How do I install the Tool Git skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add niksavis/tool-git-2 in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

What does the Tool Git skill do?

tool-git It is listed under Coding & Dev Tools on SkillMD.

Is Tool Git safe to use?

This skill has not completed SkillMD's automated safety review yet. SkillMD never runs a skill's scripts for you; review the SKILL.md before installing.

Which AI agents work with Tool Git?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Is Tool Git free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free, and the skill stays under its author's original license.

Who published Tool Git?

niksavis (@niksavis) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Tool Git by niksavis — Agent Skill

Name: Tool Git
Author: niksavis

File contents

tool-git

When To Use

Inspect working tree state and commit history.
Review and stage focused diffs before commit.
Compare branches and verify what changed.

Trusted Commands

git status --short
git --no-pager diff
git --no-pager diff --staged
git --no-pager log --oneline -n 20
git --no-pager show HEAD
git add path/to/file
git restore --staged path/to/file

Safe Defaults

Use --no-pager in non-interactive contexts.
Stage only task-relevant files.
Check status before and after edits to avoid accidental scope creep.

Common Pitfalls

Mixing unrelated edits into one commit.
Using destructive reset/checkout patterns without explicit approval.
Misreading staged vs unstaged columns in short status output.

Output Interpretation

?? indicates untracked files.
Left/right M columns in short status represent index/worktree changes.

Why It Matters For Agents

Git state determines safe automation and review boundaries.
High-signal diff workflows prevent accidental regressions.

Commit Identity (per remote host)

Commits must carry the identity that matches the remote; set it per repo, not globally. Leaving the global user.email unset is deliberate — with no email git silently commits a …@hostname.local address, which pollutes and de-anonymizes history.
Before committing, verify git config user.email is set for this repo; if empty or a .local/(none) hostname value, set git config --local user.name/user.email first.

Automate it with git conditional includes so identity follows the remote URL:

# ~/.gitconfig  (email is set only inside the includes; global email stays unset)
[includeIf "hasconfig:remote.*.url:https://github.com/**"]
    path = ~/.gitconfig-github
[includeIf "hasconfig:remote.*.url:https://git.example.com/**"]
    path = ~/.gitconfig-work

Scaffold this with .scripts/setup_git_identity.py add --host <host> --name <n> --email <e>.

Enforcement: the identity-guard pre-commit hook blocks a commit whose identity is missing or auto-generated. Optionally require a domain per repo with git config basicly.identityAllowEmail '@example\.com$'.

Repo Conventions

Never rewrite history or run destructive git commands without explicit confirmation.
Keep diffs minimal and avoid unrelated reformatting.

Trigger Examples

Should trigger: "Review my staged diff for regressions before commit."
Should trigger: "Show what changed in this branch compared to main."
Should not trigger: "Lint this shell script for POSIX issues."

---name: tool-git-2description: tool-git---# tool-git## When To Use- Inspect working tree state and commit history.- Review and stage focused diffs before commit.- Compare branches and verify what changed.## Trusted Commands```bashgit status --shortgit --no-pager diffgit --no-pager diff --stagedgit --no-pager log --oneline -n 20git --no-pager show HEADgit add path/to/filegit restore --staged path/to/file```## Safe Defaults- Use `--no-pager` in non-interactive contexts.- Stage only task-relevant files.- Check status before and after edits to avoid accidental scope creep.## Common Pitfalls- Mixing unrelated edits into one commit.- Using destructive reset/checkout patterns without explicit approval.- Misreading staged vs unstaged columns in short status output.## Output Interpretation- `??` indicates untracked files.- Left/right `M` columns in short status represent index/worktree changes.## Why It Matters For Agents- Git state determines safe automation and review boundaries.- High-signal diff workflows prevent accidental regressions.## Commit Identity (per remote host)- Commits must carry the identity that matches the remote; set it **per repo**, not globally. Leaving the global `user.email` unset is deliberate — with no email git silently commits a `…@hostname.local` address, which pollutes and de-anonymizes history.- Before committing, verify `git config user.email` is set for this repo; if empty or a `.local`/`(none)` hostname value, set `git config --local user.name/user.email` first.- Automate it with git conditional includes so identity follows the remote URL: ```gitconfig # ~/.gitconfig (email is set only inside the includes; global email stays unset) [includeIf "hasconfig:remote.*.url:https://github.com/**"] path = ~/.gitconfig-github [includeIf "hasconfig:remote.*.url:https://git.example.com/**"] path = ~/.gitconfig-work ``` Scaffold this with `.scripts/setup_git_identity.py add --host <host> --name <n> --email <e>`.- Enforcement: the `identity-guard` pre-commit hook blocks a commit whose identity is missing or auto-generated. Optionally require a domain per repo with `git config basicly.identityAllowEmail '@example\.com$'`.## Repo Conventions- Never rewrite history or run destructive git commands without explicit confirmation.- Keep diffs minimal and avoid unrelated reformatting.## Trigger Examples- Should trigger: "Review my staged diff for regressions before commit."- Should trigger: "Show what changed in this branch compared to main."- Should not trigger: "Lint this shell script for POSIX issues."

Frequently asked questions

Tool Git