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Delegate complex tasks to shellagent when direct tool execution fails, leveraging autonomous error recovery and library selection
Install Shell Agent Delegation
$ npx skills add HKUDS/OpenSpace --skill shell-agent-delegation -a claude-codeProject install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.
$ gh skill install HKUDS/OpenSpace shell-agent-delegation --agent claude-codeProject scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenSpace.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/benchmarks/gdpval/skills/shell-agent-delegation .claude/skills/shell-agent-delegation && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.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/
Install the "shell-agent-delegation" agent skill from https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenSpace/tree/main/benchmarks/gdpval/skills/shell-agent-delegation into .claude/skills/shell-agent-delegation/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "shell-agent-delegation", then confirm the skill loads.Claude Code copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$skill-installer install https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenSpace/tree/main/benchmarks/gdpval/skills/shell-agent-delegationType this inside Codex. $skill-installer <name> installs a curated skill from openai/skills. The installer writes to $CODEX_HOME/skills (default ~/.codex/skills). Restart Codex if the skill does not show up.
$ npx skills add HKUDS/OpenSpace --skill shell-agent-delegation -a codexProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.codex/skills/.
$ gh skill install HKUDS/OpenSpace shell-agent-delegation --agent codexProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenSpace.git skills-src && mkdir -p .agents/skills && cp -r skills-src/benchmarks/gdpval/skills/shell-agent-delegation .agents/skills/shell-agent-delegation && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.agents/skills/ instead of .agents/skills for a personal install.
Codex skills documentation · loads skills from .agents/skills/
Install the "shell-agent-delegation" agent skill from https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenSpace/tree/main/benchmarks/gdpval/skills/shell-agent-delegation into .agents/skills/shell-agent-delegation/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "shell-agent-delegation", then confirm the skill loads.Codex copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ npx skills add HKUDS/OpenSpace --skill shell-agent-delegation -a cursorProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.cursor/skills/.
$ gh skill install HKUDS/OpenSpace shell-agent-delegation --agent cursorProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenSpace.git skills-src && mkdir -p .cursor/skills && cp -r skills-src/benchmarks/gdpval/skills/shell-agent-delegation .cursor/skills/shell-agent-delegation && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.cursor/skills/ instead of .cursor/skills for a personal install.
Cursor skills documentation · loads skills from .cursor/skills/, .agents/skills/, .claude/skills/, .codex/skills/
Install the "shell-agent-delegation" agent skill from https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenSpace/tree/main/benchmarks/gdpval/skills/shell-agent-delegation into .cursor/skills/shell-agent-delegation/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "shell-agent-delegation", then confirm the skill loads.Cursor copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ gemini skills install https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenSpace.git --path benchmarks/gdpval/skills/shell-agent-delegation--scope user (default) or --scope workspace; --path is the subfolder of the repo that holds the skill; --consent skips the security confirmation prompt.
$ npx skills add HKUDS/OpenSpace --skill shell-agent-delegation -a gemini-cliProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.gemini/skills/.
$ gh skill install HKUDS/OpenSpace shell-agent-delegation --agent gemini-cliProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenSpace.git skills-src && mkdir -p .gemini/skills && cp -r skills-src/benchmarks/gdpval/skills/shell-agent-delegation .gemini/skills/shell-agent-delegation && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.gemini/skills/ instead of .gemini/skills for a personal install, then run /skills reload.
Gemini CLI skills documentation · loads skills from .gemini/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "shell-agent-delegation" agent skill from https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenSpace/tree/main/benchmarks/gdpval/skills/shell-agent-delegation into .gemini/skills/shell-agent-delegation/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "shell-agent-delegation", then confirm the skill loads.Gemini CLI copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ gh skill install HKUDS/OpenSpace shell-agent-delegationInstalls for Copilot at project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Preview a skill first with gh skill preview. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).
$ npx skills add HKUDS/OpenSpace --skill shell-agent-delegation -a github-copilotProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.copilot/skills/.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenSpace.git skills-src && mkdir -p .github/skills && cp -r skills-src/benchmarks/gdpval/skills/shell-agent-delegation .github/skills/shell-agent-delegation && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.copilot/skills/ instead of .github/skills for a personal install. Commit .github/skills so cloud agent and code review can use it.
GitHub Copilot skills documentation · loads skills from .github/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "shell-agent-delegation" agent skill from https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenSpace/tree/main/benchmarks/gdpval/skills/shell-agent-delegation into .github/skills/shell-agent-delegation/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "shell-agent-delegation", then confirm the skill loads.GitHub Copilot copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ npx skills add HKUDS/OpenSpace --skill shell-agent-delegation -a opencodeOpenCode documents no install command of its own. Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.config/opencode/skills/.
$ gh skill install HKUDS/OpenSpace shell-agent-delegation --agent opencodeProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenSpace.git skills-src && mkdir -p .opencode/skills && cp -r skills-src/benchmarks/gdpval/skills/shell-agent-delegation .opencode/skills/shell-agent-delegation && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.config/opencode/skills/ instead of .opencode/skills for a personal install.
OpenCode skills documentation · loads skills from .opencode/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "shell-agent-delegation" agent skill from https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenSpace/tree/main/benchmarks/gdpval/skills/shell-agent-delegation into .opencode/skills/shell-agent-delegation/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "shell-agent-delegation", then confirm the skill loads.OpenCode copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
Facts
- Skill name
shell-agent-delegation- GitHub stars
- 7.7k
- Token cost
- ~1k tokens
- SKILL.md length
- 356 words
- Files
- 2
- Skills in repo
- 199
- Repo updated
- First seen
- Licence
- MIT
At a glance
Delegate complex tasks to shellagent when direct tool execution fails, leveraging autonomous error recovery and library selection
- Works in 4 steps: Recognize the Failure Pattern → Formulate the Delegation Task → Execute the Delegation → …
- Documents & Office work in your project
- SKILL.md covers When to Use This Skill, Why This Works, Step-by-Step Instructions and Code Example, plus 3 more sections
- Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md
What it does
Shell Agent Delegation is an agent skill from HKUDS/OpenSpace. Delegate complex tasks to shellagent when direct tool execution fails, leveraging autonomous error recovery and library selection
Its SKILL.md is about 1k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. The skill folder holds 1 other file.
It sits in Documents & Office. The repository describes itself as: "OpenSpace: The Skill Management Layer for AI Agents" -- https://open-space.cloud/. The licence is MIT.
When your agent uses it
- Documents & Office work in your project
Example prompts
- “/shell-agent-delegation”
Requirements
- Python 3
Workflow steps
4 steps, taken from the step headings in SKILL.md.
What it can do on your machine
Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 3827781. 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
No scripts in the folder and no shell commands in SKILL.md (its code samples are python).
From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.
Network
No URLs in SKILL.md.
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
Shell Agent Delegation loads about 1k tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 38 tokens; SKILL.md has 356 words of instructions outside code blocks.
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 HKUDS/OpenSpace at commit 3827781, republished under its MIT licence (© HKUDS). 356 words, ~1,020 tokens.
Download SKILL.mdSave it as
.claude/skills/shell-agent-delegation/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 1 other file; get the full folder from GitHub.- name
- shell-agent-delegation
- description
- Delegate complex tasks to shell_agent when direct tool execution fails, leveraging autonomous error recovery and library selection
Shell Agent Delegation for Resilient Workflow Execution
When to Use This Skill
Apply this pattern when:
- Direct tool execution (execute_code_sandbox, read_webpage, search_web) fails with 'unknown error'
- Multiple tool attempts have failed in sequence
- The task requires complex document generation or data processing
- You need a tool that can autonomously select libraries and handle multi-step workflows
Why This Works
The shell_agent tool differs from direct execution tools in key ways:
- Autonomous tool selection: Decides whether to use Python or Bash based on the task
- Built-in error recovery: Automatically retries and fixes errors (up to several rounds)
- Iterative execution: Writes code, executes, inspects output, and adapts
- Full workflow ownership: Handles the entire task end-to-end without manual intervention
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Recognize the Failure Pattern
Identify when to pivot to shell_agent:
- execute_code_sandbox returned 'unknown error'
- read_webpage/search_web failed multiple times
- Direct approaches are struggling with the task complexityStep 2: Formulate the Delegation Task
Create a clear, self-contained task description for shell_agent:
Good task description:
Create a 1-page SBAR Template PDF document. Include sections for:
- Situation: Brief description of the current situation
- Background: Relevant context and history
- Assessment: Current assessment and analysis
- Recommendation: Proposed actions and next steps
Use a professional layout with clear headings and adequate whitespace.Key elements to include:
- The end goal (what should be produced)
- Required sections/components
- Format requirements (PDF, DOCX, etc.)
- Any style or layout preferences
Step 3: Execute the Delegation
Call shell_agent with your task description:
# Conceptual example
shell_agent(task="Create a professional SBAR Template PDF with Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendation sections. Include clear headings and professional formatting.")Step 4: Monitor and Verify
After shell_agent completes:
- Check that the output file was created in the working directory
- Verify the content meets requirements
- If issues remain, provide refined instructions to shell_agent
Show full SKILL.md (141 more words)Show less
Code Example
# When direct approaches fail:
# execute_code_sandbox(code="...") # Returns 'unknown error'
# search_web(query="...") # Returns 'unknown error'
# Pivot to shell_agent:
shell_agent(
task="Generate a professional one-page template document in PDF format. "
"Include clearly labeled sections with appropriate spacing and formatting. "
"Select the most appropriate Python library for PDF generation.",
timeout=300 # Allow time for iteration and error recovery
)Best Practices
- Be specific about the output: Clearly describe what the final product should look like
- Trust the autonomy: Let shell_agent decide on libraries and implementation details
- Allow sufficient timeout: Set timeout to 300+ seconds for complex tasks requiring iteration
- One task at a time: Give shell_agent a complete, self-contained objective
- Don't micromanage: Avoid prescribing specific libraries or code unless necessary
Common Use Cases
- Document generation (PDF, DOCX, reports, templates)
- Data processing pipelines with multiple steps
- Web scraping with fallback handling
- Complex file manipulation tasks
- Tasks requiring library discovery and selection
Anti-Patterns to Avoid
❌ Don't use shell_agent for simple, single-command tasks (use run_shell instead) ❌ Don't provide overly prescriptive code instructions (defeats the autonomous benefit) ❌ Don't set timeout too low (<60 seconds for complex tasks) ❌ Don't split a coherent task into multiple shell_agent calls unnecessarily
© HKUDS, MIT. 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 benchmarks/gdpval/skills/shell-agent-delegation of HKUDS/OpenSpace.
- SKILL.md
- .skill_id
Open the folder on GitHubat commit 3827781
Compare with similar skills
Shell Agent Delegation 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.
| Skill | Stars | Used in | Tokens | Auto-check | Licence | Repo updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shell Agent Delegation this skillHKUDS/OpenSpace | 7.7k | — | ~1k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Markdown Article FormatterJimLiu/baoyu-skills | 26k | 7 repos | ~3.5k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| MarkitdownImCa0/just-laws | 781 | 14 repos | ~3.2k | Automated safety check: Notes | MIT | |
| Obsidian MarkdownAtmosphere/atmosphere | 3.8k | 20 repos | ~1.3k | Automated safety check: Pass | Apache-2.0 | |
| DOCXrvdbreemen/OTGW-firmware | 207 | 33 repos | ~4.3k | Automated safety check: Pass | Proprietary | |
| Gzh Designisjiamu/gzh-design-skill | 3.9k | 1 repos | ~2.2k | Automated safety check: Pass | AGPL-3.0 |
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Related
Categories
Questions about Shell Agent Delegation
What does Shell Agent Delegation do?
Delegate complex tasks to shellagent when direct tool execution fails, leveraging autonomous error recovery and library selection. Shell Agent Delegation is an agent skill from HKUDS/OpenSpace.
When should I use Shell Agent Delegation?
Shell Agent Delegation fits situations like: documents & Office work in your project.
How do I install Shell Agent Delegation in Claude Code?
Run `npx skills add HKUDS/OpenSpace --skill shell-agent-delegation -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (benchmarks/gdpval/skills/shell-agent-delegation in HKUDS/OpenSpace) into .claude/skills/shell-agent-delegation in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.
How do I install Shell Agent Delegation in Codex?
Run `npx skills add HKUDS/OpenSpace --skill shell-agent-delegation -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (benchmarks/gdpval/skills/shell-agent-delegation in HKUDS/OpenSpace) into .agents/skills/shell-agent-delegation in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.
Can I use Shell Agent Delegation 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 HKUDS/OpenSpace --skill shell-agent-delegation -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/shell-agent-delegation, .gemini/skills/shell-agent-delegation, .github/skills/shell-agent-delegation and .opencode/skills/shell-agent-delegation in your project.
What does Shell Agent Delegation need to run?
SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Shell Agent Delegation is instructions for the agent only. Our summary lists: Python 3.
Does Shell Agent Delegation 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 Shell Agent Delegation 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 Shell Agent Delegation use?
Shell Agent Delegation is published under the MIT licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.
How many tokens does Shell Agent Delegation use?
About 1k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 4.1k 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 Shell Agent Delegation?
Skills that share tags, products or a category with Shell Agent Delegation: Markdown Article Formatter (JimLiu/baoyu-skills, 26k stars), Markitdown (ImCa0/just-laws, 781 stars), Obsidian Markdown (Atmosphere/atmosphere, 3.8k stars) and DOCX (rvdbreemen/OTGW-firmware, 207 stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.
Who maintains Shell Agent Delegation?
HKUDS (a GitHub organization) maintains it in HKUDS/OpenSpace, which has 7,749 GitHub stars. The repository holds 199 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on August 12, 2026.
Source: HKUDS/OpenSpace on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.