How do I install the Engines skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add atrislabs/engines in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

Is Engines safe to use?

This skill has not completed SkillMD's automated safety review yet. SkillMD never runs a skill's scripts for you; review the SKILL.md before installing.

Which AI agents work with Engines?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Is Engines free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free, and the skill stays under its author's original license.

Who published Engines?

atrislabs (@atrislabs) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Engines by atrislabs — Agent Skill

Name: Engines
Author: atrislabs

Engines

Dispatch coding work to an installed terminal agent — Codex, Cursor, or Devin — as an interchangeable worker engine. Claude orchestrates: writes the bounded prompt, the engine builds, Claude verifies and lands. Triggers on: use codex, use cursor, use devin, engine, dispatch to, worker agent, second opinion build.

atrislabs 05599e5 2.7 KB Updated Sep 17, 2026

File contents

Engines — interchangeable terminal workers

One contract, three engines. The orchestrator (you, Claude) writes a bounded task prompt, dispatches it to an engine, then independently verifies, lands, and pushes the result. Engines never self-certify.

Invocation

Engine	Command	Notes
Codex	`node "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/codex-companion.mjs" task --background [--write] "<prompt>"` (via codex plugin / codex:codex-rescue agent)	Poll with `status`, fetch with `result <job-id>`
Cursor	`cursor-agent --trust -p "<prompt>"` (run from the target repo)	Headless print mode; `--trust` required for non-interactive
Devin	`devin -p --permission-mode dangerous -- "<prompt>"` (run from the target repo)	Default permission mode is read-only for writes — build work NEEDS `--permission-mode dangerous`, so only run it in an isolated worktree. Also `devin cloud` for sessions that outlive this machine

Picking an engine

Codex — deep root-cause work, long autonomous builds, second-opinion diagnosis. Slowest; runs sandboxed.
Cursor — fast bounded edits and refactors in a single repo.
Devin — multi-step feature work; use cloud when the run should survive laptop sleep.
Parallel builds across repos: one engine job per repo, never two engines writing the same checkout.

Prompt contract (every dispatch)

Name the absolute repo path and tell the engine to cd there.
Bound the slice: one task, explicit exit criteria, the verify command to run.
Git rules: git status first; stage only own files; never revert others' changes; never destructive git; work on a branch member/<name>-<slug> or a worktree.
Require a final report: files changed, verify command + result, branch name.

Landing (orchestrator duties — never skip)

Codex sandbox cannot reach github.com and may get read-only repo access. Expect temp clones / git format-patch fallbacks under /private/tmp. Apply patches in a fresh worktree, re-run the verify command yourself, then push.
Cursor and Devin run unsandboxed — still re-run the verify command yourself before pushing.
Engine task DBs and receipts written inside a sandbox are snapshots; reconcile against the live atris task plane after landing.
A stalled job (no log output for 30+ min) gets cancelled and taken over; don't wait on it.

---name: enginesdescription: Dispatch coding work to an installed terminal agent — Codex, Cursor, or Devin — as an interchangeable worker engine. Claude orchestrates: writes the bounded prompt, the engine builds, Claude verifies and lands. Triggers on: use codex, use cursor, use devin, engine, dispatch to, worker agent, second opinion build.---# Engines — interchangeable terminal workersOne contract, three engines. The orchestrator (you, Claude) writes a bounded task prompt, dispatches it to an engine, then **independently verifies, lands, and pushes** the result. Engines never self-certify.## Invocation| Engine | Command | Notes ||--------|---------|-------|| Codex | `node "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/codex-companion.mjs" task --background [--write] "<prompt>"` (via codex plugin / codex:codex-rescue agent) | Poll with `status`, fetch with `result <job-id>` || Cursor | `cursor-agent --trust -p "<prompt>"` (run from the target repo) | Headless print mode; `--trust` required for non-interactive || Devin | `devin -p --permission-mode dangerous -- "<prompt>"` (run from the target repo) | Default permission mode is read-only for writes — build work NEEDS `--permission-mode dangerous`, so only run it in an isolated worktree. Also `devin cloud` for sessions that outlive this machine |## Picking an engine- **Codex** — deep root-cause work, long autonomous builds, second-opinion diagnosis. Slowest; runs sandboxed.- **Cursor** — fast bounded edits and refactors in a single repo.- **Devin** — multi-step feature work; use `cloud` when the run should survive laptop sleep.- Parallel builds across repos: one engine job per repo, never two engines writing the same checkout.## Prompt contract (every dispatch)1. Name the absolute repo path and tell the engine to `cd` there.2. Bound the slice: one task, explicit exit criteria, the verify command to run.3. Git rules: `git status` first; stage only own files; never revert others' changes; never destructive git; work on a branch `member/<name>-<slug>` or a worktree.4. Require a final report: files changed, verify command + result, branch name.## Landing (orchestrator duties — never skip)- **Codex sandbox cannot reach github.com and may get read-only repo access.** Expect temp clones / `git format-patch` fallbacks under `/private/tmp`. Apply patches in a fresh worktree, re-run the verify command yourself, then push.- Cursor and Devin run unsandboxed — still re-run the verify command yourself before pushing.- Engine task DBs and receipts written inside a sandbox are snapshots; reconcile against the live `atris task` plane after landing.- A stalled job (no log output for 30+ min) gets cancelled and taken over; don't wait on it.

Frequently asked questions