How do I install the Setup skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add topoteretes/setup-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 Setup skill do?

Use when setting up, checking, or connecting Cognee through the cognee CLI from Codex. It is listed under Coding & Dev Tools on SkillMD.

Is Setup 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 Setup?

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 Setup free to use?

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

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

Setup by topoteretes — Agent Skill

Name: Setup
Author: topoteretes

File contents

Cognee CLI Setup

Use this skill when the user asks to configure Cognee, check whether Cognee is ready, connect to a local or cloud Cognee instance, or inspect CLI capability.

Rules

Use uv run cognee-cli ... as the primary interface.
Do not use MCP for this plugin.
Work from the Cognee repository root when available.
Do not print secret values from .env, config files, shell history, or command output.
If a command may create, delete, or overwrite durable Cognee state, say what it will affect before running it.

Checks

Start with the local command surface:

uv run cognee-cli --help
uv run cognee-cli --version

If dependencies are missing, use the repository command:

uv sync --dev --all-extras --reinstall

Inspect configuration without exposing values:

uv run cognee-cli config list

Use config get <KEY> only for non-secret settings. For secret-like keys, report whether the key appears configured rather than showing the value.

Connect

For a local backend:

uv run cognee-cli serve --url http://localhost:8000

For a hosted instance with an API key, do not paste the key into the transcript. Use an environment variable or an already configured credential.

For the plugin itself, durable configuration (COGNEE_BASE_URL, COGNEE_API_KEY, LLM_API_KEY, ...) belongs in ~/.cognee/.env — a one-time setup file shared with the Claude Code plugin, loaded at session start. Shell exports still override it per terminal. Guide the user to edit that file rather than exporting in every shell; never echo its secret values.

The file may hold both modes' variables at once: with nothing exported, cloud wins (COGNEE_BASE_URL routes the connection). To pin one terminal to a mode, the user exports COGNEE_BACKEND=local or COGNEE_BACKEND=cloud before launching — that beats the URL rule, and unset COGNEE_BASE_URL is NOT a way to go local (the file re-injects the URL on the next launch).

To disconnect:

uv run cognee-cli serve --logout

Multi-Agent Or API Mode

When the user wants concurrent or multi-agent use, prefer a running Cognee API server and pass:

uv run cognee-cli --api-url http://localhost:8000 <command>

For isolated session history and permissions, include:

uv run cognee-cli --user-id <uuid> <command>

---name: setup-2description: Use when setting up, checking, or connecting Cognee through the cognee CLI from Codex.---# Cognee CLI SetupUse this skill when the user asks to configure Cognee, check whether Cognee isready, connect to a local or cloud Cognee instance, or inspect CLI capability.## Rules- Use `uv run cognee-cli ...` as the primary interface.- Do not use MCP for this plugin.- Work from the Cognee repository root when available.- Do not print secret values from `.env`, config files, shell history, or command output.- If a command may create, delete, or overwrite durable Cognee state, say what it will affect before running it.## ChecksStart with the local command surface:```bashuv run cognee-cli --helpuv run cognee-cli --version```If dependencies are missing, use the repository command:```bashuv sync --dev --all-extras --reinstall```Inspect configuration without exposing values:```bashuv run cognee-cli config list```Use `config get <KEY>` only for non-secret settings. For secret-like keys,report whether the key appears configured rather than showing the value.## ConnectFor a local backend:```bashuv run cognee-cli serve --url http://localhost:8000```For a hosted instance with an API key, do not paste the key into the transcript.Use an environment variable or an already configured credential.For the plugin itself, durable configuration (`COGNEE_BASE_URL`,`COGNEE_API_KEY`, `LLM_API_KEY`, ...) belongs in `~/.cognee/.env` — a one-timesetup file shared with the Claude Code plugin, loaded at session start. Shellexports still override it per terminal. Guide the user to edit that filerather than exporting in every shell; never echo its secret values.The file may hold both modes' variables at once: with nothing exported, cloudwins (`COGNEE_BASE_URL` routes the connection). To pin one terminal to a mode,the user exports `COGNEE_BACKEND=local` or `COGNEE_BACKEND=cloud` beforelaunching — that beats the URL rule, and `unset COGNEE_BASE_URL` is NOT a wayto go local (the file re-injects the URL on the next launch).To disconnect:```bashuv run cognee-cli serve --logout```## Multi-Agent Or API ModeWhen the user wants concurrent or multi-agent use, prefer a running Cognee APIserver and pass:```bashuv run cognee-cli --api-url http://localhost:8000 <command>```For isolated session history and permissions, include:```bashuv run cognee-cli --user-id <uuid> <command>```

Frequently asked questions

Setup