How do I install the Ask skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add rocm/ask 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.

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 Ask?

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.

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

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

Ask by rocm — Agent Skill

Name: Ask
Author: rocm

File contents

Ask Skill

Use this skill when the user is asking a question that requires explanation only, not implementation.

When to Use

This skill applies when the user wants to:

Understand how something works
Get an explanation of code, concepts, or architecture
Learn about best practices
Compare options or approaches
Get clarification on something

When NOT to Use

Do NOT use this skill if the user wants you to:

Write or modify code
Create or update files
Fix bugs
Implement features
Create documentation files
Systematic code exploration with structured output (use exploration-explore-code skill)
Debugging rocprof-sys issues - crashes, hangs, incorrect output (use debugging-rocprof-sys skill)

If action is needed, use the appropriate planning skill instead.

Quick explanation vs. deep exploration:

User Request	Skill to Use
"How does auth work here?" (quick answer)	`ask`
"Explore the auth system so I can extract it" (structured analysis)	`exploration-explore-code`
"rocprof-sys crashes when profiling my MPI app" (debugging)	`debugging-rocprof-sys`

How to Respond

Read relevant code/files if the question is about the codebase
Provide clear, concise explanation
Use code examples when helpful (but don't create files)
Reference specific files/lines when explaining existing code
Offer follow-up if they want to take action based on the answer

Response Format

Structure your answer clearly:

Direct answer - Answer the question first
Explanation - Provide context and details
Examples - Show code snippets if relevant
References - Point to relevant files/documentation
Next steps (optional) - Suggest actions if they want to proceed

Example

User: "How does the authentication work in this project?"

Response:

Authentication uses JWT tokens with refresh token rotation.

Flow:

User logs in with credentials

Server validates and returns access + refresh tokens

Access token (15min) used for API calls

Refresh token (7 days) used to get new access tokens

Key files:

src/auth/authService.ts - Main auth logic

src/middleware/authMiddleware.ts - Token validation

src/auth/tokenService.ts - Token generation/refresh

Would you like me to implement any changes to the auth system?

No Planning Required

This skill does not require:

Creating a plan file
Using TodoWrite
Updating changelog

Simply answer the question and move on.

---name: askdescription: Use when user asks a question that doesn't require any action - just explanation or information---# Ask SkillUse this skill when the user is asking a question that requires **explanation only**, not implementation.## When to UseThis skill applies when the user wants to:- Understand how something works- Get an explanation of code, concepts, or architecture- Learn about best practices- Compare options or approaches- Get clarification on something## When NOT to UseDo NOT use this skill if the user wants you to:- Write or modify code- Create or update files- Fix bugs- Implement features- Create documentation files- **Systematic code exploration** with structured output (use `exploration-explore-code` skill)- **Debugging rocprof-sys issues** - crashes, hangs, incorrect output (use `debugging-rocprof-sys` skill)If action is needed, use the appropriate planning skill instead.**Quick explanation vs. deep exploration:**| User Request | Skill to Use ||--------------|--------------|| "How does auth work here?" (quick answer) | `ask` || "Explore the auth system so I can extract it" (structured analysis) | `exploration-explore-code` || "rocprof-sys crashes when profiling my MPI app" (debugging) | `debugging-rocprof-sys` |## How to Respond1. **Read relevant code/files** if the question is about the codebase2. **Provide clear, concise explanation**3. **Use code examples** when helpful (but don't create files)4. **Reference specific files/lines** when explaining existing code5. **Offer follow-up** if they want to take action based on the answer## Response FormatStructure your answer clearly:1. **Direct answer** - Answer the question first2. **Explanation** - Provide context and details3. **Examples** - Show code snippets if relevant4. **References** - Point to relevant files/documentation5. **Next steps** (optional) - Suggest actions if they want to proceed## Example**User:** "How does the authentication work in this project?"**Response:**> Authentication uses JWT tokens with refresh token rotation.>> **Flow:**> 1. User logs in with credentials> 2. Server validates and returns access + refresh tokens> 3. Access token (15min) used for API calls> 4. Refresh token (7 days) used to get new access tokens>> **Key files:**> - `src/auth/authService.ts` - Main auth logic> - `src/middleware/authMiddleware.ts` - Token validation> - `src/auth/tokenService.ts` - Token generation/refresh>> Would you like me to implement any changes to the auth system?## No Planning RequiredThis skill does not require:- Creating a plan file- Using TodoWrite- Updating changelogSimply answer the question and move on.

Frequently asked questions