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tasks-axi skill

tasks-axi gives an agent short commands for a Markdown backlog: add, start, finish, block and find ready work

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Skill

Minimal access

Why this level

  • The CLI edits backlog.md and note-archive.md in the workspace and the SessionStart hook adds the backlog to session context
All reasons and checks

kunchenguid/tasks-axiAuthor:Kun Chen

Install

In your terminal, with SkillFoxx CLI

npx skillfoxx add skills/tasks-axi

Detects the agents on your machine, shows the access level and pins the version.

Other ways to install

Access and checks

How we review

Minimal accessThe tool runs nothing and makes no network calls.

  • The CLI edits backlog.md and note-archive.md in the workspace and the SessionStart hook adds the backlog to session context

This is third-party code. Review the repository files before installing.

What it does

tasks-axi is a task and backlog manager for agents designed with AXI (Agent eXperience Interface). It edits a hand-editable `backlog.md` in place with a byte-exact round-trip, so Markdown stays the source of truth. Normally an agent regenerates the whole backlog text through the model on every status change, which costs output tokens and can drop or reorder items. tasks-axi reduces a change to one short command and a compact confirmation. Simple mutations: `tasks-axi add id "title" --kind ship --repo name --priority 2 --start`, `start`, `done --pr URL`, `reopen`, `block id --by other`, `hold id --reason "..." --kind captain`, `unhold`, `ready` and `ready --include-held`. The dependency model and ready query come from beads, while the author added holds and dispatch. Output uses the short TOON format with next-step hints, repeated calls are idempotent and errors are structured. Long notes do not bloat `list`: read the full text with `show id --full`, change it with `update --body` or `--body-file`, and the old body moves to `note-archive.md` with `--archive-body`. `prune --keep 10` archives the surplus and deletes nothing, and `render` normalizes the Markdown.

Who it is for. Developers who keep a backlog in Markdown and have Claude Code, Codex or OpenCode add, finish and block tasks without an expensive file regeneration.

Good fit when

  • An agent closes a task with a PR link and it should be one short `tasks-axi done id --pr URL` command
  • You need work that can be picked up right now: `tasks-axi ready` shows only unblocked tasks
  • A task has to be held until the owner decides: `hold` with a reason and kind
  • The live backlog should reach every agent session through a `SessionStart` hook
  • A task note has grown and the old body should go to the archive with `--archive-body`

Not a fit when

  • Tasks live in Jira or Linear: the tool edits a `backlog.md` file, though remote trackers are mentioned as a pluggable option
  • You do not need a backlog: a to-do list in notes is enough
  • The environment has no Node.js 20: the CLI runs through `npx`
  • You need cards, boards and a UI for a team of people

Example request

Add a task fix-summary-toggle through tasks-axi with priority 2, start it and show what is ready to work on

Limitations

  • Node.js 20 or newer is required: the skill runs the CLI through `npx -y tasks-axi`.
  • The single source of truth is a Markdown backlog file edited in place, so manual edits are fine but parallel writes from several processes should be kept apart.
  • The `SessionStart` hook is installed separately: `npm install -g tasks-axi`, then `tasks-axi setup hooks`, after which restart the agent session.
  • This is a CLI for agents with no web UI, and remote trackers connect as backends.

How to disable. Remove the skill with `npx skills remove tasks-axi` or by deleting its folder. The `SessionStart` hook comes out of Claude Code, Codex and OpenCode settings, the global package is removed with `npm uninstall -g tasks-axi` and `backlog.md` stays yours.

FAQ

How do I install tasks-axi?

Run `npx skills add kunchenguid/tasks-axi --skill tasks-axi -g`. No extra `npm install` is needed: the skill runs the CLI with `npx -y tasks-axi`. Node.js 20 or newer is required.

What does AXI mean?

Agent eXperience Interface: a CLI designed for agents. For tasks-axi that means short TOON output, next-step hints, idempotent mutations and structured errors.

How do I feed the backlog into every agent session?

Install the package globally and run `tasks-axi setup hooks`: a `SessionStart` hook for Claude Code, Codex and OpenCode shows the live backlog at session start. Then restart the agent.

Does `prune` delete tasks?

No. `tasks-axi prune --keep 10` archives the surplus and never deletes.

How do I work without installing the skill?

Tell the agent to execute `npx -y tasks-axi` to manage the backlog: an AXI is clear to any capable agent with nothing installed.

Discussion

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README in short

The README explains the problem of expensive backlog regeneration and the fix with short commands. A quickstart through the skill, install options (zero setup, session hook), usage examples and the maintenance commands prune and render follow.

README badge

Original SKILL.md

---
name: tasks-axi
description: "Manage a task backlog through the tasks-axi CLI - add, list, show, start, and complete tasks; track blocked-by dependencies, structured holds, and a ready queue; prune and normalize a hand-editable backlog.md. Use whenever a task touches backlog or task state: filing or dispatching work, recording a PR or report on completion, finding dispatchable or held work, or trimming the Done list."
user-invocable: false
author: Kun Chen (kunchenguid)
metadata:
  hermes:
    tags: [tasks, backlog, planning, dependencies]
    category: productivity
---

# tasks-axi

Agent ergonomic task & backlog manager for the current workspace. Prefer this over hand-editing backlog.md for task state, dependency, or hold changes.

## When to use

Use tasks-axi whenever a task touches the backlog: filing or dispatching work, moving a task through queued -> in flight -> done, recording a PR url or report path on completion, tracking blocked-by dependencies, pausing dispatch with structured holds, finding dispatchable ready work or intentionally held work, or trimming the Done list.

Get every command, flag, and workflow from the live CLI - it is the single source of truth:

- `npx -y tasks-axi` - dashboard of the current backlog
- `npx -y tasks-axi --help` - global usage
- `npx -y tasks-axi <command> --help` - per-command usage

You do not need tasks-axi installed globally. If the CLI prints a follow-up starting with `tasks-axi`, run it as `npx -y tasks-axi ...` instead.

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