Creating Computer Configuration Skills

Creating Computer Configuration Skills

When creating a new skill for installing software or configuring a computer:

Structure

Create the skill in .claude/​skills/<skill-name>/​SKILL.md

Required Frontmatter

---
name: skill-name
description: Brief description of what this installs/​configures
---

Instructions to Include

1. Prerequisites - What must be installed first (e.g., Homebrew, apt)
2. Installation commands - The exact commands to run
3. Configuration steps - Any post-install configuration needed
4. Verification - How to confirm success
5. Update - How to update to newer versions
6. Uninstallation - How to remove the software and clean up configuration files

Example Skill

---
name: install-node
description: Installs Node.js via nvm. Use when setting up Node.js or JavaScript development.
---

## Prerequisites
- macOS or Linux
- curl installed

## Installation
1. Install nvm: `curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/​nvm-sh/​nvm/​v0.40.0/​install.sh | bash`
2. Restart terminal or run: `source ~/​.bashrc`
3. Install Node: `nvm install --lts`

## Verify
Run `node --version` to confirm installation.

## Update
- Update nvm itself: `cd ~/​.nvm && git fetch --tags && git checkout $(git describe --tags --abbrev=0)`
- Install newer Node version: `nvm install --lts` (keeps previous versions)
- Switch to new version: `nvm use --lts`
- Set new default: `nvm alias default <version>`

## Uninstall
1. Remove installed Node versions: `nvm uninstall <version>` or `nvm uninstall --lts`
2. Remove nvm itself:
   - Delete nvm directory: `rm -rf ~/​.nvm`
   - Remove nvm lines from shell config (`~/​.bashrc`, `~/​.zshrc`, or `~/​.profile`)
3. Restart terminal to apply changes

Guidelines

• Keep skills focused on one tool or configuration
• Use Homebrew on macOS, apt on Debian/​Ubuntu
• Include rollback steps for complex changes
• Prefer idempotent commands that can safely re-run
• Always include update instructions for upgrading to newer versions
• Always include uninstall instructions covering both software removal and config cleanup