How do I install the Guard skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add florianbuetow/guard 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 Guard 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 Guard?

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 Guard free to use?

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

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

Guard by florianbuetow — Agent Skill

Name: Guard
Author: florianbuetow

Guard

Use when the user wants to initialize, build a collection in, remove a collection from, clear, or inspect the `guard` CLI file-permission tool. Triggers on "init guard", "set up guard", "guard my test files", "create a guard collection", "remove guard collection", "delete guard collection", "unguard a collection", "clear all guard", "wipe guard", "reset guard", "guard status", "guard info", "show guard", "what's guarded".

florianbuetow c9da5b7 6 files · 5.6 KB Updated Sep 17, 2026

File contents

guard

Helper for the guard CLI (https://github.com/florianbuetow/guard). Guard protects files from accidental edits by setting the immutable flag and root ownership. This skill composes the right guard commands for the user.

Routing

Intent	Reference
Set up guard / `.guardfile` missing	`references/init.md`
Build a collection from a description or list	`references/create-collection.md`
Remove a collection	`references/remove-collection.md`
Restore everything, wipe the registry	`references/clear-all.md`
Show collections and loose guarded files	`references/info.md`

The sudo rule (the only non-obvious thing)

The agent runs as the user, without sudo. Operations that change a file's guard state require root (clearing the immutable flag is root-only), so the agent cannot run them — it prints the exact sudo guard … command for the user to run.

Print sudo guard … for: enable, disable, toggle, reset, and destroy/remove/clear when the target files are currently guarded.
Run directly (no sudo): init, add, create, update … add, show, config, and destroy/remove when files are already unguarded.

Check guard state with guard show before deciding. A file is guarded when its line starts with G.

Quote arguments

Always quote collection names and file paths in any command you run or print: guard destroy "$name", sudo guard enable collection "$name". Paths can contain spaces.

CLI reference

For exact syntax of any subcommand, run guard help <sub>. Don't reproduce it here.

---name: guarddescription: Use when the user wants to initialize, build a collection in, remove a collection from, clear, or inspect the `guard` CLI file-permission tool. Triggers on "init guard", "set up guard", "guard my test files", "create a guard collection", "remove guard collection", "delete guard collection", "unguard a collection", "clear all guard", "wipe guard", "reset guard", "guard status", "guard info", "show guard", "what's guarded".---# guardHelper for the `guard` CLI (https://github.com/florianbuetow/guard). Guard protects files from accidental edits by setting the immutable flag and root ownership. This skill composes the right `guard` commands for the user.## Routing| Intent | Reference ||---|---|| Set up guard / `.guardfile` missing | `references/init.md` || Build a collection from a description or list | `references/create-collection.md` || Remove a collection | `references/remove-collection.md` || Restore everything, wipe the registry | `references/clear-all.md` || Show collections and loose guarded files | `references/info.md` |## The sudo rule (the only non-obvious thing)The agent runs as the user, without sudo. Operations that **change a file's guard state** require root (clearing the immutable flag is root-only), so the agent **cannot run them** — it prints the exact `sudo guard …` command for the user to run.- **Print `sudo guard …`** for: `enable`, `disable`, `toggle`, `reset`, and `destroy`/`remove`/`clear` when the target files are **currently guarded**.- **Run directly** (no sudo): `init`, `add`, `create`, `update … add`, `show`, `config`, and `destroy`/`remove` when files are **already unguarded**.Check guard state with `guard show` before deciding. A file is guarded when its line starts with `G`.## Quote argumentsAlways quote collection names and file paths in any command you run or print: `guard destroy "$name"`, `sudo guard enable collection "$name"`. Paths can contain spaces.## CLI referenceFor exact syntax of any subcommand, run `guard help <sub>`. Don't reproduce it here.

Frequently asked questions