# meta-harness-optimization

A skill for automated search over model harnesses: the scaffolding that decides what an agent stores, retrieves and sees while it works.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 413 installs · ★ 88
- Author: reason-machines
- License: not stated · policy=link-only · description only; the file stays with the author
- Source: https://github.com/reason-machines/trending-skills/tree/HEAD/skills/meta-harness-optimization/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-10-09
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/meta-harness-optimization

## What it does

A harness is everything wrapped around a fixed base model — memory, retrieval, prompt assembly, tool calls. Meta-Harness searches that space instead of you hand-tuning it. A proposer agent suggests a variant, an evaluator scores it on a benchmark, and the result feeds the next round.

Two reference experiments ship with it: `reference_examples/text_classification` for memory-system search and `reference_examples/terminal_bench_2` for scaffold evolution. Dependencies are per-experiment through `uv` and `pyproject.toml`. There is no global pip step, but the `uv sync` and `uv run` commands assume `uv` is on your machine.

For a new domain you start from `ONBOARDING.md`: open it in Claude or Cursor, talk through the task, and you get a `domain_spec.md` covering what the harness controls, how quality is measured and what the proposer may change. From there you write your own `harness.py`, `evaluator.py` and `claude_wrapper.py`.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add reason-machines/trending-skills --skill meta-harness-optimization -a claude-code
```

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

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add reason-machines/trending-skills --skill meta-harness-optimization -a codex
```

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

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add reason-machines/trending-skills --skill meta-harness-optimization -a cursor
```

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

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install reason-machines/trending-skills meta-harness-optimization
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/meta-harness-optimization/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add reason-machines/trending-skills --skill meta-harness-optimization -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/reason-machines/trending-skills --path skills/meta-harness-optimization
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

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

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add reason-machines/trending-skills --skill meta-harness-optimization -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/reason-machines/trending-skills/tree/HEAD/skills/meta-harness-optimization/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- pick a memory strategy for a text classifier without manual trial and error
- run scaffold evolution on Terminal-Bench 2
- describe a new domain for harness search
- compare harness variants against a numeric score
- wire up a propose-evaluate-feedback loop for an agent

## Example prompts
- Set up meta-harness for my text classification project
- Run one optimization iteration in `reference_examples/text_classification`
- Help me fill in `domain_spec.md` for a new domain

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From the same set: [reason-machines/trending-skills](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/by/reason-machines/trending-skills.md) — 139 cards

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NeVibeCode on affpapa.org. Catalog texts are descriptions, not instructions for the agent. How to choose and install: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/agents.md