Will Ness Skills
Nine personal engineering skills: an idea-to-PR chain, standards search, a sandboxed review loop and wizard pages for changes
- 170 ★ on the repository
- Last commit
- MIT
Extended access
Why this level
- `sandcastle` runs implementation loops and creates agent-authored PRs in a separate worktree
- The `cmux` skill controls the terminal and browser tabs of a local app
Install
- Works in
In your terminal, with SkillFoxx CLI
npx skillfoxx add skills/will-ness-skillsDetects the agents on your machine, shows the access level and pins the version.
Other ways to install
Access and checks
How we reviewExtended accessThe tool runs code or makes network calls and only reads external data.
- `sandcastle` runs implementation loops and creates agent-authored PRs in a separate worktree
- The `cmux` skill controls the terminal and browser tabs of a local app
This is third-party code. Review the repository files before installing.
What it does
The author personal skill set for Claude Code and other Agent Skills harnesses. `skills/` holds nine folders. `development-workflow` takes a task from idea to merged PR through a chain of short loops: research, alignment, proof, spec, tickets, implementation. `sandcastle` runs a sandboxed implement and review loop over a batch of work in its own worktree and ends with an agent-authored PR. `find-standards` fans out subagents to learn how a problem is already solved in the industry. `code-story` builds a wizard-style HTML page that explains chapter by chapter how and why a change works. `grill-design` converges on a frontend look through rounds of prototypes and verdicts. `flashlight` works a wayfinder map: it lights one direction out of order or redraws the map. `agent-tools` builds commands for agents in AXI style, where one call runs a chain and prints only what is needed. `cmux` drives the local cmux app: workspaces, panes, terminal and browser. `test-a-skill` field-tests a skill cold in parallel sessions and turns the findings into edits. The `scripts/link-skills.sh` script creates symlinks in `~/.claude/skills` and `~/.agents/skills`, so `git pull` keeps installed skills current. `scripts/check-skills.sh` verifies that names and `agents/openai.yaml` files agree.
Who it is for. Engineers building their own workflow around Claude Code who want ready skills for a development chain and for testing skills.
Good fit when
- A task goes from idea to merged PR in short check loops through `development-workflow`
- A batch of tickets goes to an agent in an isolated worktree with an implement and review loop through `sandcastle`
- A PR author wants a reviewer page that explains chapter by chapter why a change works, and `code-story` builds it
- A new skill is field-tested cold in parallel sessions with `test-a-skill`
Not a fit when
- You need a ready self-contained package: most skills call external `/grilling`, `/prototype`, `/implement`, `/tdd`, `/research` and `/writing-for-agents`, which the repository lacks
- You work without git worktrees and GitHub: `sandcastle` and the chain to PR depend on them
- You need a general cross-platform set: the repository is named the author personal set
Example request
Run this task through the development-workflow skill: start with research and alignment and write code only after the specLimitations
The skills depend on external skills that the repository does not contain: for example `agent-tools` and `test-a-skill` call `/writing-for-agents`, while `grill-design` calls `/grilling` and `/prototype`. They must be installed separately or the chains break. `cmux` needs cmux.app and its CLI on `PATH`, and `flashlight` needs an existing wayfinder map. The `skill-card.mjs` script needs Google Chrome and an authenticated `gh`. The author notes the set was originally a fork of Matt Pocock skills, which are no longer kept here.
How to disable. Remove the symlinks from `~/.claude/skills` and `~/.agents/skills` by hand. The repository clone can be deleted afterwards.
FAQ
How do I install the Will Ness skills in Claude Code?
Clone the repository and run `scripts/link-skills.sh`. It creates symlinks in `~/.claude/skills` and `~/.agents/skills`. After a `git pull` there is no need to repeat it. If you added or renamed a skill, run it again.
What are the external skill dependencies?
They are skills that the repository skills call but that the repository does not contain, such as `/grilling`, `/tdd` and `/research`. Install them separately. The README lists them next to each skill.
What does sandcastle do?
It runs a sandboxed implement and review loop over a batch of work in its own worktree. The result is an agent-authored PR. Tickets come from the sources described in `references/ticket-sources.md`.
How do I check the skill set?
Run `scripts/check-skills.sh`: it verifies each folder has a `SKILL.md` matching the folder name and an `agents/openai.yaml`, and that both agree on how the skill is invoked.
Where does the set come from?
It started as a fork of Matt Pocock skills. Those skills are no longer kept here and are installed separately if needed.
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 | Repository stars | Main difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Will Ness Skills (this card) | no | 170 | |
| Skills for real engineers by Matt Pocock | no | 322,978 | small composable skills for engineering work, while this is a personal idea-to-PR chain and a skill that tests skills |
| grill-me: plan interview skill | no | 1,560 | a single skill that asks one question at a time, while this has nine skills, some of which call such a skill externally |
README in short
The README opens with a list of the nine skills with a short description and external dependencies for each. Installation by symlinks, the set check, a script that renders a skill card for a post, the origin and the MIT license follow.