Agent skill

Zotero Rdp Debug

by aidenlx in aidenlx/zotlit

Ground truth from the running Zotero plugin over RDP. An agent skill from aidenlx/zotlit.

AGPL-3.0Auto-check passedResearch & Science

Install Zotero Rdp Debug

skills CLI
$ npx skills add aidenlx/zotlit --skill zotero-rdp-debug -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install aidenlx/zotlit zotero-rdp-debug --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/aidenlx/zotlit.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/.agents/skills/zotero-rdp-debug .claude/skills/zotero-rdp-debug && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Facts

Skill name
zotero-rdp-debug
GitHub stars
1k
Token cost
~754 tokens
SKILL.md length
277 words
Files
2
Skills in repo
16
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
AGPL-3.0

At a glance

Ground truth from the running Zotero plugin over RDP. An agent skill from aidenlx/zotlit.

  • Works in 2 steps: Start or reuse a Paired Run → Evaluate JavaScript
  • Inspecting runtime state in Zotero
  • SKILL.md covers 1. Start or reuse a Paired Run, 2. Evaluate JavaScript, Gotchas and Outbound HTTP verification
  • Calls node, pnpm and rg

What it does

Zotero Rdp Debug is an agent skill from aidenlx/zotlit. Ground truth from the running Zotero plugin over RDP. Use when inspecting runtime state in Zotero, diagnosing why an observer or notifier misfires, or verifying the plugin's outbound HTTP notifications. Also covers "debug the plugin" or "check it in Zotero."

Its SKILL.md is about 750 tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. The skill folder holds 1 other file (for example `capture-server.md`).

It sits in Research & Science, covering Citation management. It works with Zotero. The repository describes itself as: Bring your Zotero library into Obsidian. Create literature notes, insert citations, and annotate PDFs without leaving your vault. The licence is AGPL-3.0.

When your agent uses it

  • Inspecting runtime state in Zotero
  • Diagnosing why an observer
  • Notifier misfires
  • Verifying the plugins outbound HTTP notifications

Example prompts

  • “s outbound HTTP notifications. Also covers”
  • “check it in Zotero.”
  • “/zotero-rdp-debug”

Workflow steps

2 steps, taken from the step headings in SKILL.md.

  1. Start or reuse a Paired Run
  2. Evaluate JavaScript

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 27f5752. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

  • Tool permissions

    Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.

    From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

  • Runs code

    Shell commands in SKILL.md call:

    • node
    • pnpm
    • rg

    From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.

  • Network

    No URLs in SKILL.md. Its commands use pnpm, which can reach the network depending on how they are called.

    From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.

  • Credentials

    Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.

    From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

Zotero Rdp Debug loads about 754 tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 69 tokens; SKILL.md has 277 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~69
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~754

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check passed

The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from aidenlx/zotlit at commit 27f5752, republished under its AGPL-3.0 licence (© aidenlx). 277 words, ~754 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/zotero-rdp-debug/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 1 other file; get the full folder from GitHub.
name
zotero-rdp-debug
description
Ground truth from the running Zotero plugin over RDP. Use when inspecting runtime state in Zotero, diagnosing why an observer or notifier misfires, or verifying the plugin's outbound HTTP notifications. Also covers "debug the plugin" or "check it in Zotero."

Debug the Zotero plugin over RDP

Source tells you what should happen. Ground truth from the running app tells you what does happen. apps/zotero/scripts/debug/rdp-eval.ts evaluates JavaScript in Zotero's parent (chrome) process over the Firefox Remote Debugging Protocol — the same scope where Zotero, Services, and the plugin run.

1. Start or reuse a Paired Run

Launch Zotero on the Fixture profile via pnpm fixture dev — see the Fixture guide (docs/fixture.md, "Run a Paired Run") for prerequisites and options. The session enables RDP and hot-reloads the companion on source changes.

If a session is already running, reuse its log and port — a second launch fails because the Fixture database cannot be opened by two Zotero processes.

bash
pnpm fixture dev > tmp/fixture-dev.log 2>&1 &
until rg -q "RDP connected on port" tmp/fixture-dev.log; do sleep 2; done
PORT=$(rg -o 'RDP connected on port (\d+)' -r '$1' tmp/fixture-dev.log | tail -1)

2. Evaluate JavaScript

bash
node apps/zotero/scripts/debug/rdp-eval.ts "$PORT" '<expression>'

Return JSON-serializable values; non-serializable objects (DOM nodes, class instances) come back as grip previews — reduce to plain data inside the expression.

Sync:

bash
node apps/zotero/scripts/debug/rdp-eval.ts "$PORT" \
  'JSON.stringify({ version: Zotero.version, readers: Zotero.Reader._readers.length })'

Async — prefix with await . The harness wraps the expression in an async function:

bash
node apps/zotero/scripts/debug/rdp-eval.ts "$PORT" \
  'await Zotero.Items.getAll(1)'

For multi-step async, wrap in an IIFE: 'await (async () => { ...; return result; })()'.

Eval can also drive the app — open readers, select tabs, save items — firing the same notifiers and observers as real user actions.

Exceptions are reported on stderr with the stack.

Gotchas

  • Parent-process scope. Zotero and Services are global. Reach reader iframe contents through Zotero.Reader and _iframeWindow.
  • Zotero.Prefs.get prepends extensions.zotero. unless the second arg is true. Zotero.Prefs.get("extensions.zotlit.notify") silently returns undefined; use Zotero.Prefs.get("extensions.zotlit.notify", true).
  • Notifier types are validated. Unknown type strings throw. If an observer never fires, confirm Zotero.Notifier.trigger is called for that event/type in the Zotero source.
  • Check the installed version. rdp-eval.ts "$PORT" 'Zotero.version' — the Fixture's Zotero may differ from the source checkout.

Outbound HTTP verification

When debugging whether outbound notifications leave Zotero, see capture-server.md.

© aidenlx, AGPL-3.0. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file

Files

SKILL.md and 1 other file in .agents/skills/zotero-rdp-debug of aidenlx/zotlit.

  • SKILL.md
  • capture-server.md

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 27f5752

Compare with similar skills

Zotero Rdp Debug next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.

Zotero Rdp Debug compared with similar skills
SkillStarsUsed inTokensAuto-checkLicenceRepo updated
Zotero Rdp Debug this skillaidenlx/zotlit1k—~754Automated safety check: PassAGPL-3.0
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Citation Verification GuideGalaxy-Dawn/claude-scholar5.7k2 repos~1.9kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Cnki Exportcookjohn/cnki-skills9832 repos~1.7kAutomated safety check: PassNone
Annotate Paper54yyyu/zotero-mcp5.3k—~1.5kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Zotero CLI54yyyu/zotero-mcp5.3k—~2.3kAutomated safety check: PassMIT

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Works with

Questions about Zotero Rdp Debug

What does Zotero Rdp Debug do?

Ground truth from the running Zotero plugin over RDP. An agent skill from aidenlx/zotlit. Zotero Rdp Debug is an agent skill from aidenlx/zotlit. Ground truth from the running Zotero plugin over RDP.

When should I use Zotero Rdp Debug?

Zotero Rdp Debug fits situations like: inspecting runtime state in Zotero; diagnosing why an observer; notifier misfires; verifying the plugins outbound HTTP notifications.

How do I install Zotero Rdp Debug in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add aidenlx/zotlit --skill zotero-rdp-debug -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (.agents/skills/zotero-rdp-debug in aidenlx/zotlit) into .claude/skills/zotero-rdp-debug in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Zotero Rdp Debug in Codex?

Run `npx skills add aidenlx/zotlit --skill zotero-rdp-debug -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (.agents/skills/zotero-rdp-debug in aidenlx/zotlit) into .agents/skills/zotero-rdp-debug in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Zotero Rdp Debug in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add aidenlx/zotlit --skill zotero-rdp-debug -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/zotero-rdp-debug, .gemini/skills/zotero-rdp-debug, .github/skills/zotero-rdp-debug and .opencode/skills/zotero-rdp-debug in your project.

What does Zotero Rdp Debug need to run?

Going by SKILL.md and its folder, Zotero Rdp Debug needs the command-line tools its instructions call (node, pnpm and rg).

Does Zotero Rdp Debug access the network?

SKILL.md contains no URLs. Any network use would come from the scripts or tools the agent runs. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Zotero Rdp Debug safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does Zotero Rdp Debug use?

Zotero Rdp Debug is published under the AGPL-3.0 licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Zotero Rdp Debug use?

About 754 tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 3k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full.

What are the alternatives to Zotero Rdp Debug?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Zotero Rdp Debug: Systematic Review Screener (Imbad0202/academic-research-skills, 51k stars), Citation Verification Guide (Galaxy-Dawn/claude-scholar, 5.7k stars), Cnki Export (cookjohn/cnki-skills, 983 stars) and Annotate Paper (54yyyu/zotero-mcp, 5.3k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Zotero Rdp Debug?

aidenlx (a GitHub user) maintains it in aidenlx/zotlit, which has 1,029 GitHub stars. The repository holds 16 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on October 10, 2026.

Source: aidenlx/zotlit on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.