# Join as a developer

> Run one command to get your organization's and your teams' skills in every agent, kept up to date.

Joining takes one command. After it, skills follow the registry with no action from you.

## Join your organization

```console
$ skillcrew init github.com/acme/skills --team backend
Cloning https://github.com/acme/skills.git...
Joined organization acme (registry https://github.com/acme/skills.git, branch main).
  ✓ claude-code: session-start hook installed
  ✓ codex: session-start hook installed
  ✓ copilot-cli: session-start hook installed
  ✓ cursor: session-start hook installed
  ✓ gemini-cli: session-start hook installed
  ✓ fallback timer installed (every 1h0m0s)
Synced registry 7f396e1a9c2d:
  + db-migrations (installed)
  + commit-msgs (installed)
  + review (installed)
Start a new agent session to load the skills. "skillcrew list --available" shows the skills you can add.
```

The registry can be any Git URL (`git@github.com:acme/skills.git`), a local path, or the `host/owner/repo` shorthand, which becomes an HTTPS URL. Private registries work with your existing Git credentials: see [Private registries](https://skillcrew.yoandev.co/docs/guides/private-registries/).

Not sure which team to join? Skip `--team`, then list them:

```console
$ skillcrew team list
TEAM      MEMBER
backend   joined
frontend  -
$ skillcrew team join frontend
```

`init` is idempotent: run it again to repair hooks or the timer.

> [!NOTE]
> Open a new agent session after `init`. Claude Code reloads skills live; other agents see new and updated skills at their next session.

## What init sets up

- A clone of the registry in `~/.skillcrew/registry.git`.
- A **session-start hook** in each agent it detects (Claude Code, Codex, Copilot CLI and VS Code, Cursor, Gemini CLI). The hook runs `skillcrew sync --hook`, which returns immediately and prints nothing. When the last sync is older than the debounce window (60 seconds by default), it starts a sync in the background, so an agent never waits on the network.
- A **user-level timer** (launchd on macOS, systemd user units on Linux) that runs `skillcrew sync --quiet` every hour, for agents without hooks.
- The skills themselves: real copies in `~/.agents/skills/<skill>`, and symlinks in `~/.claude/skills/<skill>` for Claude Code.

No daemon, no admin rights. Flags: `--no-hooks`, `--no-timer`, `--ref <branch>` (branch to follow instead of the default branch). See [the CLI reference](https://skillcrew.yoandev.co/docs/reference/cli/#skillcrew-init).

## Check what you have

```console
$ skillcrew status
Organization  acme
Registry      https://github.com/acme/skills.git (main @ 7f396e1a9c2d)
Teams         backend
Last sync     2026-10-11 13:52

SKILL          ID                  STATUS       STATE  VERSION
db-migrations  data:db-migrations  required     ok     7f396e1a9c2d
commit-msgs    git:commit-msgs     recommended  ok     7f396e1a9c2d
review         security:review     required     ok     7f396e1a9c2d
```

## Choose your optional skills

```console
$ skillcrew list --available
SKILL        ID                   STATUS     STATE  VERSION
pdf          docs:pdf             available  -      -
hello-world  example:hello-world  available  -      -
$ skillcrew install pdf
Installed docs:pdf.
Synced registry 7f396e1a9c2d:
  + pdf (installed)
```

- `skillcrew install` / `skillcrew remove` add or remove an `available` skill.
- `skillcrew disable` / `skillcrew enable` turn a `recommended` or `deprecated` skill off or back on.
- `required` skills cannot be turned off, and `blocked` skills cannot be installed.

Your choices are stored in `~/.skillcrew/config.yaml` and respected by every sync.

## Your own skills

Skillcrew only touches the directories it installed. Personal skills in `~/.agents/skills` or `~/.claude/skills` stay yours, unless one has the same name as a team skill: it is then backed up, replaced by the team skill, and restored by `skillcrew uninstall` when the name is free.

If you edit a team skill, the next sync backs up your version and restores the team one. To share your change, [propose it](https://skillcrew.yoandev.co/docs/guides/propose-a-change/).