Agent skill

Software Lifecycle

How to work in a Software Lifecycle project (the software-lifecycle starter pack): proposals → decisions → specs → postmortems, plus guides.

GPL-3.0Auto-check passedDevOps & Cloud

Install Software Lifecycle

skills CLI

$ npx skills add inkeep/open-knowledge --skill software-lifecycle -a claude-code

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

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install inkeep/open-knowledge software-lifecycle --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/inkeep/open-knowledge.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/packages/server/assets/skills/packs/software-lifecycle .claude/skills/software-lifecycle && 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/

Paste into Claude Code

Install the "software-lifecycle" agent skill from https://github.com/inkeep/open-knowledge/tree/main/packages/server/assets/skills/packs/software-lifecycle into .claude/skills/software-lifecycle/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "software-lifecycle", 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

$skill-installer install https://github.com/inkeep/open-knowledge/tree/main/packages/server/assets/skills/packs/software-lifecycle

Type 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.

skills CLI

$ npx skills add inkeep/open-knowledge --skill software-lifecycle -a codex

Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.codex/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install inkeep/open-knowledge software-lifecycle --agent codex

Project scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/inkeep/open-knowledge.git skills-src && mkdir -p .agents/skills && cp -r skills-src/packages/server/assets/skills/packs/software-lifecycle .agents/skills/software-lifecycle && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.agents/skills/ instead of .agents/skills for a personal install.

Codex skills documentation · loads skills from .agents/skills/

Paste into Codex

Install the "software-lifecycle" agent skill from https://github.com/inkeep/open-knowledge/tree/main/packages/server/assets/skills/packs/software-lifecycle into .agents/skills/software-lifecycle/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "software-lifecycle", 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.

skills CLI

$ npx skills add inkeep/open-knowledge --skill software-lifecycle -a cursor

Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.cursor/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install inkeep/open-knowledge software-lifecycle --agent cursor

Project scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/inkeep/open-knowledge.git skills-src && mkdir -p .cursor/skills && cp -r skills-src/packages/server/assets/skills/packs/software-lifecycle .cursor/skills/software-lifecycle && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.cursor/skills/ instead of .cursor/skills for a personal install.

Cursor skills documentation · loads skills from .cursor/skills/, .agents/skills/, .claude/skills/, .codex/skills/

Paste into Cursor

Install the "software-lifecycle" agent skill from https://github.com/inkeep/open-knowledge/tree/main/packages/server/assets/skills/packs/software-lifecycle into .cursor/skills/software-lifecycle/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "software-lifecycle", 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

$ gemini skills install https://github.com/inkeep/open-knowledge.git --path packages/server/assets/skills/packs/software-lifecycle

--scope user (default) or --scope workspace; --path is the subfolder of the repo that holds the skill; --consent skips the security confirmation prompt.

skills CLI

$ npx skills add inkeep/open-knowledge --skill software-lifecycle -a gemini-cli

Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.gemini/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install inkeep/open-knowledge software-lifecycle --agent gemini-cli

Project scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/inkeep/open-knowledge.git skills-src && mkdir -p .gemini/skills && cp -r skills-src/packages/server/assets/skills/packs/software-lifecycle .gemini/skills/software-lifecycle && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.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/

Paste into Gemini CLI

Install the "software-lifecycle" agent skill from https://github.com/inkeep/open-knowledge/tree/main/packages/server/assets/skills/packs/software-lifecycle into .gemini/skills/software-lifecycle/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "software-lifecycle", 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.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install inkeep/open-knowledge software-lifecycle

Installs 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).

skills CLI

$ npx skills add inkeep/open-knowledge --skill software-lifecycle -a github-copilot

Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.copilot/skills/.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/inkeep/open-knowledge.git skills-src && mkdir -p .github/skills && cp -r skills-src/packages/server/assets/skills/packs/software-lifecycle .github/skills/software-lifecycle && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.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/

Paste into GitHub Copilot

Install the "software-lifecycle" agent skill from https://github.com/inkeep/open-knowledge/tree/main/packages/server/assets/skills/packs/software-lifecycle into .github/skills/software-lifecycle/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "software-lifecycle", 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.

skills CLI

$ npx skills add inkeep/open-knowledge --skill software-lifecycle -a opencode

OpenCode documents no install command of its own. Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.config/opencode/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install inkeep/open-knowledge software-lifecycle --agent opencode

Project scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/inkeep/open-knowledge.git skills-src && mkdir -p .opencode/skills && cp -r skills-src/packages/server/assets/skills/packs/software-lifecycle .opencode/skills/software-lifecycle && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.config/opencode/skills/ instead of .opencode/skills for a personal install.

OpenCode skills documentation · loads skills from .opencode/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/

Paste into OpenCode

Install the "software-lifecycle" agent skill from https://github.com/inkeep/open-knowledge/tree/main/packages/server/assets/skills/packs/software-lifecycle into .opencode/skills/software-lifecycle/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "software-lifecycle", 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: software-lifecycle
GitHub stars: 4.4k
Token cost: ~1.2k tokens
SKILL.md length: 452 words
Files: 2
Skills in repo: 18
Repo updated: Oct 7, 2026
First seen: Oct 7, 2026
Licence: GPL-3.0

At a glance

How to work in a Software Lifecycle project (the software-lifecycle starter pack): proposals → decisions → specs → postmortems, plus guides.

Tasks that involve Runbooks and postmortems
SKILL.md covers The flow, Per-folder rules + agent…, The five workflows and Templates
Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md
Tasks that involve Proposals and quotes

What it does

Software Lifecycle is an agent skill from inkeep/open-knowledge. How to work in a Software Lifecycle project (the software-lifecycle starter pack): proposals → decisions → specs → postmortems, plus guides. Read when the project has these folders, or when asked how this project is organized. Carries the doc lifecycle, status flows, and per-folder agent behaviors so that guidance does not live inside template bodies or folder descriptions. The five workflows — frame a proposal, write a spec, record a decision, write a postmortem, review a design — each ship as their own sibling…

Its SKILL.md is about 1.2k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. The skill folder holds 1 other file (for example `plugin.json`). Compatibility notes: Any agent host with the OpenKnowledge MCP server configured. Installed project-local by ok seed --pack software-lifecycle.

It sits in DevOps & Cloud, covering Runbooks and postmortems and Proposals and quotes. The repository describes itself as: Beautiful, AI-native markdown IDE and LLM wiki. The licence is GPL-3.0.

When your agent uses it

Tasks that involve Runbooks and postmortems
Tasks that involve Proposals and quotes

Example prompts

“/software-lifecycle”

Requirements

Compatibility (from SKILL.md): Any agent host with the OpenKnowledge MCP server configured. Installed project-local by `ok seed --pack software-lifecycle`.

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit cf9b84c. 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.
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.
Compatibility
Any agent host with the OpenKnowledge MCP server configured. Installed project-local by `ok seed --pack software-lifecycle`.
From compatibility in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

Context cost

Software Lifecycle loads about 1.2k tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 157 tokens; SKILL.md has 452 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it: ~157
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches: ~1.2k

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 inkeep/open-knowledge at commit cf9b84c, republished under its GPL-3.0 licence (© inkeep). 452 words, ~1,183 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/software-lifecycle/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 1 other file; get the full folder from GitHub.

name: software-lifecycle
description: How to work in a Software Lifecycle project (the `software-lifecycle` starter pack): proposals → decisions → specs → postmortems, plus guides. Read when the project has these folders, or when asked how this project is organized. Carries the doc lifecycle, status flows, and per-folder agent behaviors so that guidance does not live inside template bodies or folder descriptions. The five workflows — frame a proposal, write a spec, record a decision, write a postmortem, review a design — each ship as their own sibling skill in this pack. Complements the platform `open-knowledge` skill; does not replace it.
compatibility: Any agent host with the OpenKnowledge MCP server configured. Installed project-local by `ok seed --pack software-lifecycle`.
metadata.pack: software-lifecycle
metadata.author: Inkeep
metadata.repository: https://github.com/inkeep/open-knowledge-skills

Software Lifecycle pack — how to work here

This project holds the doc lifecycle for an engineering team or OSS project. The flow is proposals → decisions → specs → postmortems, with guides as the how-to bucket. This skill holds the workflow so templates and folder descriptions stay clean.

This skill is pack guidance. The platform /open-knowledge skill (read/write/preview/linking/grounding rules) still governs every markdown operation — this layers the lifecycle conventions on top.

The flow

proposals/    in-flight RFC-shape design proposals
   ↓ accepted
decisions/    frozen ADRs (the record of what was decided)
   ↓ derived
specs/        implementation specs for accepted proposals
   ↓ when things break
postmortems/  blameless incident write-ups
guides/       how-to / onboarding / runbooks (referenced throughout)

Per-folder rules + agent behaviors

proposals/ — One file per proposal (0001-feature-name.md). Status flows draft → fcp → accepted/rejected. An accepted proposal graduates to a record in decisions/. Shape: Motivation / Design / Drawbacks / Alternatives / Unresolved questions. Agent: when a proposal sits at status: draft more than 14 days, surface it for the author to advance, park, or close.

decisions/ — Architecture Decision Records (MADR / Nygard shape). Frozen once accepted. One file per decision (NNNN-title.md); status proposed/accepted/deprecated/superseded. A new decision that supersedes an older one links back via Supersedes:. Agent: on a new decision, scan existing records touching the same subsystem and surface Supersedes: candidates before commit.

specs/ — Implementation specs derived from accepted proposals. Prefer the github/spec-kit shape: one folder per spec (specs/NNN-name/) with spec.md + plan.md + tasks.md (the pack ships all three templates). References the parent proposal. Agent: when a spec moves to status: shipped, suggest a postmortem template if the owner reports an incident in the spec's subsystem.

postmortems/ — Blameless incident write-ups, one file per incident (YYYY-MM-DD-name.md): Summary / Timeline / Root cause / What went well / Action items (Google SRE shape). Agent: surface a Related: block linking prior postmortems that share subsystems.

guides/ — How-to guides, onboarding docs, and service-bound runbooks (Diátaxis how-to). Ships guide, onboarding-guide, and runbook templates. Carries last_verified so stale guides surface in periodic reviews. Agent: when a postmortem is published, scan its action items for guide-shaped follow-ups and stub a guide pre-filled with the symptom and timeline excerpt.

Show full SKILL.md (149 more words)Show less

The five workflows

Authoring in this project is procedural, not conventional. Each workflow ships as its own skill so it loads only when the work calls for it — reach for the one that matches the task rather than writing into a folder from scratch.

Workflow	Sibling skill	When
Frame a proposal	`/frame-a-proposal`	A change needs designing and arguing before anyone builds it.
Write a spec	`/write-a-spec`	An accepted proposal needs scoping into an implementable spec.
Record a decision	`/record-a-decision`	A decision was actually made and needs its context and consequences preserved.
Write a postmortem	`/write-a-postmortem`	An incident happened and the team needs a blameless write-up.
Review a design	`/review-a-design`	An existing proposal, spec, or decision needs pressure-testing for soundness.

Templates

Create docs with write({ document: { path, template: "<name>" } }). Templates carry only structure (headings + frontmatter scaffold); what each section is for is described above, not repeated in the document body.

Files

SKILL.md and 1 other file in packages/server/assets/skills/packs/software-lifecycle of inkeep/open-knowledge.

SKILL.md
plugin.json

Open the folder on GitHubat commit cf9b84c

Compare with similar skills

Software Lifecycle 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.

Software Lifecycle compared with similar skills
Skill	Stars	Used in	Tokens	Auto-check	Licence	Repo updated
Software Lifecycle this skillinkeep/open-knowledge	4.4k	—	~1.2k	Automated safety check: Pass	GPL-3.0	today
Gh Doc Authorcaarlos0/dotfiles	220	—	~2.2k	Automated safety check: Pass	MIT	today
Architecturenteract/nteract	178	—	~497	Automated safety check: Pass	BSD-3-Clause	today
Trader Memory Coretradermonty/claude-trading-skills	3k	2 repos	~4.3k	Automated safety check: Pass	MIT	yesterday
Author Migrationnrwl/nx	29k	—	~12k	Automated safety check: Notes	MIT	today
Write Notes Like Deepseekczm15053/write-notes-like-deepseek	477	—	~1.9k	Automated safety check: Pass	None	15 days ago

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More from inkeep/open-knowledge

All 18 skills in this repo

Open Knowledge Write Skill
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A skill your agent uses when the user wants to create, author, write, or design a new Agent Skill (a SKILL.md) — for OpenKnowledge or for their editors — including requests like 'help me write a…
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Write A Postmortem
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Codebase Wiki
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Open Knowledge
inkeep/open-knowledge
Authoritative agent-runtime contract for working inside an OpenKnowledge project — a markdown-CRDT knowledge base exposed over MCP.
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Questions about Software Lifecycle

What does Software Lifecycle do?

How to work in a Software Lifecycle project (the software-lifecycle starter pack): proposals → decisions → specs → postmortems, plus guides. Software Lifecycle is an agent skill from inkeep/open-knowledge. How to work in a Software Lifecycle project (the software-lifecycle starter pack): proposals → decisions → specs → postmortems, plus guides.

When should I use Software Lifecycle?

Software Lifecycle fits situations like: tasks that involve Runbooks and postmortems; tasks that involve Proposals and quotes.

How do I install Software Lifecycle in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add inkeep/open-knowledge --skill software-lifecycle -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (packages/server/assets/skills/packs/software-lifecycle in inkeep/open-knowledge) into .claude/skills/software-lifecycle in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Software Lifecycle in Codex?

Run `npx skills add inkeep/open-knowledge --skill software-lifecycle -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (packages/server/assets/skills/packs/software-lifecycle in inkeep/open-knowledge) into .agents/skills/software-lifecycle in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Software Lifecycle 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 inkeep/open-knowledge --skill software-lifecycle -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/software-lifecycle, .gemini/skills/software-lifecycle, .github/skills/software-lifecycle and .opencode/skills/software-lifecycle in your project.

What does Software Lifecycle need to run?

SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Software Lifecycle is instructions for the agent only. Compatibility (from SKILL.md): Any agent host with the OpenKnowledge MCP server configured. Installed project-local by `ok seed --pack software-lifecycle`..

Does Software Lifecycle 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 Software Lifecycle 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 Software Lifecycle use?

Software Lifecycle is published under the GPL-3.0 licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Software Lifecycle use?

About 1.2k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 4.7k 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 Software Lifecycle?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Software Lifecycle: Gh Doc Author (caarlos0/dotfiles, 220 stars), Architecture (nteract/nteract, 178 stars), Trader Memory Core (tradermonty/claude-trading-skills, 3k stars) and Author Migration (nrwl/nx, 29k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Software Lifecycle?

inkeep (a GitHub organization) maintains it in inkeep/open-knowledge, which has 4,407 GitHub stars. The repository holds 18 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on October 7, 2026.

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

Install Software Lifecycle

Facts

At a glance

What it does

When your agent uses it

Example prompts

Requirements

What it can do on your machine

Tool permissions

Runs code

Network

Credentials

Compatibility

Context cost

Safety

SKILL.md

Software Lifecycle pack — how to work here

The flow

Per-folder rules + agent behaviors

The five workflows

Templates

Files

Compare with similar skills

Similar skills

More from inkeep/open-knowledge

Related

Questions about Software Lifecycle