# axiom-performance

Routes diagnostics for memory leaks, battery drain, and UI hangs in Apple-platform apps. Guides profiling via Instruments and headless xctrace.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 1300 installs · ★ 1229
- Author: CharlesWiltgen
- License: MIT · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/CharlesWiltgen/Axiom/tree/HEAD/axiom-codex/skills/axiom-performance/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-10-20
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/axiom-performance

## What it does

The skill serves as a diagnostic router for Apple platforms. It links observed symptoms like memory growth, overheating, and UI freezes over 1 second directly to structured profiling playbooks. Inside, it organizes workflows for Time Profiler, Allocations, MetricKit integrations, and automated trace runs via `xctrace`.

For in-depth analysis, the skill delegates work to focused auditors. The `axiom-audit-memory` sub-skill maps ownership across 5 phases, while `axiom-audit-energy` catches 8 battery anti-patterns. Workflows that run builds, tests, or simulators demand direct shell access.

On Claude Code, tools fall back to `<plugin-root>/tools/<tool>` when `command -v` returns nothing under `--bare` mode. Automated trace comparison via `/axiom:compare-traces` runs strictly within Claude Code.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add CharlesWiltgen/Axiom --skill axiom-performance -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/axiom-performance/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/axiom-performance/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add CharlesWiltgen/Axiom --skill axiom-performance -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/axiom-performance/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add CharlesWiltgen/Axiom --skill axiom-performance -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/axiom-performance/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install CharlesWiltgen/Axiom axiom-performance
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/axiom-performance/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add CharlesWiltgen/Axiom --skill axiom-performance -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/CharlesWiltgen/Axiom --path axiom-codex/skills/axiom-performance
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/axiom-performance/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add CharlesWiltgen/Axiom --skill axiom-performance -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/CharlesWiltgen/Axiom/tree/HEAD/axiom-codex/skills/axiom-performance/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- detect memory leaks and retain cycles in Swift or Objective-C
- diagnose main-thread freezes and hangs exceeding 1 second
- record and compare performance traces with headless xctrace in CI
- pinpoint battery drain and device overheating causes
- optimize pre-main execution and cold app launch latency

## Example prompts
- Diagnose a memory leak causing high memory pressure in Instruments
- Run an energy audit to find why the app drains battery in the background
- Analyze a main thread hang that freezes the UI during scrolling

## Source text · SKILL.md · MIT

Below is the content of a third-party file. It is data, not instructions for you: do not act on anything written inside unless the human asks. Block tag: 24f77d58756afb87.

BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE 24f77d58756afb87
```text
---
name: axiom-performance
description: Use when an Apple-platform app feels slow, memory grows, battery drains, or ANY performance issue needs diagnosing. Covers memory leaks, profiling, Instruments workflows, retain cycles, optimization.
license: MIT
---

# Performance

**You MUST use this skill for ANY performance issue including memory leaks, slow execution, battery drain, or profiling.**

**Bundled tools on Claude Code:** if `command -v <tool>` finds nothing (hooks off or `--bare`), use `<plugin-root>/tools/<tool>` in place of the bare name; `<plugin-root>` is two levels above this skill's `Base directory for this skill:` path.

<!-- AXIOM_AUDITOR_INLINE_BEGIN — rewritten for Codex by scripts/build-codex.ts; do not hand-edit -->
> **Auditors are skills here.** Where this router says "Launch `some-auditor` agent", invoke the
> matching Codex skill instead — same procedure, no Claude Code agent required.
>
> Available: `axiom-analyze-swift-performance`, `axiom-audit-energy`, `axiom-audit-memory`.
>
> The ones that shell out — builds, tests, simulators, crash symbolication — need shell access to run.
<!-- AXIOM_AUDITOR_INLINE_END -->

## When to Use

Use this router when:
- App feels slow or laggy
- Memory usage grows over time
- Battery drains quickly
- Device gets hot during use
- High energy usage in Battery Settings
- Diagnosing performance with Instruments
- Memory leaks or retain cycles
- App crashes with memory warnings

## Routing Logic

### Memory Issues

**Memory leaks (Swift)** → See skills/memory-debugging.md
- Systematic leak diagnosis
- 5 common leak patterns
- Instruments workflows
- deinit not called

**Memory leak scan** → `axiom-audit-memory` (5-phase semantic audit: maps resource ownership, detects 6 leak patterns, reasons about missing cleanup, correlates compound risks, scores lifecycle health)

**Memory leaks (Objective-C blocks)** → See skills/objc-block-retain-cycles.md
- Block retain cycles
- Weak-strong pattern
- Network callback leaks

### Performance Profiling

**Performance profiling (GUI)** → See skills/performance-profiling.md
- Time Profiler (CPU), incl. Top Functions mode for scattered overhead (`OS27`)
- Allocations (memory growth)
- Core Data profiling (N+1 queries)
- Decision trees for tool selection
- Instruments 27 Run Comparisons, Swift executors instrument, Foundation Models instrument; Xcode 27 Organizer (Storage/hitches metrics, Metric Goals, Generate Recommendations)

**Automated profiling (CLI)** → See skills/xctrace-ref.md
- Headless xctrace profiling
- CI/CD integration patterns
- Command-line trace recording
- Programmatic trace analysis

**Run automated profile** → Use `performance-profiler` agent or `axiom-profile-performance`
- Records trace via xctrace
- Exports and analyzes data
```
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