Install Skill

Skill Installer

Automates the installation of new skills into the skills marketplace project. Handles unpacking, marketplace registration, and documentation updates.

When to Use

• User has a .skill file in dist/ directory
• User asks to "install", "add", "unpack", or "integrate" a skill
• User wants to add a new skill to the marketplace

Installation Workflow

Phase 1: Discovery

1. List available skill packages:

   ls -la dist/*.skill
   

2. Identify target skill: If user specifies a skill name, use it. Otherwise, list available packages and ask which to install.

3. Verify package: Check the file exists and is a valid zip archive:

   file dist/<skill-name>.skill
   

Phase 2: Extraction

1. Preview contents before extracting:

   unzip -l dist/<skill-name>.skill
   

2. Extract to project root:

   unzip -o dist/<skill-name>.skill
   

3. Verify extraction:

   ls -la <skill-name>/
   ls -la <skill-name>/references/
   

Phase 3: Metadata Extraction

1. Read SKILL.md frontmatter to extract:

   • name: Skill identifier (kebab-case)
   • description: Full description for triggers
   • metadata.category: Category (seo, music, security, tooling, etc.)
   • metadata.tags: Comma-separated tags

2. Parse the frontmatter between --- markers at the top of SKILL.md

3. Generate short description for marketplace (one line, ~60 chars max)

Phase 4: Marketplace Registration

1. Update .claude-plugin/marketplace.json:

   a. Update the top-level description if needed to include new category

   b. Add to plugins array:

   {
     "name": "<skill-name>",
     "type": "skill",
     "path": "<skill-name>",
     "description": "<short-description>",
     "category": "<category>",
     "tags": ["tag1", "tag2", ...]
   }
   

   c. Add category to categories object if new:

   "<category>": {
     "name": "<Category Display Name>",
     "description": "<Category description>",
     "marketplace": "marketplace-<category>.json"
   }
   

2. Create/update category marketplace (marketplace-<category>.json):

   If file doesn't exist, create with template:

   {
     "name": "skills-<category>",
     "version": "1.0.0",
     "description": "<Category> skills for Claude Code.",
     "author": "schwepps",
     "license": "MIT",
     "repository": {
       "type": "git",
       "url": "https://github.com/schwepps/skills.git"
     },
     "plugins": [
       { /* skill entry */ }
     ]
   }
   

   If file exists, add skill to plugins array.

Phase 5: Documentation Update

1. Update README.md:

   a. Update header description if new category added

   b. Add to "What's Included" table:

   | **[<skill-name>](<skill-name>/)** | <short-description> |
   

   c. Add usage examples section if new category:

   ### <Category>
   

   "Example prompt 1" "Example prompt 2"

   d. Add to "Project Structure" tree:

   ├── <skill-name>/
   

   e. Add to "Browser Download" table:

   | <Skill Display Name> | [Download ZIP](https://download-directory.github.io/?url=https://github.com/schwepps/skills/tree/main/<skill-name>) |
   

Phase 6: Verification

1. Verify all files updated:

   • Skill directory exists with SKILL.md and references/
   • marketplace.json contains skill entry
   • Category marketplace file exists and contains skill
   • README.md updated with skill info

2. Report summary:

   Installed: <skill-name>
   Category: <category>
   Files: <count> reference files
   
   Updated:
   - .claude-plugin/marketplace.json
   - .claude-plugin/marketplace-<category>.json
   - README.md
   

Category Mappings

Error Handling

• File not found: List available .skill files in dist/
• Invalid package: Check if file is valid zip archive
• Missing SKILL.md: Package is malformed, cannot install
• Missing frontmatter: Extract what's possible, ask user for missing metadata
• Category conflict: Ask user to confirm category assignment

Quick Install Command

For a straightforward installation with a known skill file:

/install-skill <skill-name>

This will:

1. Unpack dist/<skill-name>.skill
2. Auto-detect metadata from SKILL.md
3. Register in all marketplace files
4. Update README.md
5. Report completion status