xskills

Stop writing different instructions for every AI coding tool. xskills gives you reusable, specialized workflows that work across 45+ AI coding CLIs — Claude Code, Gemini CLI, Cursor, Aider, and more. One format, install once, use everywhere.

Agentic tooling built for local models under 40B. Every skill fits in a 4K context window — lean, fast, and tested against the constraints real developers face daily. Read the manifesto →

Why xskills?

You're using AI coding tools — maybe Claude Code for complex refactors, Gemini CLI for quick questions, Cursor for inline edits. But each tool needs different instructions, different prompt formats, different setup.

xskills solves that. It's a collection of reusable "skills" following the Agent Skills open standard — folders with specialized knowledge and workflows that any compatible CLI can use.

• One format across all CLIs — no adapters, no rewriting for each tool
• 15 production-ready skills — commit conventions, debugging, code review, API design, task decomposition, and more
• Zero dependencies — pure Node.js built-ins, nothing else
• Built for local models — every skill fits in a 4K context window

The problem it solves

Without xskills: Write custom instructions for Claude Code. Rewrite them for Gemini CLI. Adapt again for Cursor. Maintain three copies.

With xskills: Install once. Every compatible CLI discovers and uses the same skills automatically.

Supported CLIs

| CLI | Status | |--|--------| | Claude Code | Native | | Gemini CLI | Native | | Crush | Native | | OpenCode | Native | | Roo Code | Native | | Goose (Block) | Native | | OpenAI Codex | Native | | Mistral Vibe | Native | | NanoBot | Native | | Aider | Via .agents/skills/ discovery | | Cursor | Via .agents/skills/ discovery | | 45+ total | See full list |

Install

First, make xskills available globally or via npx:

# Option A: Global install (recommended for persistent use)
npm install -g @lleqsnoom/x-skills

# Option B: Use via npx without installing (still works)
npx @lleqsnoom/x-skills help

Then, install skills:

# Install all 15+ skills at once
xskills install-all --global          # Global: ~/.agents/skills/
xskills install-all                   # Local: .agents/skills/ in current project

# Or specific skills only
xskills install x-commit x-design --global

# Shortcut — just type the skill name
xskills <skill-name>

MCP Server

For CLIs that support MCP (Model Context Protocol), run the bundled stdio server. First install skills, then start the server:

# 1. Install all skills locally or globally
npx @lleqsnoom/x-skills install-all --global

# 2. Start the MCP server
npx @lleqsnoom/x-skills mcp-server

The server discovers installed skills from .agents/skills/ (local) or ~/.agents/skills/ (global) and exposes them as MCP tools.

Configure in Client

Add to your client config (e.g., .claude.json, cursor.json, etc.):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "xskills": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@lleqsnoom/x-skills", "mcp-server"]
    }
  }
}

Configure Globally (Optional)

To use the MCP server across all projects without per-project config:

# Install globally so npx can resolve it anywhere
npm install -g @lleqsnoom/x-skills
npx xskills mcp-server

Or pin a specific version and install skills separately:

npm install -g @lleqsnoom/x-skills@latest
xskills install-all --global  # Install skills globally once
xskills mcp-server            # Start MCP server whenever needed

Available MCP Tools

The server exposes all installed skills as tools. Each skill provides its own set of functions (e.g., x_commit_suggest_type, x_review_analyze_complexity). Run the server and your client will auto-discover them.

Available Skills

Run npx xskills list to see all available skills.

| Skill | Description | |-------|-------------| | x-api-draft | Draft API design from requirements — clarify scope, analyze endpoints and data models | | x-api-swagger | Convert an API design draft to OpenAPI YAML spec with endpoints, schemas, and auth | | x-commit | Write single-line conventional commit messages with automated type suggestion and validation | | x-debug | Structured debugging — hypothesis formation, evidence collection, root cause declaration with fix plan export | | x-decompose | Decompose epic into atomic tasks ≤8h each with DOD, test plan, effort estimate | | x-design | Spec-driven design — clarify goals, propose approaches with trade-offs, gate on approval | | x-dispatch | Parallel subagent task dispatcher via git worktrees with dependency management | | x-epic | Convert approved spec into INVEST-gated user stories and epic-level DOD | | x-fix | Resolve identified issues one-by-one from a fix plan file until complete | | x-implement | Test-driven implementation — red/green/refactor per task, docs sync, commit via x-commit | | x-migrate | Framework/dependency migration assistant — breaking changes, upgrade paths, automated fixes | | x-refactor | Automated refactoring suggestions against SOLID principles with before/after comparisons | | x-review | Review code against engineering principles with AST-based complexity analysis across 30+ languages (Python, C, C++, Java, JS, TS, Go, Rust, Ruby, PHP, Swift, Kotlin, Lua, Dart, Scala, Haskell, Elixir, and more) | | x-rollback | Automated git revert with multi-step confirmation and impact analysis | | x-test-gen | Generate test stubs from implementation — happy path, error cases, edge case placeholders |

Workflow

Skills compose into production workflows. Pick the one that fits your task:

Design → Implement:

x-design → x-epic → x-decompose → x-implement → x-commit
                                         ↘ x-review → x-fix (loop)

API Development:

x-api-draft → x-api-swagger

Code Quality:

x-review → x-fix → x-refactor

Debugging & Migration:

x-debug          (standalone)
x-migrate        (standalone)
x-rollback       (standalone)

Quick Start

Step 1: Make xskills available:

# Global install (recommended) — use from anywhere without npx
npm install -g @lleqsnoom/x-skills

# Or use via npx (still works, no global install needed)
npx @lleqsnoom/x-skills help

Step 2: Install skills:

# All skills globally (recommended for most users)
xskills install-all --global

# Specific skills locally in current project
xskills install x-design x-epic x-decompose x-implement

Step 3: Use with your AI coding agent

Your CLI will auto-discover installed skills and offer them when relevant. Each skill gates on user approval before executing.

For MCP clients (editors, agents), add to config:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "xskills": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@lleqsnoom/x-skills", "mcp-server"]
    }
  }
}

How It Works

1. Skills live in .agents/skills/ following the Agent Skills spec.
2. Compatible CLIs scan this directory and discover skills automatically.
3. Skills use progressive disclosure — lightweight catalog at startup, full instructions only when needed.

Directory Structure After Install

my-project/
├── .agents/
│   └── skills/
│       ├── x-commit/
│       │   ├── SKILL.md          # Instructions the agent reads
│       │   ├── scripts/           # Portable scripts
│       │   ├── references/        # Docs & examples
│       │   └── assets/            # Configs & templates
│       └── ...

Create Your Own Skill

1. Create a folder: my-skill/
2. Add SKILL.md with YAML frontmatter:

---
name: my-skill
description: What it does and when the agent should use it.
---

# My Skill

Step-by-step instructions for the agent...

3. Optionally add scripts/, references/, assets/ subdirectories.
4. Submit a PR or install locally via npx xskills install ./path/to/my-skill.

License

MIT