Agent skill

Matlab Environment Setup

A skill your agent uses when setting up or troubleshooting a MATLAB session for this repository — configuring the VS Code MATLAB extension, MATLAB Desktop vs.

MITAuto-check passed

Install Matlab Environment Setup

skills CLI

$ npx skills add ISET/isetcam --skill matlab-environment-setup -a claude-code

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

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install ISET/isetcam matlab-environment-setup --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/ISET/isetcam.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/.github/skills/matlab-environment-setup .claude/skills/matlab-environment-setup && 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 "matlab-environment-setup" agent skill from https://github.com/ISET/isetcam/tree/main/.github/skills/matlab-environment-setup into .claude/skills/matlab-environment-setup/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "matlab-environment-setup", 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/ISET/isetcam/tree/main/.github/skills/matlab-environment-setup

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 ISET/isetcam --skill matlab-environment-setup -a codex

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

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install ISET/isetcam matlab-environment-setup --agent codex

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

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/ISET/isetcam.git skills-src && mkdir -p .agents/skills && cp -r skills-src/.github/skills/matlab-environment-setup .agents/skills/matlab-environment-setup && 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 "matlab-environment-setup" agent skill from https://github.com/ISET/isetcam/tree/main/.github/skills/matlab-environment-setup into .agents/skills/matlab-environment-setup/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "matlab-environment-setup", 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 ISET/isetcam --skill matlab-environment-setup -a cursor

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

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install ISET/isetcam matlab-environment-setup --agent cursor

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

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/ISET/isetcam.git skills-src && mkdir -p .cursor/skills && cp -r skills-src/.github/skills/matlab-environment-setup .cursor/skills/matlab-environment-setup && 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 "matlab-environment-setup" agent skill from https://github.com/ISET/isetcam/tree/main/.github/skills/matlab-environment-setup into .cursor/skills/matlab-environment-setup/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "matlab-environment-setup", 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/ISET/isetcam.git --path .github/skills/matlab-environment-setup

--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 ISET/isetcam --skill matlab-environment-setup -a gemini-cli

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

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install ISET/isetcam matlab-environment-setup --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/ISET/isetcam.git skills-src && mkdir -p .gemini/skills && cp -r skills-src/.github/skills/matlab-environment-setup .gemini/skills/matlab-environment-setup && 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 "matlab-environment-setup" agent skill from https://github.com/ISET/isetcam/tree/main/.github/skills/matlab-environment-setup into .gemini/skills/matlab-environment-setup/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "matlab-environment-setup", 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 ISET/isetcam matlab-environment-setup

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 ISET/isetcam --skill matlab-environment-setup -a github-copilot

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

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/ISET/isetcam.git skills-src && mkdir -p .github/skills && cp -r skills-src/.github/skills/matlab-environment-setup .github/skills/matlab-environment-setup && 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 "matlab-environment-setup" agent skill from https://github.com/ISET/isetcam/tree/main/.github/skills/matlab-environment-setup into .github/skills/matlab-environment-setup/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "matlab-environment-setup", 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 ISET/isetcam --skill matlab-environment-setup -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 ISET/isetcam matlab-environment-setup --agent opencode

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

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/ISET/isetcam.git skills-src && mkdir -p .opencode/skills && cp -r skills-src/.github/skills/matlab-environment-setup .opencode/skills/matlab-environment-setup && 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 "matlab-environment-setup" agent skill from https://github.com/ISET/isetcam/tree/main/.github/skills/matlab-environment-setup into .opencode/skills/matlab-environment-setup/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "matlab-environment-setup", 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: matlab-environment-setup
GitHub stars: 176
Token cost: ~1.3k tokens
SKILL.md length: 486 words
Files: 1
Skills in repo: 6
Repo updated: Sep 25, 2026
First seen: Oct 7, 2026
Licence: MIT

At a glance

A skill your agent uses when setting up or troubleshooting a MATLAB session for this repository — configuring the VS Code MATLAB extension, MATLAB Desktop vs.

Works in 3 steps: Open Settings in VS Code (Cmd + ,). → Search for matlab.installPath. → Set it to your MATLAB installation, for…
Troubleshooting a MATLAB session for this repository — configuring the VS Code MATLAB extension
SKILL.md covers Repository Path Setup, Configuring the VS Code MATLAB…, Recommended Startup Order and Guarding startup.m, plus 2 more sections
Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md

What it does

Matlab Environment Setup is an agent skill from ISET/isetcam. Use when setting up or troubleshooting a MATLAB session for this repository — configuring the VS Code MATLAB extension, MATLAB Desktop vs. VS Code startup order, repository path setup ("which ieInit" not found), startup.m guarding, the parallel pool warm-up, or the MATLAB CLI/sandboxed-shell caveat.

Its SKILL.md is about 1.3k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. It is a single SKILL.md file with no bundled scripts.

It works with Visual Studio Code. The repository describes itself as: Open source version of the original ISET, a complement to ISETBIO. The licence is MIT.

When your agent uses it

Troubleshooting a MATLAB session for this repository — configuring the VS Code MATLAB extension
MATLAB Desktop vs

Example prompts

“which ieInit”
“/matlab-environment-setup”

Workflow steps

3 steps, taken from the first numbered list in SKILL.md.

Open Settings in VS Code (Cmd + ,).
Search for matlab.installPath.
Set it to your MATLAB installation, for example

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 17146a9. 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 matlab and jsonc).
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

Matlab Environment Setup loads about 1.3k tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 81 tokens; SKILL.md has 486 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it: ~81
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches: ~1.3k

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 ISET/isetcam at commit 17146a9, republished under its MIT licence (© ISET). 486 words, ~1,256 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/matlab-environment-setup/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder).

name: matlab-environment-setup
description: Use when setting up or troubleshooting a MATLAB session for this repository — configuring the VS Code MATLAB extension, MATLAB Desktop vs. VS Code startup order, repository path setup ("which ieInit" not found), startup.m guarding, the parallel pool warm-up, or the MATLAB CLI/sandboxed-shell caveat.

MATLAB Environment Setup

Covers getting a working MATLAB session with the right repository paths, whether started from the macOS Desktop app or via the VS Code MATLAB extension.

Repository Path Setup

After starting MATLAB, paste these commands into the MATLAB Command Window for the session you intend to use:

matlab

addpath(genpath(fullfile(getenv('HOME'),'Documents','MATLAB','isetcam')));

which ieInit

addpath(genpath(fullfile(getenv('HOME'),'Documents','MATLAB','isetvalidate')));

addpath(genpath(fullfile(getenv('HOME'),'Documents','MATLAB','tools','UnitTestToolbox')));

addpath(genpath(fullfile(getenv('HOME'),'Documents','MATLAB','isetbio')));

For sessions where you plan to run several parfor-heavy tutorials or examples, you can also start the pool explicitly after path setup, or place this in startup.m:

matlab

ieParallelPoolWarmUp('config','conservative','runSilent',true);

Configuring the VS Code MATLAB Extension

To ensure the VS Code MATLAB extension finds your specific MATLAB installation, point it at the MATLAB app bundle:

Open Settings in VS Code (Cmd + ,).
Search for matlab.installPath.
Set it to your MATLAB installation, for example: /Applications/MATLAB_R2025b.app (or your specific version).

Alternative: edit settings JSON directly

Global user settings (~/Library/Application Support/Code/User/settings.json) apply across all VS Code workspaces unless overridden by a project-specific .vscode/settings.json. Either file can set:

jsonc

"MATLAB.installPath": "/Applications/MATLAB_R2025b.app",
"MATLAB.matlabConnectionTiming": "onStart",
"files.associations": {
    "*.m": "matlab"
}

VS Code precedence: workspace settings (.vscode/settings.json) override user settings.

Recommended Startup Order

When you need the MATLAB Desktop or Live Editor, start MATLAB from the macOS Desktop first, then open VS Code. With MATLAB.matlabConnectionTiming set to onStart, the VS Code MATLAB extension starts a second background MATLAB process for language-server features after you open a .m file.

This is expected. The Desktop MATLAB owns the GUI session, while the VS Code MATLAB process supports editor integration. Starting the Desktop first avoids a stale VS Code-started MATLAB/MathWorks ServiceHost session blocking the Desktop app from opening later.

Recommended routine:

Launch MATLAB from /Applications/MATLAB_R2025b.app.
Wait until the MATLAB Desktop is fully open and responsive.
Open VS Code and this repository.
Open a .m file so the MATLAB extension starts its background session.
Paste the repository path commands above into the MATLAB session you intend to use.

If the Desktop later fails to open after VS Code MATLAB work, quit VS Code and MATLAB, then use Activity Monitor to stop lingering MATLAB, MathWorksServiceHost, MATLABConnector, and related MathWorks helper processes before relaunching the Desktop.

Show full SKILL.md (152 more words)Show less

Guarding `startup.m`

The VS Code MATLAB extension may launch MATLAB differently from the Desktop application. If your personal startup.m does substantial desktop-specific initialization, guard that code so VS Code sessions can start cleanly:

matlab

% Detect if MATLAB is being launched by VS Code
isVSCode = ~usejava('desktop') || ...
    ~isempty(getenv('VSCODE_PID')) || ...
    ~isempty(getenv('VSCODE_IPC_HOOK_CLI'));

if isVSCode
    disp('Set up ISETCam paths manually — see the matlab-environment-setup skill')

    % Share the engine so the VS Code extension can connect for debugging
    matlab.engine.shareEngine;

    fprintf('MATLAB initialized for VS Code.\n');
    return
elseif isdeployed
    % Skip initialization for compiled apps
else
    % Standard Desktop initialization
    reset(groot);
    % Your usual plotting/graphics defaults here
end

Verification

Open a folder: Open your GitHub repository folder in VS Code.
Start MATLAB: Click the MATLAB icon in the Activity Bar or open a .m file. The extension should start a MATLAB session in the integrated terminal.
Path check: In the VS Code MATLAB terminal, run:
matlab
```
path
```
Verify that the ISETCam directory is included.

Non-Interactive / CLI MATLAB

For non-interactive checks (for example, from an agent or CI-style shell), run the app-bundle executable with -batch; the matlab-evaluation skill covers locating the installed release and the batch command form.

If launching MATLAB from a sandboxed shell fails silently or exits with status 1, retry unsandboxed or escalated — MATLAB may need to write preferences or cache files outside the repository.

Files

Just SKILL.md in .github/skills/matlab-environment-setup of ISET/isetcam.

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 17146a9

Compare with similar skills

Matlab Environment Setup 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.

Matlab Environment Setup compared with similar skills
Skill	Stars	Used in	Tokens	Auto-check	Licence	Repo updated
Matlab Environment Setup this skillISET/isetcam	176	—	~1.3k	Automated safety check: Pass	MIT	12 days ago
Agent Browser CLIvercel-labs/agent-browser	44k	24 repos	~864	Automated safety check: Pass	Apache-2.0	today
Electron App Automationvercel-labs/agent-browser	44k	5 repos	~1.7k	Automated safety check: Pass	Apache-2.0	today
Microsoft Skill CreatorMicrosoftDocs/mcp	1.9k	3 repos	~2.1k	Automated safety check: Pass	CC-BY-4.0	today
Evals Contextzgsm-ai/costrict	4.4k	1 repos	~1.9k	Automated safety check: Pass	Apache-2.0	7 days ago
Ketch1broseidon/ketch	697	1 repos	~3.9k	Automated safety check: Pass	MIT	today

Similar skills

Agent Browser CLI
vercel-labs/agent-browser
Official
Browser automation CLI for AI agents. Use when the user needs to interact with websites, including navigating pages, filling forms, clicking buttons, taking…
44k GitHub starsUsed in 24 repos~864 tokens
Productivity & AutomationAuto-check passed
Electron App Automation
vercel-labs/agent-browser
Official
Automates Electron desktop apps such as VS Code, Slack or Discord by connecting agent-browser to their Chrome DevTools Protocol port.
44k GitHub starsUsed in 5 repos~1.7k tokens
Productivity & AutomationAuto-check passed
Microsoft Skill Creator
MicrosoftDocs/mcp
Official
Create agent skills for Microsoft technologies using official documentation.
1.9k GitHub starsUsed in 3 repos~2.1k tokens
Agent WorkflowsAuto-check passed
Evals Context
zgsm-ai/costrict
Provides context about the CoStrict evals system structure in this monorepo.
4.4k GitHub starsUsed in 1 repo~1.9k tokens
AI & LLM EngineeringAuto-check passed
Ketch
1broseidon/ketch
Research skill for ketch — a fast stateless CLI for web search, OSS code search, curated library docs, page scraping, and site crawling; an optional MCP server exists for operators who want it, but…
697 GitHub starsUsed in 1 repo~3.9k tokens
Data & AnalyticsAuto-check passed
Lore
specstoryai/getspecstory
SpecStory Lore - mine your SpecStory coding histories (any agent - Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Gemini, and more) into a persistent corpus, surface your reproducible workflows with corroborated…
1.3k GitHub starsUsed in 1 repo~8.4k tokens
Auto-check: notes

More from ISET/isetcam

Authoring Tutorials Examples
ISET/isetcam
A skill your agent uses when adding, editing, or deciding where to place a file in tutorials/ or examples/, when naming a new t.m, s.m, or data.m script, or when asked about the difference between a…
176 GitHub stars~810 tokensUpdated 12 days ago
Auto-check passed
Matlab Evaluation
ISET/isetcam
A skill your agent uses when running, testing, or publishing MATLAB .m scripts from ISETCam or the local Psych 221 teaching repository in a non-interactive MATLAB session, including locating MATLAB…
176 GitHub stars~1.2k tokensUpdated 12 days ago
Auto-check passed
Publishing Tutorials Examples
ISET/isetcam
A skill your agent uses when converting an ISETCam tutorial or example .m file into a self-contained HTML file for a wiki page — iePublish, spublishTutorials, spublishExamples, embedding figures or…
176 GitHub stars~1.4k tokensUpdated 12 days ago
Auto-check passed
Test Runner Architecture
ISET/isetcam
A skill your agent uses when modifying the shared ieRunTutorialExampleTests engine, changing the canonical run-record/checkpoint schema, adding a thin tutorial/example test wrapper for a new…
176 GitHub stars~2.6k tokensUpdated 12 days ago
Auto-check passed
Testing Workflow
ISET/isetcam
A skill your agent uses when running or choosing ISETCam tests after a code change — ieUnitTest, ieTutorialTest, ieExampleTest, ieTestReport, selecting/starting a partial run, the % SkipFile marker…
176 GitHub stars~1.4k tokensUpdated 12 days ago
Auto-check passed

Works with

Visual Studio Code

Questions about Matlab Environment Setup

What does Matlab Environment Setup do?

A skill your agent uses when setting up or troubleshooting a MATLAB session for this repository — configuring the VS Code MATLAB extension, MATLAB Desktop vs. Matlab Environment Setup is an agent skill from ISET/isetcam. Use when setting up or troubleshooting a MATLAB session for this repository — configuring the VS Code MATLAB extension, MATLAB Desktop vs.

When should I use Matlab Environment Setup?

Matlab Environment Setup fits situations like: troubleshooting a MATLAB session for this repository — configuring the VS Code MATLAB extension; MATLAB Desktop vs.

How do I install Matlab Environment Setup in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add ISET/isetcam --skill matlab-environment-setup -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (.github/skills/matlab-environment-setup in ISET/isetcam) into .claude/skills/matlab-environment-setup in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Matlab Environment Setup in Codex?

Run `npx skills add ISET/isetcam --skill matlab-environment-setup -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (.github/skills/matlab-environment-setup in ISET/isetcam) into .agents/skills/matlab-environment-setup in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Matlab Environment Setup 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 ISET/isetcam --skill matlab-environment-setup -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/matlab-environment-setup, .gemini/skills/matlab-environment-setup, .github/skills/matlab-environment-setup and .opencode/skills/matlab-environment-setup in your project.

What does Matlab Environment Setup need to run?

SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Matlab Environment Setup is instructions for the agent only.

Does Matlab Environment Setup 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 Matlab Environment Setup 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 Matlab Environment Setup use?

Matlab Environment Setup 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 Matlab Environment Setup use?

About 1.3k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 5k 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 Matlab Environment Setup?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Matlab Environment Setup: Agent Browser CLI (vercel-labs/agent-browser, 44k stars), Electron App Automation (vercel-labs/agent-browser, 44k stars), Microsoft Skill Creator (MicrosoftDocs/mcp, 1.9k stars) and Evals Context (zgsm-ai/costrict, 4.4k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Matlab Environment Setup?

ISET (a GitHub organization) maintains it in ISET/isetcam, which has 176 GitHub stars. The repository holds 6 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on September 25, 2026.

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

Install Matlab Environment Setup

Facts

At a glance

What it does

When your agent uses it

Example prompts

Workflow steps

What it can do on your machine

Tool permissions

Runs code

Network

Credentials

Context cost

Safety

SKILL.md

MATLAB Environment Setup

Repository Path Setup

Configuring the VS Code MATLAB Extension

Alternative: edit settings JSON directly

Recommended Startup Order

Guarding startup.m

Verification

Non-Interactive / CLI MATLAB

Files

Compare with similar skills

Similar skills

More from ISET/isetcam

Related

Questions about Matlab Environment Setup

Guarding `startup.m`