# Quartermaster > Manage the lifecycle of installed coding-agent skills — list their state, compile layered safety-first loadouts, demote/hide/archive unused skills to save context, restore them, inspect history/conflicts, author skills for recurring gaps, and (only with explicit approval) delete. Use when the user wants to curate active skills, reduce context cost, manage guardrails, or restore archived capabilities. - Skill: `ginaecho/quartermaster` (Agent Skill) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add ginaecho/quartermaster` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/ginaecho/quartermaster/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: AI & ML - Author: ginaecho (https://skillmd.com/u/ginaecho) - Updated: 2026-09-17 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/ginaecho/quartermaster --- # Quartermaster Quartermaster is a **non-destructive** lifecycle manager for coding-agent skills. It moves skills along a tiered ladder based on real usage and **never removes anything from disk without explicit human approval**. Use the bundled `qm` CLI for all operations. It uses runtime adapters for Claude Code, Codex, Copilot CLI, VS Code, and generic command agents; logs every change to a reversible audit trail; and prints the token-saved number. ## The state ladder | State | In context? | Auto-loadable? | User can invoke? | On disk? | Frontmatter | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | **active** | yes (indexed) | yes | yes | yes | (no flags) | | **demoted** | yes (indexed) | no | yes (manual) | yes | `disable-model-invocation: true` | | **hidden** | no | no | no | yes | `+ user-invocable: false` | | **archived** | no | no | no | yes, outside active roots | archive manifest | | **deleted** | no | — | — | **no** | (file removed — human-gated only) | Demote, hide, and archive are safe and reversible. **Delete is the only destructive action and requires explicit `--yes` confirmation.** ## Running the CLI ```bash python3 "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/bin/qm" # or, if bin/ is on PATH: qm ``` ## Commands - `qm runtimes` — list supported runtime adapters. - `qm runtime-setup [runtime] [--all]` — write workspace-local setup files for Claude, Codex, Copilot CLI, VS Code, or generic command agents. - `qm status [--layers] [--all]` — table of every skill, state, last-used date, token cost, optional metadata layer/priority, and optional archived skills. - `qm compile ""` — propose an active loadout matched to the project. Shows layered keep/demote/block decisions, guardrails, conflicts, and a loadout manifest path when applied. - `qm review` — show proposed demotions/promotions/hides/archives/restores and approve them in one batch. - `qm restore ` / `qm activate ` — bring a skill back to active, including from archive. - `qm demote ` — take a skill out of auto-selection (manual-only). - `qm hide ` — remove a skill from context entirely. - `qm archive --yes` — move a skill out of active roots into reversible archive storage. - `qm delete --yes` — permanently remove a (hidden) skill. **Destructive.** - `qm revert [-n N] [--skill X]` — undo the last N automatic changes (one-click revert). Skips deletions/admissions, which stay human-gated. - `qm history ` — inspect historical usage, selection, state, and metadata for a skill. - `qm conflicts` — report explicit and inferred skill conflicts. - `qm sources` — list curated external public skill sources to consider. - `qm intake --dry-run` — scan a local external skill repo without executing code; `--yes` imports only accepted high-value candidates. - `qm log` — print the audit trail of every transition. ### Authoring arm (the capability-gap loop) - `qm gap ""` — record a capability gap: a need with no matching skill. When the same gap recurs and nothing on the shelf covers it, Quartermaster recommends authoring a new skill. - `qm gaps` — show clustered gaps and which ones warrant a new skill. - `qm author [--desc ...] [--brief ...]` — scaffold a new skill and admit it as **active, probationary** (on trial). This writes a stub only. - `qm graduate ` — end a skill's probation once it has proven useful. ### Feedback (plain-language complaints) - `qm feedback ""` — route a natural-language complaint to the right lever. A *style* miss is appended to the always-on style file; a *capability* miss is recorded as a gap (feeding the authoring arm); "stop suggesting X" / "I keep using X" become demote/promote suggestions for a named skill. Only the local style note and gap log are written automatically — skill moves are suggested unless you pass `--apply`. ## Probation A newly authored skill is admitted **probationary**: it is `active` and usable immediately, but on trial. `qm review` proposes graduating it if it gets used, or demoting it if it sits unused past the probation window. `qm status` marks probationary skills with `◉ prob`. ## How to behave when using this skill 1. **Default to non-destructive verbs.** Reach for `demote`, `hide`, `compile`, `archive`, and `review`. These are always safe. 2. **Never run `qm delete` on your own initiative.** Only delete when the user explicitly asks to permanently remove a specific skill, and surface that it is irreversible before doing so. Pass `--yes` only after the user confirms. 3. **Show the numbers.** After a lifecycle change, run `qm status` so the user sees the updated loadout and token savings. 4. **Apply in batches with approval.** For `compile` and `review`, present the proposed plan first; apply only after the user agrees (or pass `--yes` when they've already said go). 5. **Reassure on reversibility.** Every non-delete change is undone with `qm restore `; mention this when you demote, hide, or archive something. 6. **Author through skill-creator.** When `qm gaps` recommends a new skill (or the user asks for one), run `qm author ` to create the probationary stub, then invoke the **`skill-creator`** skill to write the actual instructions into the generated `SKILL.md`. `qm author` only scaffolds — it never writes the skill's content itself. Leave the skill probationary until the user confirms it works, then `qm graduate `. 7. **Turn complaints into action.** When the user gripes in plain language ("this isn't matching my style", "I keep needing X", "stop suggesting Y"), run `qm feedback ""`. Apply the style note / gap automatically, but confirm before moving a skill (or pass `--apply` once they agree). 8. **Undo is one command.** Any automatic change can be reversed with `qm revert` (last change) or `qm restore `. Offer it freely. 9. **Respect guardrails.** If `qm compile` reports a blocked risky skill or a guardrail conflict, do not force the action. Explain the missing guardrail or conflict and ask the user how to resolve it. 10. **Treat external repos as untrusted.** Use `qm sources` to suggest candidate repos, ask the user to clone one, run `qm intake --dry-run`, and only import with `--yes` after accepted candidates are reviewed. ## Notes - Telemetry is local-only (under `~/.quartermaster/`, or `$QM_HOME`). Nothing is sent over the network. - To manage a specific skills directory, pass `--skills-dir ` or set `QM_SKILLS_DIR`. - To select an agent runtime, pass `--runtime claude|codex|copilot|vscode|generic` or set `QM_RUNTIME`. Claude remains the default adapter. - To prepare workspace-local runtime files, run `qm runtime-setup ` or `qm runtime-setup --all`.