Update Skills

---
name: update-skills
description: Check for and apply updates to installed skill branches from upstream.
---

# About

Skills are distributed as git branches (`skill/*`). When you install a skill, you merge its branch into your repo. This skill checks upstream for newer commits on those skill branches and helps you update.

Run `/update-skills` in Claude Code.

## How it works

**Preflight**: checks for clean working tree and upstream remote.

**Detection**: fetches upstream, lists all `upstream/skill/*` branches, determines which ones you've previously merged (via merge-base), and checks if any have new commits.

**Selection**: presents a list of skills with available updates. You pick which to update.

**Update**: merges each selected skill branch, resolves conflicts if any, then validates with build + test.

---

# Goal
Help users update their installed skill branches from upstream without losing local customizations.

# Operating principles
- Never proceed with a dirty working tree.
- Only offer updates for skills the user has already merged (installed).
- Use git-native operations. Do not manually rewrite files except conflict markers.
- Keep token usage low: rely on `git` commands, only open files with actual conflicts.

# Step 0: Preflight

Run:
- `git status --porcelain`

If output is non-empty:
- Tell the user to commit or stash first, then stop.

Check remotes:
- `git remote -v`

If `upstream` is missing:
- Ask the user for the upstream repo URL (default: `https://github.com/nanocoai/nanoclaw.git`).
- `git remote add upstream <url>`

Fetch:
- `git fetch upstream --prune`

# Step 1: Detect installed skills with available updates

List all upstream skill branches:
- `git branch -r --list 'upstream/skill/*'`

For each `upstream/skill/<name>`:
1. Check if the user has merged this skill branch before:
   - `git merge-base --is-ancestor upstream/skill/<name>~1 HEAD` — if this succeeds (exit 0) for any ancestor commit of the skill branch, the user has merged it at some point. A simpler check: `git log --oneline --merges --grep="skill/<name>" HEAD` to see if there's a merge commit referencing this branch.
   - Alternative: `MERGE_BASE=$(git merge-base HEAD upstream/skill/<name>)` — if the merge base is NOT the initial commit and the merge base includes commits unique to the skill branch, it has been merged.
   - Simplest reliable check: compare `git merge-base HEAD upstream/skill/<name>` with `git merge-base HEAD upstream/main`. If the skill merge-base is strictly ahead of (or different from) the main merge-base, the user has merged this skill.
2. Check if there are new commits on the skill branch not yet in HEAD:
   - `git log --oneline HEAD..upstream/skill/<name>`
   - If this produces output, there are updates available.

Build three lists:
- **Updates available**: skills that are merged AND have new commits
- **Up to date**: skills that are merged and have no new commits
- **Not installed**: skills that have never been merged

# Step 2: Present results

If no skills have updates available:
- Tell the user all installed skills are up to date. List them.
- If there are uninstalled skills, mention them briefly (e.g., "3 other skills available in upstream that you haven't installed").
- Stop here.

If updates are available:
- Show the list of skills with updates, including the number of new commits for each:
  ```
  skill/<name>: 3 new commits
  skill/<other>: 1 new commit
  ```
- Also show skills that are up to date (for context).
- Use AskUserQuestion with `multiSelect: true` to let the user pick which skills to update.
  - One option per skill with updates, labeled with the skill name and commit count.
  - Add an option: "Skip — don't update any skills now"
- If user selects Skip, stop here.

# Step 3: Apply updates

For each selected skill (process one at a time):

1. Tell the user which skill is being updated.
2. Run: `git merge upstream/skill/<name> --no-edit`
3. If the merge is clean, move to the next skill.
4. If conflicts occur:
   - Run `git status` to identify conflicted files.
   - For each conflicted file:
     - Open the file.
     - Resolve only conflict markers.
     - Preserve intentional local customizations.
     - `git add <file>`
   - Complete the merge: `git commit --no-edit`

If a merge fails badly (e.g., cannot resolve conflicts):
- `git merge --abort`
- Tell the user this skill could not be auto-updated and they should resolve it manually.
- Continue with the remaining skills.

# Step 4: Validation

After all selected skills are merged:
- `pnpm run build`
- `pnpm test` (do not fail the flow if tests are not configured)

If build fails:
- Show the error.
- Only fix issues clearly caused by the merge (missing imports, type mismatches).
- Do not refactor unrelated code.
- If unclear, ask the user.

# Step 5: Summary

Show:
- Skills updated (list)
- Skills skipped or failed (if any)
- New HEAD: `git rev-parse --short HEAD`
- Any conflicts that were resolved (list files)

If the service is running, remind the user to restart it to pick up changes.