How do I install the Inbox skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add tonydzi/inbox 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 Inbox 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 Inbox?

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 Inbox free to use?

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

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

Inbox by tonydzi — Agent Skill

Name: Inbox
Author: tonydzi

Inbox

Read this machine's cross-machine mailbox, the messages another computer's agent left here over a file-synced bus folder, and send messages back the same way. A session-start hook shows new mail automatically; this is the on-demand mid-session re-check. Triggers: "/inbox", "check inbox", "messages from the other machine".

tonydzi 1d569fa 3.3 KB Updated Sep 17, 2026

File contents

/inbox — mail between my own machines

The "Claude on one machine → Claude on another" channel, over the synced _machine-bus folder (Syncthing, ~10s). It removes the human courier. Copy-paste by hand is an EMERGENCY channel only.

Check what arrived for me (the main use)

python "$USERPROFILE/.claude/scripts/machine_bus.py" read

Shows only what is NEW for THIS machine (matched by hostname) and marks it read. Then report to the operator what came in and act on it if needed.

At session start the SessionStart hook already does this automatically — /inbox is for when the operator says "check the inbox" mid-session (e.g. something new arrived over sync).
Re-check without marking as read: ... read --peek.

Send a message to Claude on ANOTHER machine

List the available mailboxes:

python "$USERPROFILE/.claude/scripts/machine_bus.py" list

Send:
```
python "$USERPROFILE/.claude/scripts/machine_bus.py" send <RECIPIENT-HOSTNAME> "message text"
```
The message must be self-contained (Claude on that machine has none of this session's context — include the goal, the steps, the paths, the values). It arrives in ~10s and surfaces for the recipient at session start or via /inbox.

Which channel when

The automatic mailbox (this skill + the hook) — the norm for everything cross-machine.
A human courier (copy-paste) — ONLY if sync is down, the machines are off the shared network, or it is extremely urgent.

Boundaries

Do not put secrets in the mailbox if third parties could see the file (across the owner's own machines it is fine).
"Fresher beats older": edit conflicts are resolved by the operator (Syncthing leaves *.sync-conflict-* files).
Delivery is not instant: Claude is not a daemon; the letter waits until a session opens on that machine (or a routine fires).

Like this skill? It is one of 100 in second-brain-starter-kit: the second brain we built for ourselves and run every day at Palo Alto AI Research Lab. Install the whole set with npx skills add tonydzi/second-brain-starter-kit. Everything is open source and free, so take what you need.

Flagships worth a look on their own: secondop-panel (a second opinion from a panel of external models), claude-memory-tidy (stop your agent's memory from rotting), telegram-mcp-kit (your own Telegram over MCP in about 15 minutes).

Author: Anton Dziatkovskii, Palo Alto AI Research Lab. Telegram @tonydzi - WhatsApp +1 341 222 9178 - X @Tony_Stef_

Engineers: want to test-drive this setup? Message me. I hand out free starter seeds to engineers who test and report back, and custom skill requests are welcome.

---name: inboxdescription: Read this machine's cross-machine mailbox, the messages another computer's agent left here over a file-synced bus folder, and send messages back the same way. A session-start hook shows new mail automatically; this is the on-demand mid-session re-check. Triggers: "/inbox", "check inbox", "messages from the other machine".license: MIT---# /inbox — mail between my own machinesThe "Claude on one machine → Claude on another" channel, over the synced `_machine-bus` folder (Syncthing, ~10s). It removes the human courier. Copy-paste by hand is an EMERGENCY channel only.## Check what arrived for me (the main use)```bashpython "$USERPROFILE/.claude/scripts/machine_bus.py" read```Shows only what is NEW for THIS machine (matched by hostname) and marks it read. Then report to the operator what came in and act on it if needed.- At session start the `SessionStart` hook already does this automatically — `/inbox` is for when the operator says "check the inbox" mid-session (e.g. something new arrived over sync).- Re-check without marking as read: `... read --peek`.## Send a message to Claude on ANOTHER machine1. List the available mailboxes: ```bash python "$USERPROFILE/.claude/scripts/machine_bus.py" list ```2. Send: ```bash python "$USERPROFILE/.claude/scripts/machine_bus.py" send <RECIPIENT-HOSTNAME> "message text" ``` The message must be self-contained (Claude on that machine has none of this session's context — include the goal, the steps, the paths, the values). It arrives in ~10s and surfaces for the recipient at session start or via `/inbox`.## Which channel when- **The automatic mailbox (this skill + the hook)** — the norm for everything cross-machine.- **A human courier (copy-paste)** — ONLY if sync is down, the machines are off the shared network, or it is extremely urgent.## Boundaries- Do not put secrets in the mailbox if third parties could see the file (across the owner's own machines it is fine).- "Fresher beats older": edit conflicts are resolved by the operator (Syncthing leaves `*.sync-conflict-*` files).- Delivery is not instant: Claude is not a daemon; the letter waits until a session opens on that machine (or a routine fires).------**Like this skill?** It is one of 100 in [second-brain-starter-kit](https://github.com/tonydzi/second-brain-starter-kit): the second brain we built for ourselves and run every day at Palo Alto AI Research Lab. Install the whole set with `npx skills add tonydzi/second-brain-starter-kit`. Everything is open source and free, so take what you need.Flagships worth a look on their own: [secondop-panel](https://github.com/tonydzi/secondop-panel) (a second opinion from a panel of external models), [claude-memory-tidy](https://github.com/tonydzi/claude-memory-tidy) (stop your agent's memory from rotting), [telegram-mcp-kit](https://github.com/tonydzi/telegram-mcp-kit) (your own Telegram over MCP in about 15 minutes).Author: **Anton Dziatkovskii**, Palo Alto AI Research Lab. Telegram [@tonydzi](https://t.me/tonydzi) - WhatsApp [+1 341 222 9178](https://wa.me/13412229178) - X [@Tony_Stef_](https://x.com/Tony_Stef_)**Engineers: want to test-drive this setup?** Message me. I hand out free starter seeds to engineers who test and report back, and custom skill requests are welcome.

Frequently asked questions