Superpowers Lab plugin
Four experimental Claude Code skills: find twin functions, drive tmux, call MCP from the shell and run Windows 11 in Docker
- 436 ★ on the repository
- Last commit
- MIT
Extended access
Why this level
- The tmux skill sends keystrokes into live terminal sessions, including ones that are already open
- `mcp-cli` builds a utility from third-party source and runs the MCP servers you name
- `windows-vm` creates a container with 8 GB of memory and 4 cores, reachable over SSH with default credentials
Install
- Works in
Manual install
claude-code plugin install https://github.com/obra/superpowers-labCommand taken verbatim from the project description. The tmux skill needs tmux installed.
Access and checks
How we reviewExtended accessThe tool runs code or makes network calls and only reads external data.
- The tmux skill sends keystrokes into live terminal sessions, including ones that are already open
- `mcp-cli` builds a utility from third-party source and runs the MCP servers you name
- `windows-vm` creates a container with 8 GB of memory and 4 cores, reachable over SSH with default credentials
This is third-party code. Review the repository files before installing.
What it does
Superpowers Lab is a Claude Code plugin by Jesse Vincent with four skills the author calls experimental. `finding-duplicate-functions` looks for functions that share a purpose but differ in implementation: shell scripts extract a function catalog, Haiku sorts the functions into domains, and Opus compares functions inside each domain and builds a `report.md`. `using-tmux-for-interactive-commands` lets the agent work with programs that need a live terminal: vim, `git rebase -i`, Python and Node REPLs, `menuconfig` menus. The skill creates a detached tmux session, sends keystrokes into it and reads the screen. `mcp-cli` calls MCP servers on demand through the `mcp` utility, with no permanent setup and no extra tools in the context. `windows-vm` starts a headless Windows 11 in a Docker container (the dockur/windows image) with KVM acceleration. You connect over SSH, and the skill installs OpenSSH Server, Node.js and Claude Code inside. Actions: `create`, `start`, `stop`, `restart`, `ssh`, `status`.
Who it is for. Claude Code developers who clean up grown, generated code, automate interactive terminal tools, or test programs on Windows from a Linux machine.
Good fit when
- Several people and agents wrote the code, and you suspect one utility was reimplemented in three modules
- Before a big refactor, after `jscpd`, you want duplicates by intent rather than by text
- The agent has to step through `git rebase -i` or edit a file in vim without breaking the terminal
- You want to peek into an unfamiliar MCP server and call one of its tools without editing configuration
- A program's behavior on Windows 11 is tested from a Linux host with Docker and KVM
Not a fit when
- Your machine has no `/dev/kvm`, for example macOS without nested virtualization: `windows-vm` will not run there
- Duplicates only need a text match: `jscpd` is enough, and the two-phase model analysis would cost extra requests
- An MCP server is needed in every session: for permanent use a regular configuration is simpler
- You need Windows with a GUI: the virtual machine here is reachable over SSH only
Example request
Find functions in this project that do the same thing under different names and build a report on which ones to mergeLimitations
The author calls the skills experimental, the plugin version is 0.5.0, and the repository was last changed in June 2026. The skills are tested on Linux and macOS and need tmux installed.
`mcp-cli` needs the `mcp` utility from the f/mcptools project: the skill's instructions build it from Go source and put it at `~/.local/bin/mcp`.
`windows-vm` needs Docker, KVM, `sshpass` and about 8 GB of memory, 4 cores and 64 GB of disk. The Windows image is 7.3 GB and downloads on first start.
How to disable. Remove the plugin with Claude Code or delete the repository entry from `claude.json`. Stop and remove the `windows11` container with Docker commands, and delete the `$HOME/windows-vm/` folder by hand.
FAQ
How does the duplicate search differ from `jscpd`?
`jscpd` catches identical text, while the skill looks for functions with one purpose and different code. A script first builds a function catalog, then Haiku groups them by domain and Opus compares within the groups.
What does the tmux skill actually do?
It starts a detached tmux session, sends keys into it and captures the terminal output. That lets the agent get through vim, `git add -p` or a REPL that needs live input.
How do I connect to the `windows-vm` machine?
Over SSH only, at `localhost:2222`, bound to 127.0.0.1. A fallback RDP port is open at `localhost:3389` and a debugging web console at `localhost:8006`.
Do I have to install an MCP server for `mcp-cli` to work?
No, only the `mcp` utility is installed. You name the server you want to inspect in the command, for example `mcp tools npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-memory`.
Can I take only one of the four skills?
The skills live in `skills/`, each in its own folder with a `SKILL.md`. Copying one folder into the agent's skills directory gives you just that skill.
Discussion
No questions or reviews yet.
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Comparison with similar tools
Cards that share the main search query, and how they differ.
| Tool | Official | Authentication | Repository stars | Main difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Superpowers Lab (this card) | no | 436 | ||
| Superpowers | no | 313,096 | the main set of process skills, while this one holds experimental techniques such as a Windows VM and semantic duplicate search | |
| mcp-cli | no | 1,282 | a standalone utility for calling MCP from the shell, while here it is only one of four skills | |
| Tmux MCP Server: agent access to tmux sessions | no | not required | 306 | an MCP server for tmux, while the skill uses plain tmux commands with no server |
README in short
The description splits the plugin into four skills and gives scenarios and a working principle for each. At the end come the requirements (tmux, Linux or macOS), the experimental status and links to the main Superpowers set and the same author's browser skills.