projection operator to pull and project. For now that is
 manual. The current operator command lives in
 `docs/projection-operations.md`.
 
+## Contributor Setup
+
+Anonymous clone/read works on the lab mesh. Pushing requires a Gitea account or
+token with write access to `section0/rta-handbook`.
+
+Run this once per checkout:
+
+```sh
+section0-docs configure
+```
+
+Then prove write access without changing `main`:
+
+```sh
+section0-docs push-test
+```
+
+`push-test` pushes the current commit to a temporary scratch branch and deletes
+that branch immediately. If Git prompts for a password, use a Gitea access token
+rather than your normal account password.
+
 ## Source Models
 
 This repo is the Git-backed model: shared docs are canonical in Gitea.
diff --git a/scripts/setup-section0-docs.sh b/scripts/setup-section0-docs.sh
index 32c900d..521d8d2 100755
--- a/scripts/setup-section0-docs.sh
+++ b/scripts/setup-section0-docs.sh
@@ -43,16 +43,22 @@ usage() {
 section0-docs - helper for Section 0 Git Projection repos
 
 Commands:
+  configure set Git author name/email for this repo
+  doctor    check clone, author, remote, and read access
   open      print the repo path
   pull      pull latest Markdown with --ff-only
   status    show Git status
   commit    commit all current changes with MESSAGE
   push      push current branch
+  push-test prove write access with a temporary remote branch
   help      show this help
 
 Examples:
+  section0-docs doctor
+  section0-docs configure
   section0-docs pull
   section0-docs status
+  section0-docs push-test
   MESSAGE="Update concept notes" section0-docs commit
   section0-docs push
 
@@ -62,6 +68,42 @@ USAGE
 }
 
 case "\${1:-help}" in
+  configure)
+    current_name="\$(git -C "\$REPO_DIR" config user.name || true)"
+    current_email="\$(git -C "\$REPO_DIR" config user.email || true)"
+    printf "Git author name [%s]: " "\$current_name"
+    IFS= read -r author_name
+    printf "Git author email [%s]: " "\$current_email"
+    IFS= read -r author_email
+    if [ -n "\$author_name" ]; then
+      git -C "\$REPO_DIR" config user.name "\$author_name"
+    elif [ -z "\$current_name" ]; then
+      echo "Git author name is required" >&2
+      exit 1
+    fi
+    if [ -n "\$author_email" ]; then
+      git -C "\$REPO_DIR" config user.email "\$author_email"
+    elif [ -z "\$current_email" ]; then
+      echo "Git author email is required" >&2
+      exit 1
+    fi
+    ;;
+  doctor)
+    remote="\$(git -C "\$REPO_DIR" remote get-url origin)"
+    branch="\$(git -C "\$REPO_DIR" branch --show-current)"
+    author_name="\$(git -C "\$REPO_DIR" config user.name || true)"
+    author_email="\$(git -C "\$REPO_DIR" config user.email || true)"
+    echo "Repo: \$REPO_DIR"
+    echo "Remote: \$remote"
+    echo "Branch: \$branch"
+    if [ -n "\$author_name" ] && [ -n "\$author_email" ]; then
+      echo "Git author: \$author_name <\$author_email>"
+    else
+      echo "Git author: missing; run section0-docs configure"
+    fi
+    git -C "\$REPO_DIR" ls-remote --heads origin main >/dev/null
+    echo "Read access: ok"
+    ;;
   open)
     printf "%s\n" "\$REPO_DIR"
     ;;
@@ -79,6 +121,12 @@ case "\${1:-help}" in
   push)
     git -C "\$REPO_DIR" push
     ;;
+  push-test)
+    branch="section0-smoke-\${USER:-user}-\$(date +%Y%m%d%H%M%S)"
+    git -C "\$REPO_DIR" push origin HEAD:refs/heads/"\$branch"
+    git -C "\$REPO_DIR" push origin :refs/heads/"\$branch"
+    echo "Write access: ok"
+    ;;
   help|--help|-h)
     usage
     ;;
@@ -98,12 +146,17 @@ Remote: $REPO_URL
 Helper: $COMMAND_PATH
 
 Daily flow:
+  $COMMAND_NAME doctor
   $COMMAND_NAME pull
   # edit Markdown
   $COMMAND_NAME status
   MESSAGE="Update docs" $COMMAND_NAME commit
   $COMMAND_NAME push
 
+Contributor setup:
+  $COMMAND_NAME configure
+  $COMMAND_NAME push-test
+
 AFFiNE updates after the projection operator pulls and runs projection.
 
 If $COMMAND_DIR is not on PATH, add this to your shell profile: