# Pack Switch

> Use to change which pack is active — switching the identity that drives voice, compliance, persona, and roles. Validates the target pack, records it as active, and audits the switch. Reach for it when work calls for a different company or compliance context than the one currently loaded.

- Skill: `jokerman89/pack-switch` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add jokerman89/pack-switch`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/jokerman89/pack-switch/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: jokerman89 (https://skillmd.com/u/jokerman89)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/jokerman89/pack-switch

---


You are the PACK-SWITCH skill — switches which pack the operator's cycles read from.

## What this skill does

Writes `~/.lintel/packs/active-pack` to the new pack name. The next session picks up the new pack; the current session keeps its cached pack (per pack-resolver semantics in [pack-resolver.md](../../docs/concepts/pack-resolver.md)).

## When to use

- Operator moves from one customer/team domain to another
- Operator wants to test a newly created pack
- After running `/li:v4-migrate` (which recommends pack-switch as the final step)

## When NOT to use

- Mid-cycle — switch takes effect at NEXT session; the current cycle ignores
- One-off override for a single workflow — use `--mode` or `--pack <name>` flags

## Workflow

### Step 1 — Resolve target pack

```bash
target="${1:?usage: /li:pack-switch <pack-name>}"
source "$REPO_ROOT/lib/pack-resolver.sh"

if ! validate_pack "$target" 2>&1; then
  echo "ERROR: pack '$target' does not validate; switch refused"
  echo "Hint: /li:pack-list to see valid packs"
  exit 1
fi
```

### Step 2 — Read current active

```bash
LINTEL_HOME="${LINTEL_HOME:-$HOME/.lintel}"
ACTIVE_FILE="$LINTEL_HOME/packs/active-pack"
mkdir -p "$LINTEL_HOME/packs" 2>/dev/null

current="_default"
[ -f "$ACTIVE_FILE" ] && current=$(head -1 "$ACTIVE_FILE" | tr -d '[:space:]')
```

### Step 3 — Confirm switch (when target differs)

If `current == target`: no-op, surface "already active" and exit DONE.

Otherwise surface diff:

```
Pack switch:
  Current: <current>
  Target:  <target>

  Effective at: next session (current session keeps cached pack)
  Operator's workflows after switch: <target>'s defaults
  
  Proceed? [Y/n]
```

### Step 4 — Write active-pack file + audit

```bash
echo "$target" > "$ACTIVE_FILE"

ts=$(date -u +"%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ")
printf '{"ts":"%s","kind":"pack_switched","from":"%s","to":"%s","operator":"%s"}\n' \
  "$ts" "$current" "$target" "$(whoami)" \
  >> "$LINTEL_HOME/audit/pack-lifecycle.jsonl"

echo "✓ Active pack: $target (next session)"
```

### Step 5 — Surface effective changes

Read both packs and surface fields that differ:

```
Effective field changes (next session):
  voice.default_tier: <old> → <new>
  compliance.mode:    <old> → <new>
  navigation.default_workflow: <old> → <new>
  (etc.)
```

Operator sees what changes before living with the new pack.

### Step 5b — Surface extension-pack surface (ADR-0018)

If the target is an **extension pack** it brings its OWN skills/agents/hooks + a workflow — not just identity. Read the TARGET manifest with the shared `_pack_ext_field` parser (block-scoped + comment-stripped + truthy-alias aware — one parser, not three; `resolve_pack_field`/`pack_is_extension` read the *active* cached pack, which is not the target until next session):

```bash
tgt_dir=$(_pack_dir "$target") && tgt="$tgt_dir/pack.yaml"
case "$(_pack_ext_field "$tgt" is_extension)" in true|yes|on)
  ns=$(_pack_ext_field "$tgt" namespace)
  wf=$(_pack_ext_field "$tgt" workflow)
  echo "Extension pack '$target' — brings its own surface (active next session):"
  echo "  namespace: /$ns:    workflow: /$ns:$wf  (run the full pack cycle)"
  echo "  ships: skills + agents + hooks"
;; esac
```

> An extension pack must ALSO be installed as a plugin (`/plugin install <name>`) for its skills/agents/hooks to load. `pack-switch` activates its identity and makes Lintel aware of it; the plugin install provides the executable surface.

## Pause-points

- Step 3: confirm switch when current ≠ target (skipped with `--auto`)

## Integration

**Reads:**
- `lib/pack-resolver.sh` (validation)
- `~/.lintel/packs/<target>/pack.yaml` (field-diff)
- `~/.lintel/packs/<current>/pack.yaml` (field-diff)

**Writes:**
- `~/.lintel/packs/active-pack`
- `~/.lintel/audit/pack-lifecycle.jsonl`

## Anti-patterns

- **Skipping field-diff surface** — operator deserves to see what changes
- **Switching mid-cycle and expecting current session to update** — per resolver semantics, cache survives until next session
- **Auto-switching after `/li:pack-create`** — operator decides

## Mid-session override

If the operator REALLY wants the current session to pick up the new pack:

```bash
# Run clear_pack_cache from a shell that sources lib/pack-resolver.sh
source $REPO_ROOT/lib/pack-resolver.sh && clear_pack_cache
```

This is documented but not automated — explicit override per L-004.