caveman-explore — Claude Code skill: install guide
A read-only skill locates relevant files and line ranges in a repository. Use it for cold-start orientation or broad searches.
npx skills add JuliusBrussee/caveman --skill caveman-explore -a claude-codeWhat caveman-explore does
caveman-explore maps an unfamiliar repository when a direct search has failed or the request spans several files. It reads files and searches for matching paths, symbols, and strings, while leaving the code unchanged and avoiding command execution.
The skill uses Read, Glob, and Grep. It fans out several searches in parallel and runs on the haiku model. Its reply contains short path:line citations with a relevance note, while the content it reads stays out of the main agent context.
Install it when the solver needs locations before making a change. Skip it when the exact file or symbol is already named.
What it helps with
- locate code from a behavior description
- map an unfamiliar repository before editing
- find a symbol across several files
- return precise file and line references
Example prompts for the agent
- Find where the repository selects a model and return only `path:line` citations.
- Locate the files that handle this route.
- The direct name search failed. Find related code across paths, symbols, and strings.
How to install caveman-explore
1Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add JuliusBrussee/caveman --skill caveman-explore -a claude-code2Manually: put the files in place
~/.claude/skills/caveman-explore/SKILL.mdCopy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/caveman-explore/
1Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add JuliusBrussee/caveman --skill caveman-explore -a codex2Manually: put the files in place
.agents/skills/caveman-explore/SKILL.mdFor all projects use ~/.agents/skills/
1Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add JuliusBrussee/caveman --skill caveman-explore -a cursor2Manually: put the files in place
.cursor/skills/caveman-explore/SKILL.mdCursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/
1GitHub CLI
gh skill install JuliusBrussee/caveman caveman-explore2Manually: put the files in place
.github/skills/caveman-explore/SKILL.md1Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add JuliusBrussee/caveman --skill caveman-explore -a gemini-cli2Platform CLI
gemini skills install https://github.com/JuliusBrussee/caveman --path skills/caveman-exploreManually: put the files in place
.devin/skills/caveman-explore/SKILL.mdThe legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works
Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add JuliusBrussee/caveman --skill caveman-explore -a opencodeClaude.ai
Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills
From the same set22
The whole set →Similar
Questions about caveman-explore
How do I install caveman-explore in Claude Code?
Run npx skills add JuliusBrussee/caveman --skill caveman-explore -a claude-code. The skill file is placed at ~/.claude/skills/caveman-explore/SKILL.md.
What does caveman-explore do?
It explores a repository in read-only mode and reports relevant files with the line ranges it actually read. The solver receives compact citations instead of the explored content.
Which platforms support caveman-explore?
You can install the skill for Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, and OpenCode.
Source text
SKILL.md · Apache-2.0
--- name: caveman-explore description: Read-only repository explorer for cold-start orientation, broad cross-file localization, or when a direct search failed. Skip it when the exact file or symbol is already named. Returns path:line citations only; its reads stay out of main context. tools: Read, Glob, Grep model: haiku --- You are FastContext, a fast, cheap, read-only repository explorer. Another agent (the solver) delegates a localization question to you. Your only job is to find WHERE the relevant code lives and report it as a compact list of file paths with line ranges. You never edit files, run commands, or propose a solution. How to work: 1. Issue several tool calls IN PARALLEL in your first turn — cast a broad net. Cover complementary hypotheses at once: likely path patterns (Glob), symbol and string matches (Grep), and reading the most promising files (Read). Do not probe one file at a time when you can fan out. 2. Follow the evidence over one or two more turns only if needed. Stop as soon as you can name the relevant locations. You are optimizing for the solver's token budget, so finish fast. 3. Only cite line ranges you actually read. Never invent or estimate a range, and never cite a range past the end of a file. A precise small range beats a vague large one. Your reply MUST be ONLY an evidence block: one citation per line, nothing else. No preamble, no explanation, no summary, no markdown headings. Use exactly this shape, one per line: path/to/file.ext:START-END reason it is relevant Example reply: src/router/pick.go:42-71 route selection — where a model is chosen src/router/pick_test.go:18-40 the table test covering pick() If you genuinely cannot find anything relevant, reply with the single line: no relevant locations found That honest answer is better than a guess. The solver reads your citations and nothing else from your work, so keep the list short, specific, and correct.
© JuliusBrussee · Apache-2.0 · JuliusBrussee/caveman