By name: ob-skills
description: Internal helper — reads + writes the unified ~/.config/ob-skills/ namespace (per F080) for skill configuration, runtime state, and accumulated data. Not user-invocable; consumed by other skills via the ob-skills config / ob-skills path CLI.
user_invocable: false
ob-skills
The ob-skills folder hosts the unified skill namespace that every skill in this suite reads + writes against. Not a user-facing skill — its job is to be the canonical entry point to ~/.config/ob-skills/.
Per [[F080 — Skill config — unified namespace YAML]] (supersedes F072).
The namespace
~/.config/ob-skills/
├── global.yaml # cross-skill preferences (vault_root, etc.)
├── <skill>/
│ ├── config.yaml # skill's overrides for its hardcoded defaults
│ ├── data/ # user-accumulated structured content
│ ├── state/ # tool-managed runtime state
│ ├── cache/ # ephemera (backup-skippable)
│ └── logs/ # optional
└── <other-skill>/ …
Inside <skill>/, the skill picks its own internal layout. Simple skills (cook, snip) have just config.yaml. Complex skills (fleet) use multiple files + nested folders.
Backup-friendly conventions (per [[F080 — Skill config — unified namespace YAML|F080]] § 1):
cache/subfolder anywhere → safe to delete; backup tools may skipstate/→ tool-managed runtime data; semi-durabledata/→ user-accumulated structured content
Documented globals (in global.yaml)
Seeded on first run. Skills add new keys as they need them.
| Key | Default | What it is |
|---|---|---|
vault_root |
~/ob/kmr |
Obsidian vault root. Audit / hygiene / link-uniqueness scripts walk this. Per [[SKA System Design]] § Per-user parameters. |
kmr_root |
~/ob/kmr |
Synonym in practice; kept distinct in schema in case they diverge. |
skill_data_root |
~/ob/kmr/SYS/ob-skills |
Default vault-side root for skill-owned persistent data (per F071). |
default_agent_mode |
Drive |
Default operating mode for new anchors. Per-anchor .anchor files override via agent_modes:. |
scratch_root |
(no hardcoded default — must be set in global.yaml; this user has it at ~/ob/kmr/_/URL/SCR/Scratch) |
Inside-vault anchor for skill working files the user may want to browse in Obsidian (viz/diagram drafts, intermediate exports, preview artifacts). Distinct from cache/ (under ~/.config/ob-skills/<skill>/cache/ — hidden, backup-skippable). Skills typically scope further into a sub-folder named after themselves (e.g. {scratch_root}/viz/). |
Read tier (high to low)
1. env var (OB_SKILLS_<KEY> or OB_SKILLS_<SKILL>_<KEY>)
2. ~/.config/ob-skills/<skill>/config.yaml (per-skill)
3. ~/.config/ob-skills/global.yaml (cross-skill)
4. ~/.claude/ob-skills.md (legacy F072 — being retired)
5. --default <value> (caller's safe fallback)
Higher tiers override lower. Skills NEVER fail for missing config — --default is always safe.
Usage from another skill's SKILL.md
# Read a global parameter
VAULT="$(~/.claude/skills/ob-skills/scripts/ob-skills config vault_root --default ~/ob/kmr)"
# Read a per-skill parameter
ALLOWLIST="$(~/.claude/skills/ob-skills/scripts/ob-skills config dupes allowlist --default "$DEFAULT_PATH")"
# Get + ensure a per-skill namespace path (creates dir if absent)
SKILL_DIR="$(~/.claude/skills/ob-skills/scripts/ob-skills path fleet)"
echo "remotes:" >> "$SKILL_DIR/remotes.yaml"
From Python, skip the bash wrapper and read YAML directly — it's two lines:
import yaml
data = yaml.safe_load(open(Path.home() / ".config/ob-skills/global.yaml")) or {}
vault_root = data.get("vault_root", "~/ob/kmr")
CLI surface
ob-skills config <key> [--default <v>]— global read. Dotted keys traverse nested YAML maps. Falls back to F072 legacy file for backward compat with un-migrated keys.ob-skills config <skill> <key> [--default <v>]— per-skill read.ob-skills path <skill>— print + ensure the per-skill namespace path. Use to anchor write paths.ob-skills help— usage.
Migration from F072
F072's ~/.claude/ob-skills.md (custom key :: value markdown) is read as a fallback during migration, so existing consumer skills don't break. New writes always go to the YAML namespace.
To migrate a specific key:
- Move the value from
~/.claude/ob-skills.mdinto the right YAML file:skill_data.root→~/.config/ob-skills/global.yamlskill_data_root:skill_data.per_skill.<skill>.<key>→~/.config/ob-skills/<skill>/config.yaml<key>:
- Delete the F072 line.
- Verify with
ob-skills config <key> --default MISSING— should print the new value, not MISSING.
When all keys are migrated and the F072 file is empty, delete it. The bash script will silently skip the missing file.
Cross-references
- [[F080 — Skill config — unified namespace YAML]] — full design.
- [[F071 — Standard skill-data location convention]] — vault-side data root convention.
- [[F072 — Skills config file (~_.claude_skills.md)]] — superseded; read-fallback retained for migration window.
- [[SKA System Design]] § Per-user parameters — vault-wide-scope rule and the documented-globals table.