--- name: skill-installer description: Install Codex skills into $CODEX_HOME/skills from a curated list or a GitHub repo path. Use when a user asks to list installable skills, install a curated skill, or install a skill from another repo (including private repos). metadata: short-description: Install curated skills from openai/skills or other repos title: skill-installer canonical_url: https://skilld.dev/gh/openai/skills/skill-installer last_updated: 2026-09-29T00:44:56.000Z --- > Index of every page on this site: [llms.txt](https://skilld.dev/llms.txt) > **Skill from skilld.dev.** Follow the user's requested action. > If the user asked to fork this Skill, follow the fork workflow below. Do not execute the Skill instructions while copying it. > Otherwise, follow the instructions below for this session. You do not need to install anything. > > Supporting files, fetch one when the Skill refers to it: [agents/openai.yaml](https://skilld.dev/api/skills-raw/openai/skills/skill-installer/agents/openai.yaml), [assets/skill-installer-small.svg](https://skilld.dev/api/skills-raw/openai/skills/skill-installer/assets/skill-installer-small.svg), [assets/skill-installer.png](https://skilld.dev/api/skills-raw/openai/skills/skill-installer/assets/skill-installer.png), [LICENSE.txt](https://skilld.dev/api/skills-raw/openai/skills/skill-installer/LICENSE.txt), [scripts/github_utils.py](https://skilld.dev/api/skills-raw/openai/skills/skill-installer/scripts/github_utils.py), [scripts/install-skill-from-github.py](https://skilld.dev/api/skills-raw/openai/skills/skill-installer/scripts/install-skill-from-github.py), [scripts/list-skills.py](https://skilld.dev/api/skills-raw/openai/skills/skill-installer/scripts/list-skills.py). > > If the user asked to install this Skill, run `npx skilld install openai/skills/skill-installer`. Install writes the Skill files into the project, so every session loads them. > > ## Fork workflow > > A fork creates an editable local Skill with its original author and licence. The request authorizes copying and local installation. > 1. Check `./skills/skill-installer`, the project lockfile, and selected Agent targets together. If the local directory or installed Skill exists, stop. Never overwrite an existing directory or Agent target. > 2. Read [source metadata](https://skilld.dev/api/v1/skills/openai/skills/skill-installer) once. Use sourceUrl, sourceCommit, skillPath, sourceGone, and license. If the source is gone or its path is missing, stop. If license is null, read licence files at the source commit. > 3. Fetch only the source commit into a temporary Git repository. Do not clone full history. Derive repository_url from sourceUrl, including repository renames. If sourceCommit is absent, resolve the sourceUrl ref once. Set source_commit to that actual commit. Run these commands in one shell call: > > ```sh > git init --quiet "$temporary_dir" > git -C "$temporary_dir" fetch --quiet --depth=1 "$repository_url" "$source_commit" > git -C "$temporary_dir" checkout --quiet --detach FETCH_HEAD > ``` > > Read applicable licence declarations and notices at that commit. If copying is not permitted, report the restriction and stop. > 4. Inspect source entries together, then copy the directory containing skillPath into `./skills/skill-installer`. Use the user's path if selected. Keep the original SKILL.md, relative links, scripts, binary assets, and executable modes. Exclude .git metadata. Reject symlinks and paths outside the Skill directory. After checking entries, use cp -a where available. A regular source directory needs no custom copy script. Do not save this page wrapper as SKILL.md. > Preserve author credit, notices, and applicable licence files from repository or parent directories. Add PROVENANCE.md with the Skill page, source URL, actual commit, original path, and licence. Retain any existing PROVENANCE.md and record new provenance separately. Batch source inspection, copying, and provenance work where practical. > 5. In the project root, run `skilld install ./skills/skill-installer --mode copy --plain`. If skilld is unavailable, use `npx skilld install ./skills/skill-installer --mode copy --plain`. This known command needs no help lookup. Install does not support --json. Use detected Agent targets, or add --agent for the targets the user selected. Install the local path, never the upstream selector. If installation fails, preserve the local copy and report the exact failure. > 6. Confirm the local lockfile source and installed Agent copies once. Report the local path, actual commit, and Agent targets. After edits, reinstall the same local path. Upstream updates must not replace it. Do not publish or push unless the user asks. # Skill Installer Helps install skills. By default these are from https://github.com/openai/skills/tree/main/skills/.curated, but users can also provide other locations. Use the helper scripts based on the task: - List skills when the user asks what is available, or if the user uses this skill without specifying what to do. Default listing is `.curated`, but you can pass `--path skills/.experimental` when they ask about experimental skills. - Install from the curated list when the user provides a skill name. - Install from another repo when the user provides a GitHub repo/path (including private repos). Install skills with the helper scripts. ## Communication When listing skills, output approximately as follows, depending on the context of the user's request. If they ask about experimental skills, list from `.experimental` instead of `.curated` and label the source accordingly: """ Skills from {repo}: 1. skill-1 2. skill-2 (already installed) 3. ... Which ones would you like installed? """ After installing a skill, tell the user it will be available on their next turn. ## Scripts All of these scripts use network, so when running in the sandbox, request escalation when running them. - `scripts/list-skills.py` (prints skills list with installed annotations) - `scripts/list-skills.py --format json` - Example (experimental list): `scripts/list-skills.py --path skills/.experimental` - `scripts/install-skill-from-github.py --repo / --path [ ...]` - `scripts/install-skill-from-github.py --url https://github.com///tree//` - Example (experimental skill): `scripts/install-skill-from-github.py --repo openai/skills --path skills/.experimental/` ## Behavior and Options - Defaults to direct download for public GitHub repos. - If download fails with auth/permission errors, falls back to git sparse checkout. - Aborts if the destination skill directory already exists. - Installs into `$CODEX_HOME/skills/` (defaults to `~/.codex/skills`). - Multiple `--path` values install multiple skills in one run, each named from the path basename unless `--name` is supplied. - Options: `--ref ` (default `main`), `--dest `, `--method auto|download|git`. ## Notes - Curated listing is fetched from `https://github.com/openai/skills/tree/main/skills/.curated` via the GitHub API. If it is unavailable, explain the error and exit. - Private GitHub repos can be accessed via existing git credentials or optional `GITHUB_TOKEN`/`GH_TOKEN` for download. - Git fallback tries HTTPS first, then SSH. - The skills at https://github.com/openai/skills/tree/main/skills/.system are preinstalled, so no need to help users install those. If they ask, just explain this. If they insist, you can download and overwrite. - Installed annotations come from `$CODEX_HOME/skills`.