Agent skill

Branch Prediction And Speculation

by mohitmishra786 in mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills

Branch prediction and speculation skill for CPU security and performance.

MITAuto-check passed

Install Branch Prediction And Speculation

skills CLI

$ npx skills add mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills --skill branch-prediction-and-speculation -a claude-code

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

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills branch-prediction-and-speculation --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/mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/computer-architecture/branch-prediction-and-speculation .claude/skills/branch-prediction-and-speculation && 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 "branch-prediction-and-speculation" agent skill from https://github.com/mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills/tree/main/skills/computer-architecture/branch-prediction-and-speculation into .claude/skills/branch-prediction-and-speculation/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "branch-prediction-and-speculation", 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/mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills/tree/main/skills/computer-architecture/branch-prediction-and-speculation

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 mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills --skill branch-prediction-and-speculation -a codex

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

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills branch-prediction-and-speculation --agent codex

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

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .agents/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/computer-architecture/branch-prediction-and-speculation .agents/skills/branch-prediction-and-speculation && 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 "branch-prediction-and-speculation" agent skill from https://github.com/mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills/tree/main/skills/computer-architecture/branch-prediction-and-speculation into .agents/skills/branch-prediction-and-speculation/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "branch-prediction-and-speculation", 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 mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills --skill branch-prediction-and-speculation -a cursor

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

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills branch-prediction-and-speculation --agent cursor

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

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .cursor/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/computer-architecture/branch-prediction-and-speculation .cursor/skills/branch-prediction-and-speculation && 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 "branch-prediction-and-speculation" agent skill from https://github.com/mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills/tree/main/skills/computer-architecture/branch-prediction-and-speculation into .cursor/skills/branch-prediction-and-speculation/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "branch-prediction-and-speculation", 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/mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills.git --path skills/computer-architecture/branch-prediction-and-speculation

--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 mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills --skill branch-prediction-and-speculation -a gemini-cli

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

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills branch-prediction-and-speculation --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/mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .gemini/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/computer-architecture/branch-prediction-and-speculation .gemini/skills/branch-prediction-and-speculation && 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 "branch-prediction-and-speculation" agent skill from https://github.com/mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills/tree/main/skills/computer-architecture/branch-prediction-and-speculation into .gemini/skills/branch-prediction-and-speculation/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "branch-prediction-and-speculation", 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 mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills branch-prediction-and-speculation

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 mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills --skill branch-prediction-and-speculation -a github-copilot

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

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .github/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/computer-architecture/branch-prediction-and-speculation .github/skills/branch-prediction-and-speculation && 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 "branch-prediction-and-speculation" agent skill from https://github.com/mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills/tree/main/skills/computer-architecture/branch-prediction-and-speculation into .github/skills/branch-prediction-and-speculation/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "branch-prediction-and-speculation", 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 mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills --skill branch-prediction-and-speculation -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 mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills branch-prediction-and-speculation --agent opencode

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

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .opencode/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/computer-architecture/branch-prediction-and-speculation .opencode/skills/branch-prediction-and-speculation && 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 "branch-prediction-and-speculation" agent skill from https://github.com/mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills/tree/main/skills/computer-architecture/branch-prediction-and-speculation into .opencode/skills/branch-prediction-and-speculation/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "branch-prediction-and-speculation", 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: branch-prediction-and-speculation
GitHub stars: 252
Token cost: ~915 tokens
SKILL.md length: 250 words
Files: 1
Skills in repo: 138
Repo updated: Jun 27, 2026
First seen: Oct 7, 2026
Licence: MIT

At a glance

Branch prediction and speculation skill for CPU security and performance.

Works in 6 steps: Branch predictor basics → Performance patterns → Compiler hints (use sparingly) → …
Explaining branch predictors
SKILL.md covers Purpose, When to Use, Workflow and Common Problems, plus 1 more section
Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md

What it does

Branch Prediction And Speculation is an agent skill from mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills. Branch prediction and speculation skill for CPU security and performance. Use when explaining branch predictors, mispredict penalties, speculative execution, Spectre/Meltdown mitigations, or branchless patterns. Activates on queries about branch prediction, speculative execution, Spectre, Meltdown, mispredict, or branchless code.

Its SKILL.md is about 920 tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. It is a single SKILL.md file with no bundled scripts.

The repository describes itself as: A curated suite of AI agent skills for systems and low-level programming with C/C++, Rust, and Zig toolchains, covering compilers, debuggers, profilers, build systems…. The licence is MIT.

When your agent uses it

Explaining branch predictors
Mispredict penalties
Speculative execution
Spectre/Meltdown mitigations

Example prompts

“/branch-prediction-and-speculation”

Workflow steps

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

Branch predictor basics
Performance patterns
Compiler hints (use sparingly)
Speculative execution and side channels
Measurement
Agent usage

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit bdc5847. 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 c and 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

Branch Prediction And Speculation loads about 915 tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 91 tokens; SKILL.md has 250 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it: ~91
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches: ~915

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 mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills at commit bdc5847, republished under its MIT licence (© mohitmishra786). 250 words, ~915 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/branch-prediction-and-speculation/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder).

name: branch-prediction-and-speculation
description: Branch prediction and speculation skill for CPU security and performance. Use when explaining branch predictors, mispredict penalties, speculative execution, Spectre/Meltdown mitigations, or branchless patterns. Activates on queries about branch prediction, speculative execution, Spectre, Meltdown, mispredict, or branchless code.

Branch Prediction and Speculation

Purpose

Explain how modern CPUs predict branches, execute speculatively, recover on mispredict, and why speculation created side channels (Spectre/Meltdown) — linking performance tuning with security-aware low-level coding.

When to Use

Hot loop branchy code underperforms expectations
Evaluating likely/unlikely or branchless refactors
Understanding kernel retpoline, IBRS, and similar mitigations
Secure coding around secret-dependent branches

Workflow

1. Branch predictor basics

Fetch sees conditional branch
├── Predict direction (taken / not-taken)
├── Speculatively execute predicted path
└── On resolve:
    ├── Correct → commit, ~0 penalty (deep pipelines still cost on mispredict)
    └── Wrong → squash, refill from correct PC (10–20+ cycles typical)

Patterns: backward branches often predicted taken (loops); forward not-taken.

2. Performance patterns

/* Predictable — tight loop backward branch */
for (int i = 0; i < n; i++)
    sum += a[i];

/* Unpredictable — data-dependent */
if (data[i] > threshold)  /* hard to predict */
    rare_path();

Techniques: branchless cmov/select, lookup tables, sorting data to reduce branches, splitting hot/cold paths.

/* Branchless min (integer) */
int m = a < b ? a : b;  /* compiler may lower to cmov */

3. Compiler hints (use sparingly)

#define likely(x)   __builtin_expect(!!(x), 1)
#define unlikely(x) __builtin_expect(!!(x), 0)

if (unlikely(ptr == NULL))
    return -EINVAL;

Measure with perf — hints are not magic on modern predictors.

4. Speculative execution and side channels

CPUs may execute instructions before branch outcome is known. If speculated path touches secret-dependent memory, cache state can leak (Spectre variant 1).

Mitigations (high level):

Kernel: retpoline, IBRS/IBPB, STIBP (see kernel cpu_show_mitigations)
Compiler: speculative load hardening (-mspeculative-load-hardening on Clang)
Code: constant-time crypto — no secret-dependent branches or indices

Meltdown (Intel): user load from kernel mapping — fixed by KPTI (separate page tables).

5. Measurement

bash

perf stat -e branches,branch-misses ./app

High branch-misses ratio → investigate hot branches.

6. Agent usage

/branch-prediction-and-speculation Make this comparison function constant-time against Spectre-style leakage

Common Problems

Symptom	Cause	Fix
Loop slower than expected	Mispredicted exit	Peel iterations; branchless tail
`likely` no help	Predictor already good	Profile first
Secret leak in crypto	Branches on secret bytes	Constant-time algorithms
Mitigation regression	KPTI/retpoline overhead	Accept or isolate secrets
"Branchless" slower	CMOV still executes both	Benchmark on target CPU

skills/computer-architecture/cpu-pipelines-and-hazards — control hazards
skills/security/kernel-security — KPTI, CET, speculation mitigations
skills/low-level-programming/cpu-cache-opt — cache timing channels
skills/profilers/hardware-counters — branch-misses event
skills/runtimes/binary-hardening — userspace hardening overlap

Files

Just SKILL.md in skills/computer-architecture/branch-prediction-and-speculation of mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills.

Open the folder on GitHubat commit bdc5847

Compare with similar skills

Branch Prediction And Speculation 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.

Branch Prediction And Speculation compared with similar skills
Skill	Stars	Used in	Tokens	Auto-check	Licence	Repo updated
Branch Prediction And Speculation this skillmohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills	252	—	~915	Automated safety check: Pass	MIT	3 mo ago
Branchesredis/RedisInsight	8.9k	—	~409	Automated safety check: Pass	Custom licence	6 days ago
Conventional Branchgithub/awesome-copilot	40k	—	~1.1k	Automated safety check: Pass	MIT	2 days ago
Finishing a Development Branchobra/superpowers	297k	5 repos	~1.9k	Automated safety check: Pass	MIT	yesterday
Autopilot Predictruvnet/ruflo	74k	—	~337	Automated safety check: Pass	MIT	yesterday
Git Branch Namingmakeplane/plane	61k	—	~594	Automated safety check: Pass	AGPL-3.0	2 days ago

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Questions about Branch Prediction And Speculation

What does Branch Prediction And Speculation do?

Branch prediction and speculation skill for CPU security and performance. Branch Prediction And Speculation is an agent skill from mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills. Branch prediction and speculation skill for CPU security and performance.

When should I use Branch Prediction And Speculation?

Branch Prediction And Speculation fits situations like: explaining branch predictors; mispredict penalties; speculative execution; spectre/Meltdown mitigations.

How do I install Branch Prediction And Speculation in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills --skill branch-prediction-and-speculation -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/computer-architecture/branch-prediction-and-speculation in mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills) into .claude/skills/branch-prediction-and-speculation in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Branch Prediction And Speculation in Codex?

Run `npx skills add mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills --skill branch-prediction-and-speculation -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/computer-architecture/branch-prediction-and-speculation in mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills) into .agents/skills/branch-prediction-and-speculation in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Branch Prediction And Speculation 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 mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills --skill branch-prediction-and-speculation -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/branch-prediction-and-speculation, .gemini/skills/branch-prediction-and-speculation, .github/skills/branch-prediction-and-speculation and .opencode/skills/branch-prediction-and-speculation in your project.

What does Branch Prediction And Speculation need to run?

SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Branch Prediction And Speculation is instructions for the agent only.

Does Branch Prediction And Speculation 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 Branch Prediction And Speculation 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 Branch Prediction And Speculation use?

Branch Prediction And Speculation 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 Branch Prediction And Speculation use?

About 915 tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 3.7k 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 Branch Prediction And Speculation?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Branch Prediction And Speculation: Branches (redis/RedisInsight, 8.9k stars), Conventional Branch (github/awesome-copilot, 40k stars), Finishing a Development Branch (obra/superpowers, 297k stars) and Autopilot Predict (ruvnet/ruflo, 74k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Branch Prediction And Speculation?

mohitmishra786 (a GitHub user) maintains it in mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills, which has 252 GitHub stars. The repository holds 138 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on June 27, 2026.

Source: mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.

Install Branch Prediction And Speculation

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

Branch Prediction and Speculation

Purpose

When to Use

Workflow

1. Branch predictor basics

2. Performance patterns

3. Compiler hints (use sparingly)

4. Speculative execution and side channels

5. Measurement

6. Agent usage

Common Problems

Related Skills

Files

Compare with similar skills

Similar skills

More from mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills

Questions about Branch Prediction And Speculation