kodexArg cowsay
╭─────────────────────────────────────────────────────╮
│ Thanks: original cowsay — Tony Monroe / cowsay-org │
│ https://github.com/cowsay-org/cowsay │
│ │
│ npx skills add kodexArg/cowsay │
│ │
│ /cowsay tux │
│ /cowsay moose │
│ /cowsay default │
│ /cowsay <text> │
╰─────────────────────────────────────────────────────╯
\ ^__^
\ (oo)\_______
(__)\ )\/\
||----w |
|| ||
Deterministic cowsay for AI agents. Python 3 stdlib only. MIT. Page: https://skills.sh/kodexArg/cowsay/cowsay
Skill root after install: wherever the agent placed it (e.g.
~/.agents/skills/cowsay). Binary: $SKILL_ROOT/bin/cowsay.
Prerequisites
python3 --version # 3.x
test -x "$SKILL_ROOT/bin/cowsay"
"$SKILL_ROOT/bin/cowsay" -l
"$SKILL_ROOT/bin/cowsay" -V
No network, no extra packages, no system cowsay.
How to use (chat)
| User says | What happens |
|---|---|
/cowsay |
Enter cowsay mode until “basta vaca” / “normal mode” / “salí de cowsay” |
/cowsay tux |
Switch art to Tux (persist with --set-cow tux) |
/cowsay moose |
Switch art to moose |
/cowsay default |
Switch art to default cow |
/cowsay <stem> |
Switch art if stem is listed by cowsay -l |
/cowsay <text> |
One-shot: render that text if text is not a loaded stem |
| “change the cow” / “cambiar la vaca” (no name) | List every stem from -l, wait for pick, then --set-cow |
| “cowthink” / “pensá” | Render with --think |
| “solo esta vez” + a stem | One-shot art via -f <stem> (do not persist) |
Example — TUX
/cowsay tux
- Confirm stem is loaded:
"$SKILL_ROOT/bin/cowsay" -l - Persist:
"$SKILL_ROOT/bin/cowsay" --set-cow tux - Confirm by rendering through the binary (Tux art, not freehand ASCII)
Other cows: whatever ./bin/cowsay -l returns (bundled set is typically
default, moose, tux; plus any extra .cow under cows/ or COWPATH).
CLI (local / agent shell)
printf '%s' 'moo' | "$SKILL_ROOT/bin/cowsay"
printf '%s' 'hi' | "$SKILL_ROOT/bin/cowsay" -W 40
printf '%s' 'hi' | "$SKILL_ROOT/bin/cowsay" -W 20 -f tux
printf '%s' 'hmm' | "$SKILL_ROOT/bin/cowsay" -W 40 --think
"$SKILL_ROOT/bin/cowsay" -l
"$SKILL_ROOT/bin/cowsay" --set-cow tux
"$SKILL_ROOT/bin/cowsay" --show-cow
python3 "$SKILL_ROOT/tests/test_cowsay.py"
Prefer a quoted heredoc for multi-line answers:
"$SKILL_ROOT/bin/cowsay" -W "$W" <<'COWEOF'
Your full answer here.
COWEOF
Flags (common)
| Flag | Effect |
|---|---|
-W N |
Wrap width (display columns). Prefer terminal width; never hardcode 48 |
-f <stem> |
One-shot cow (does not write .active-cow) |
--set-cow <stem> |
Persist active cow to .active-cow |
--show-cow |
Print active stem |
-l |
List loaded stems |
--think |
Thought bubbles instead of speech |
-d / faces |
Classic face flags when asked |
Environment
| Env | Effect |
|---|---|
COLUMNS |
Terminal width when -W omitted |
COWSAY_WIDTH |
Pin wrap width (tests/CI; beats COLUMNS) |
COWSAY_COW |
Force active cow stem (beats .active-cow) |
COWPATH |
Extra directories of .cow files |
Active cow priority
-f → COWSAY_COW → .active-cow → default
Agent instructions
Renderer is law. Never freehand the dialog box or the ASCII animal. Always
run $SKILL_ROOT/bin/cowsay and show only its stdout (one fenced code block).
1. Resolve width
if [ -n "${COWSAY_WIDTH:-}" ]; then
W="$COWSAY_WIDTH"
elif [ -n "${COLUMNS:-}" ] && [ "$COLUMNS" -gt 0 ] 2>/dev/null; then
W=$((COLUMNS - 4))
else
W=$(stty size 2>/dev/null | awk '{print $2}')
W=${W:-80}
W=$((W - 4))
fi
[ "$W" -lt 8 ] && W=8
2. Switch cow when the user names a stem
"$SKILL_ROOT/bin/cowsay" -l
"$SKILL_ROOT/bin/cowsay" --set-cow <stem>
"$SKILL_ROOT/bin/cowsay" -W "$W" <<'COWEOF'
Listo: vaca activa = <stem>
COWEOF
Do not invent stem names. Source of truth is -l.
3. Every final reply in cowsay mode
- Write the full answer in the user’s language.
- Pipe it through the binary (heredoc above).
- User-visible output = that stdout only.
4. Failure
If the binary exits non-zero, report stderr and exit code in plain text. Do not invent art.
5. Confinement
Only operate inside $SKILL_ROOT. After code changes:
python3 "$SKILL_ROOT/tests/test_cowsay.py".
Layout
skills/cowsay/
SKILL.md this file (Agent Skills format)
bin/cowsay CLI compose only
lib/dialog.py balloon, wrap, terminal width
lib/art.py COWPATH, load .cow, faces, active cow
cows/*.cow ASCII resources ($thoughts $eyes $tongue)
tests/ goldens
Dialog and art are separate layers so figures can change without rewriting the balloon.
License
MIT — Copyright (c) 2026 kodexArg (Gabriel Cavedal) / kodexarg.com.
Full text: repository root LICENSE.