Knowledge Patch Setup

Knowledge Patch Setup

Use this skill when the user wants to set up, activate, deactivate, or verify knowledge patches for a project, server, VPS, or working session.

Workflow

1. Load knowledge-patch:using-knowledge-patch if it is not already loaded.
2. Read ../../catalog/patches.json, ../../catalog/aliases.json, and ../../catalog/detection.json.
3. Inspect the current project and, when relevant, the server environment. A plain detection file signal checks path existence; glob::marker requires the matching file to contain that literal marker. Use curated terms only as supporting evidence, not as a substitute for stronger file or manifest evidence.
4. Recommend the relevant patch set. Use each catalog short_label in user-facing activation messages. For server-looking evidence, ask whether admin guidance is desired before treating service patches as active.
5. If the user approves activation, write priority state only. Do not copy skill files, install separate plugins, or fetch anything from the network.
6. If the user asks to deactivate or remove patches, remove the resolved patch names and their activation reasons. If the user says none or asks to clear all activation, write an empty active_patches list and empty activation_reasons object.

Preferred project state path:

.knowledge-patch/activation.json

User-level fallback:

$XDG_STATE_HOME/knowledge-patch/activation.json

Use this JSON shape:

{
  "schema_version": 1,
  "active_patches": [
    "traefik-knowledge-patch"
  ],
  "activation_reasons": {
    "traefik-knowledge-patch": "manual: user is editing Traefik routing"
  },
  "updated_at": "2026-07-06T00:00:00Z"
}

Preserve unrelated fields if a state file already exists. Manual activation reasons should not be overwritten by weaker automatic detections.

Constraints

• Everything works offline.
• Bundled tech patches already live under the runtime-selected non-discovered patch root (patches-claude/ or patches-codex/).
• Activation changes priority and routing, not installation.
• Deactivation removes priority state, not bundled skills.
• Hooks are optional. Manual use through this skill and using-knowledge-patch is the reliable path.