How do I install the Tidying Files skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add socketdev/tidying-files 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.

Is Tidying Files 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 Tidying Files?

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 Tidying Files free to use?

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

Who published Tidying Files?

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

Tidying Files by socketdev — Agent Skill

Name: Tidying Files
Author: socketdev

File contents

tidying-files

OS cruft (.DS_Store), editor backups (*.orig, *.swp, *~), build stragglers (*.pyc, __pycache__), and stray AI/temp scratch (orphaned /tmp/cascade-* dirs, dry-run logs) accrete across the fleet. This is the conservative, no-prompt sweep that clears them — the tidying-* family member for junk files. It deletes ONLY paths git doesn't track and that don't live in a submodule, so it can never remove real work.

When to use

Periodic cleanup — run on a /loop so junk never accumulates.
Before a commit or cascade — clear OS cruft that would otherwise ride along.
After a long session — sweep the /tmp scratch the fleet's own tooling leaves behind.

Run it

# Dry-run (default): report what WOULD be deleted, delete nothing.
node .claude/skills/fleet/tidying-files/lib/tidy-files.mts

# Act: delete the junk fleet-wide.
node .claude/skills/fleet/tidying-files/lib/tidy-files.mts --fix

# One repo.
node .claude/skills/fleet/tidying-files/lib/tidy-files.mts --fix --repo socket-cli

Reads the canonical roster from cascading-fleet/lib/fleet-repos.txt; resolves repos under $PROJECTS (default ~/projects).

Periodic, no-prompt operation

/loop 6h /fleet:tidying-files --fix

Safe unattended: the deletion is gated to never-wanted patterns AND a per-path git-safe check, so a --fix run can only ever remove junk.

What it deletes (and what it never touches)

Junk basenames: .DS_Store (+ variants), Thumbs.db, Desktop.ini, *.orig, *.rej, *.swp/*.swo, *~, *.pyc, __pycache__/.
Stray tmp scratch (outside any repo): orphaned /tmp/cascade-* dirs + dry-run logs.
Never: a git-tracked file (a tracked file matching a junk pattern is a deliberate fixture), or anything inside a submodule (it belongs to the submodule's own git — deleting it would dirty the submodule). Each candidate is checked via isUntrackedNonSubmodulePath before removal; deletion uses safeDelete from @socketsecurity/lib/fs/safe.

Relationship to sweep-ds-store

The sweep-ds-store Stop hook removes only .DS_Store, at edit time, in the current repo. This skill is the fleet-wide, multi-pattern, periodic complement.

Conservative contract

Dry-run by default; --fix opts into deletion.
Deletes only untracked-or-ignored paths, never tracked files, never submodule-internal paths.
No prompting — the safety is in the predicate, not a confirmation step.

---name: tidying-filesdescription: Remove untracked or ignored junk and scratch files across fleet repos without touching tracked work.---# tidying-filesOS cruft (`.DS_Store`), editor backups (`*.orig`, `*.swp`, `*~`), build stragglers(`*.pyc`, `__pycache__`), and stray AI/temp scratch (orphaned `/tmp/cascade-*` dirs, dry-runlogs) accrete across the fleet. This is the conservative, no-prompt sweep that clears them —the `tidying-*` family member for junk files. It deletes ONLY paths git doesn't track and thatdon't live in a submodule, so it can never remove real work.## When to use- **Periodic cleanup** — run on a `/loop` so junk never accumulates.- **Before a commit or cascade** — clear OS cruft that would otherwise ride along.- **After a long session** — sweep the `/tmp` scratch the fleet's own tooling leaves behind.## Run it```bash# Dry-run (default): report what WOULD be deleted, delete nothing.node .claude/skills/fleet/tidying-files/lib/tidy-files.mts# Act: delete the junk fleet-wide.node .claude/skills/fleet/tidying-files/lib/tidy-files.mts --fix# One repo.node .claude/skills/fleet/tidying-files/lib/tidy-files.mts --fix --repo socket-cli```Reads the canonical roster from `cascading-fleet/lib/fleet-repos.txt`; resolves repos under`$PROJECTS` (default `~/projects`).## Periodic, no-prompt operation```/loop 6h /fleet:tidying-files --fix```Safe unattended: the deletion is gated to never-wanted patterns AND a per-pathgit-safe check, so a `--fix` run can only ever remove junk.## What it deletes (and what it never touches)- **Junk basenames**: `.DS_Store` (+ variants), `Thumbs.db`, `Desktop.ini`, `*.orig`, `*.rej`, `*.swp`/`*.swo`, `*~`, `*.pyc`, `__pycache__/`.- **Stray tmp scratch** (outside any repo): orphaned `/tmp/cascade-*` dirs + dry-run logs.- **Never**: a git-tracked file (a tracked file matching a junk pattern is a deliberate fixture), or anything inside a submodule (it belongs to the submodule's own git — deleting it would dirty the submodule). Each candidate is checked via `isUntrackedNonSubmodulePath` before removal; deletion uses `safeDelete` from `@socketsecurity/lib/fs/safe`.## Relationship to sweep-ds-storeThe `sweep-ds-store` Stop hook removes only `.DS_Store`, at edit time, in the current repo.This skill is the fleet-wide, multi-pattern, periodic complement.## Conservative contract- Dry-run by default; `--fix` opts into deletion.- Deletes only untracked-or-ignored paths, never tracked files, never submodule-internal paths.- No prompting — the safety is in the predicate, not a confirmation step.

Frequently asked questions

Tidying Files