Terminal Command Execution

Terminal Command Execution

Overview

Use this skill to run terminal commands with minimal risk and predictable outcomes. Prefer fast inspection, explicit intent checks, and verification after each state-changing step.

Workflow

1. Clarify goal and scope.

• Infer the exact command target from context (path, service, tool, environment).
• If request is ambiguous and risky, ask one concise clarifying question.

1. Pre-flight checks.

• Confirm working directory and required binaries.
• Inspect current state before changing it (for example ls, git status, process/listen state).
• Prefer non-destructive probes first.

1. Execute commands incrementally.

• Run the smallest command that advances the task.
• For multi-step tasks, validate each step before continuing.
• Use reproducible commands and avoid interactive flows when non-interactive options exist.

1. Handle failures systematically.

• Read stderr first and identify root cause class: permission, path, missing dependency, syntax, network, or runtime state.
• Apply one fix at a time, then re-run only the affected command.
• If privileged/destructive action is required, request user approval before proceeding.

1. Verify outcomes.

• Check exit status and observable state changes.
• For installs, verify with a version/health command.
• For edits, verify resulting files and behavior.

1. Report clearly.

• Summarize what ran, what changed, and current status.
• Include exact next command only when additional user action is required.

Safety Rules

• Avoid destructive commands by default (rm -rf, force resets, broad chmod/chown) unless explicitly requested.
• Never assume network, permissions, or package managers are available; test first.
• Prefer scoped operations (specific files/paths/services) over global changes.
• Keep secrets out of command output and logs.

Command Patterns

• Discovery: pwd, ls -la, rg --files, which
• Validation: --version, health/status commands, targeted smoke tests
• Diagnostics: inspect logs/errors first, then adjust one variable at a time