How do I install the Linear Discipline skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add tjcages/linear-discipline 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 Linear Discipline 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 Linear Discipline?

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 Linear Discipline free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free. This skill is licensed under MIT.

Who published Linear Discipline?

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

Linear Discipline by tjcages — Agent Skill

Name: Linear Discipline
Author: tjcages

Linear Discipline

Always-on Linear session discipline and one-time soft nudge for untracked repos. Use whenever non-trivial work is happening in a repo that already has a Linear tracking protocol in CLAUDE.md, AGENTS.md, or .cursor/rules; or when opening/working in a repo with no protocol and no .linear-tracking-skip file (ask once to run linear-setup). Enforces search-before-create, lifecycle, and close-the-loop. NOT for full bootstrap, sync, or monitor runs.

tjcages 96d5b78 7 files · 69.3 KB Updated Sep 17, 2026

File contents

Linear discipline (always-on)

Chat rules: RESPONSE.md. Auth before Linear calls: AUTH.md.

Detect tracking

Tracked if the repo has a “Linear tracking” (or equivalent) section in CLAUDE.md, AGENTS.md, or .cursor/rules/* that names team + project.

Skipped if .linear-tracking-skip exists at repo root.

If tracked

Follow the protocol written in-repo:

Search before create.
Non-trivial work → file/update an issue in the named project + milestone.
Backlog → In Progress at start → Done only when shipped.
Close the loop before session end (state and/or comment).
Prefer Linear’s generated branch names.

Before any Linear tool call: Step 0 auth.

If untracked and not skipped (soft nudge — 1B)

Ask once, one line, no preamble:

This repo isn’t tracked in Linear. Set it up now? (~10–20 min)

Yes → hand off to linear-setup (do not bootstrap inline without that skill’s gates).
No → create .linear-tracking-skip at repo root; stay quiet next time.
Never auto-create Linear projects or issues from a nudge alone.
Never nudge from Automation / linear-monitor runs.

If skipped

Stay quiet about setup. Still use Linear MCP for explicit user requests.

Out of scope

Full bootstrap → linear-setup. Rescue/audit → linear-sync. Health digest → linear-monitor.

Frequently asked questions