Statuses · Skillcrew docs

The five statuses

Status	Behavior
`required`	Installed automatically, kept up to date, restored if removed or edited. Cannot be disabled.
`recommended`	Installed by default; developers can `skillcrew disable` it.
`available`	Installed on demand with `skillcrew install`.
`deprecated`	Stays where it is already installed (or opted in), is never installed on new machines, can be disabled. Its `message` and `replaced_by` are shown by `skillcrew status` and `list`.
`blocked`	Never installed; removed from every machine at the next sync.

Skills not listed in skillcrew.yaml get the default status, which is available unless you change it.

yaml

org: acme
default: available

skills:
  security:review: required
  git:commit-msgs: recommended
  docs:pdf: available
  quality:old-linter:
    status: deprecated
    message: Replaced by quality:lint-rules.
    replaced_by: quality:lint-rules
  misc:risky: blocked

What developers can change

Status	`install` / `remove`	`disable` / `enable`
`required`	no	no
`recommended`	no	yes
`available`	yes	no
`deprecated`	no	yes; `enable` on a disabled deprecated skill reinstalls it
`blocked`	no	no

The CLI explains refusals:

terminal

$ skillcrew disable review
Error: security:review is required for you; it cannot be disabled or removed
$ skillcrew install risky
Error: misc:risky is blocked by your organization; it is never installed

Deprecating a skill

Mark the skill deprecated with a message and a replaced_by id. Machines that have it keep it; new machines never get it; skillcrew status shows the notice:

terminal

$ skillcrew status
...
SKILL        ID               STATUS      STATE  VERSION
commit-msgs  git:commit-msgs  deprecated  ok     7f396e1a9c2d
review       security:review  required    ok     7f396e1a9c2d
git:commit-msgs is deprecated: Replaced by git:conventional-commits. (replaced by git:conventional-commits)

Blocking a skill: the kill switch

Set a skill to blocked and merge. At the next sync (the next agent session, or within the hour with the timer), it is removed from every machine:

terminal

$ skillcrew sync
Synced registry ff91ec61ab73:
  - risky (removed: blocked by your organization)

skillcrew validate only warns about the content of a blocked skill, since it is never installed. You can block a broken skill without fixing it first.

Team skills are the norm

Every skill installed from the registry, including an available skill you opted in to, is a team skill. If you edit one, the next sync backs up your version in ~/.skillcrew/backups/<skill>/ (last 5 versions) and restores the team version. skillcrew status shows such a skill as modified until then. To change a team skill, propose the change.

Statuses combine across the organization and your teams: see Teams and resolution rules.