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Agent skill

Shell Agent File Workflow

by HKUDS in HKUDS/OpenSpace

Delegate file generation to shellagent when direct tools fail, with systematic file location and retrieval

MITAuto-check passed

Install Shell Agent File Workflow

skills CLI
$ npx skills add HKUDS/OpenSpace --skill shell-agent-file-workflow -a claude-code

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

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install HKUDS/OpenSpace shell-agent-file-workflow --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/HKUDS/OpenSpace.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/benchmarks/gdpval/skills/shell-agent-file-workflow .claude/skills/shell-agent-file-workflow && 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
shell-agent-file-workflow
GitHub stars
7.7k
Token cost
~787 tokens
SKILL.md length
283 words
Files
2
Skills in repo
199
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
MIT

At a glance

Delegate file generation to shellagent when direct tools fail, with systematic file location and retrieval

  • Works in 3 steps: Delegate File Generation to shell_agent → Locate Generated Files → Copy Files to Working Directory
  • SKILL.md covers When to Use, Workflow Steps, Example and Tips, plus 1 more section
  • Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md

What it does

Shell Agent File Workflow is an agent skill from HKUDS/OpenSpace. Delegate file generation to shellagent when direct tools fail, with systematic file location and retrieval

Its SKILL.md is about 790 tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. The skill folder holds 1 other file.

The repository describes itself as: "OpenSpace: The Skill Management Layer for AI Agents" -- https://open-space.cloud/. The licence is MIT.

Example prompts

  • “/shell-agent-file-workflow”

Requirements

  • Python 3

Workflow steps

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

  1. Delegate File Generation to shell_agent
  2. Locate Generated Files
  3. Copy Files to Working Directory

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 bash).

    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 File Workflow loads about 787 tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 33 tokens; SKILL.md has 283 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~33
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~787

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). 283 words, ~787 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/shell-agent-file-workflow/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 1 other file; get the full folder from GitHub.
name
shell-agent-file-workflow
description
Delegate file generation to shell_agent when direct tools fail, with systematic file location and retrieval

Shell Agent File Generation Workflow

When direct document or file generation approaches fail, delegate the task to shell_agent which can autonomously write code, execute it, and retry on errors. Generated files may appear in nested workspace directories.

When to Use

  • Direct file generation tools or create_file functions fail for complex formats
  • Complex file creation requiring multiple steps, libraries, or error recovery
  • When you need an autonomous agent to figure out how to accomplish a goal
  • File generation that requires iteration and automatic error fixing

Workflow Steps

Step 1: Delegate File Generation to shell_agent

Use shell_agent with a clear, specific task description:

shell_agent(task="Create a [file type] with [specific content/structure requirements]")

The agent will:

  • Decide whether to use Python or Bash
  • Write and execute code
  • Inspect output and iterate
  • Automatically retry and fix errors (up to several rounds)
Step 2: Locate Generated Files

Files may be created in nested directories within the workspace. Use find to locate them:

bash
find . -name "*.extension" -type f

For multiple file types:

bash
find . -type f \( -name "*.pptx" -o -name "*.docx" -o -name "*.pdf" \)

For recently modified files (last 10 minutes):

bash
find . -name "*.extension" -type f -mmin -10
Step 3: Copy Files to Working Directory

Once located, copy the file to your working directory:

bash
cp /path/to/found/file.extension ./

Example

Creating a PowerPoint Presentation
# Step 1: Delegate to shell_agent
shell_agent(task="Create a 10-slide PowerPoint presentation covering: topic A, topic B, topic C")

# Step 2: Find the generated file
find . -name "*.pptx" -type f

# Output might show: ./workspace/nested/path/presentation.pptx

# Step 3: Copy to working directory
cp ./workspace/nested/path/presentation.pptx ./
Creating a PDF Report
# Step 1: Delegate generation
shell_agent(task="Generate a PDF report with charts and tables from the provided data")

# Step 2: Locate output
find . -name "*.pdf" -type f -mmin -5

# Step 3: Retrieve file
cp ./generated/reports/output.pdf ./

Tips

  • Be specific in task description: Include file format, structure, and content requirements explicitly
  • Check multiple extensions: If unsure of output format, search for common extensions
  • Use modification time: Filter by recent files to identify newly created outputs
  • Verify file integrity: After copying, check that the file is valid and complete

Troubleshooting

IssueSolution
No files foundExpand search: remove extension filter, increase time window
Multiple files foundSort by modification time: find . -name "*.ext" -type f -printf '%T@ %p\n' | sort -n
File is corruptedRe-run shell_agent with more specific requirements
Permission errorsUse sudo or check directory permissions

© 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-file-workflow of HKUDS/OpenSpace.

  • SKILL.md
  • .skill_id

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 3827781

Compare with similar skills

Shell Agent File Workflow 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.

Shell Agent File Workflow compared with similar skills
SkillStarsUsed inTokensAuto-checkLicenceRepo updated
Shell Agent File Workflow this skillHKUDS/OpenSpace7.7k—~787Automated safety check: PassMIT
Shell ScriptingRightNow-AI/openfang18k—~827Automated safety check: PassApache-2.0
Crush Shell Builtinscharmbracelet/crush29k—~790Automated safety check: PassCustom licence
Direction Pickernexu-io/open-design100k—~472Automated safety check: WarnApache-2.0
Delegate Workpaperclipai/paperclip99k—~372Automated safety check: PassMIT
Frontend Design Directionaffaan-m/ECC275k1 repos~1.1kAutomated safety check: PassMIT

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  • Sandbox Code Execution Fallback

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  • Code Execution Fallback

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  • Code Execution Fallback and Path Anchoring

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    Fallback ladder for failed sandboxed code runs, plus the habit of fixing the working directory first so generated files land in the right place.

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  • Code Execution Fallback E81068

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Questions about Shell Agent File Workflow

What does Shell Agent File Workflow do?

Delegate file generation to shellagent when direct tools fail, with systematic file location and retrieval. Shell Agent File Workflow is an agent skill from HKUDS/OpenSpace.

How do I install Shell Agent File Workflow in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add HKUDS/OpenSpace --skill shell-agent-file-workflow -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (benchmarks/gdpval/skills/shell-agent-file-workflow in HKUDS/OpenSpace) into .claude/skills/shell-agent-file-workflow in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Shell Agent File Workflow in Codex?

Run `npx skills add HKUDS/OpenSpace --skill shell-agent-file-workflow -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (benchmarks/gdpval/skills/shell-agent-file-workflow in HKUDS/OpenSpace) into .agents/skills/shell-agent-file-workflow in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Shell Agent File Workflow 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-file-workflow -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-file-workflow, .gemini/skills/shell-agent-file-workflow, .github/skills/shell-agent-file-workflow and .opencode/skills/shell-agent-file-workflow in your project.

What does Shell Agent File Workflow need to run?

SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Shell Agent File Workflow is instructions for the agent only. Our summary lists: Python 3.

Does Shell Agent File Workflow 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 File Workflow 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 File Workflow use?

Shell Agent File Workflow 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 File Workflow use?

About 787 tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 3.1k 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 File Workflow?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Shell Agent File Workflow: Shell Scripting (RightNow-AI/openfang, 18k stars), Crush Shell Builtins (charmbracelet/crush, 29k stars), Direction Picker (nexu-io/open-design, 100k stars) and Delegate Work (paperclipai/paperclip, 99k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Shell Agent File Workflow?

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.