modbender Skill Installer
Install OpenClaw skills from clawhub.ai ZIP files with automatic detection, validation, and Gateway updates.
Features
- Automatic Detection: Finds OpenClaw installation location automatically
- File Search: Search for ZIP files in current directory when filename is not specified
- Duplicate Check: Verifies if a skill is already installed before proceeding
- Interactive Selection: Prompts user to choose when multiple matching files are found
- Validation: Validates skill structure (SKILL.md, _meta.json)
- Gateway Update: Automatically restarts Gateway to make new skills available
- Progress Feedback: Detailed status messages throughout the installation process
Usage
Basic Installation
# Install from a specific ZIP file
python3 scripts/skill_install.py my-skill.zip
# Search for ZIP files in current directory
python3 scripts/skill_install.py
# List all installed skills
python3 scripts/skill_install.py --list
# Show help
python3 scripts/skill_install.py --help
Workflow
File Detection:
- If filename is provided: Use that file directly
- If no filename: Search for *.zip files in current directory
- If multiple files found: Display list and ask user to choose
Validation:
- Check if OpenClaw is installed
- Validate ZIP file structure
- Verify SKILL.md and _meta.json exist
Duplicate Check:
- Extract skill name from SKILL.md
- Check if skill already exists in skills directory
- Prompt for confirmation if duplicate found
Installation:
- Extract ZIP file to skills directory
- Verify extracted files
- Restart OpenClaw Gateway
Completion:
- Display success message
- Show skill path
- Confirm Gateway restart
File Structure
The script expects skills to have the following structure:
skill-name.zip
├── SKILL.md # Required: Skill metadata and documentation
├── _meta.json # Required: Additional metadata
├── scripts/ # Optional: Python/Node scripts
│ └── *.py/*.mjs
├── references/ # Optional: Reference documentation
└── README.md # Optional: Extended documentation
Examples
Install from Current Directory
# List all ZIP files in current directory
python3 scripts/skill_install.py
# Output:
# Found 3 ZIP files:
# 1. github-skill.zip
# 2. weather-skill.zip
# 3. notion-skill.zip
#
# Select a file (1-3) or 'q' to quit: 1
#
# Installing: github-skill.zip
# ...
Install Specific File
python3 scripts/skill_install.py github-skill.zip
# Output:
# ============================================================
# 📦 OpenClaw Skill Installer
# ============================================================
#
# 🔍 正在搜索 OpenClaw 安装位置...
# ✅ 找到 OpenClaw: /home/user/.nvm/versions/node/v22.22.0/lib/node_modules/openclaw
#
# 📂 正在解析 ZIP 文件...
# ✅ 找到 SKILL.md
# ✅ Skill 名称: github
# ✅ Skill 描述: GitHub operations via gh CLI
#
# 🔍 检查是否已安装...
# ℹ️ Skill 'github' 未安装
#
# 📦 正在安装 skill...
# ✅ 安装成功！
#
# 🔄 正在重启 Gateway...
# ✅ Gateway 已重启
#
# 🎉 安装完成！
# Skill 路径: /home/user/.nvm/versions/node/v22.22.0/lib/node_modules/openclaw/skills/github
#
# 现在可以在 OpenClaw 中使用 'github' skill 了！
List Installed Skills
python3 scripts/skill_install.py --list
# Output:
# ============================================================
# 📋 已安装的 Skills
# ============================================================
#
# 1. github
# 📁 文件夹: github
# 📝 描述: GitHub operations via gh CLI
# 📍 路径: /home/user/.nvm/versions/node/v22.22.0/lib/node_modules/openclaw/skills/github
#
# 2. weather
# 📁 文件夹: weather
# 📝 描述: Get current weather and forecasts
# 📍 路径: /home/user/.nvm/versions/node/v22.22.0/lib/node_modules/openclaw/skills/weather
#
# ...
Requirements
- Python 3.6 or higher
- OpenClaw installed (via npm or nvm)
- Sufficient permissions to write to OpenClaw skills directory
Error Handling
Common Errors
Error: ❌ 未找到 OpenClaw 安装位置
- Solution: Install OpenClaw first using
npm install -g openclaw
Error: ❌ ZIP 文件不存在
- Solution: Check the filename and path
Error: ❌ ZIP 文件不包含 SKILL.md
- Solution: Ensure the ZIP file is a valid skill from clawhub.ai
Error: ⚠️ Skill 已存在
- Solution: Confirm if you want to overwrite or use a different skill
Error: ❌ Gateway 重启失败
- Solution: Manually restart Gateway using
openclaw daemon restart
Advanced Usage
Custom OpenClaw Path
If the script cannot find OpenClaw automatically, you can modify the OPENCLAW_PATH variable in the script:
OPENCLAW_PATH = "/custom/path/to/openclaw"
Skip Gateway Restart
To restart Gateway manually, comment out the restart call:
# restart_gateway(openclaw_root)
Troubleshooting
Permission Denied
If you encounter permission errors:
# Fix permissions
chmod 755 ~/.nvm/versions/node/*/lib/node_modules/openclaw/skills
Skill Not Appearing in OpenClaw
After installation, if the skill doesn't appear:
Restart Gateway manually:
openclaw daemon restartCheck OpenClaw logs:
openclaw logs --followVerify skill structure:
ls -la ~/.nvm/versions/node/*/lib/node_modules/openclaw/skills/your-skill/
Changelog
Version 1.0.0 (2025-02-26)
Initial Release
Features:
- Automatic OpenClaw detection
- ZIP file installation from clawhub.ai
- File search and interactive selection
- Duplicate checking
- Gateway auto-restart
- Progress feedback
- List installed skills command
Enhancements:
- Support for multiple ZIP file selection
- Detailed error messages
- Skill validation (SKILL.md, _meta.json)
- Cross-platform compatibility (Linux, macOS, Windows)
Bug Fixes:
- Fixed path resolution on different Node.js installations
- Improved ZIP extraction handling
- Better error recovery
Known Issues:
- May require manual Gateway restart on some systems
- Limited to single skill installation per run
Notes
The script searches for OpenClaw in common locations:
~/.nvm/versions/node/*/lib/node_modules/openclaw/usr/local/lib/node_modules/openclaw/opt/node_modules/openclaw
Skills are installed to:
<OpenClaw Root>/skills/<skill-name>/
Gateway restart requires systemd support (Linux) or manual restart (other platforms)
For development or testing, use
--listto verify skills before installation