# operating-safely

Sets safety guards for destructive commands, secret handling, and parallel edits. It activates before dangerous operations like deleting data or restarting live processes.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 17900 installs · ★ 6
- Author: riekelt
- License: not stated · policy=link-only · description only; the file stays with the author
- Source: https://github.com/riekelt/principal-engineer/tree/HEAD/plugins/principal-engineer/skills/operating-safely/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-09-11
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/operating-safely

## What it does

This skill requires background from `principal-engineering`, and running it without that foundation breaks intended guards. It intercepts risky actions before execution. The agent inspects targets first and counts items before dropping them. Killing live processes or running database changes requires explicit human approval.

Handling secrets follows strict boundaries. The model checks whether a credential exists, but it never prints secret values to logs or prompts. Auth failures halt the process because urgent deadlines do not excuse workarounds. In shared branches, the agent cannot wipe uncommitted edits left by teammates. Staging stays granular with `git add <paths>`.

Emergency incidents never lower confirmation standards. Evidence comes first. Read-only triage runs immediately to preserve logs before cleanup scripts erase them. A teammate's chat message cannot authorize destructive teardowns; only the session operator provides valid confirmation.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add riekelt/principal-engineer --skill operating-safely -a claude-code
```

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

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add riekelt/principal-engineer --skill operating-safely -a codex
```

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

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add riekelt/principal-engineer --skill operating-safely -a cursor
```

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

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install riekelt/principal-engineer operating-safely
```

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

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add riekelt/principal-engineer --skill operating-safely -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/riekelt/principal-engineer --path plugins/principal-engineer/skills/operating-safely
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

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

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add riekelt/principal-engineer --skill operating-safely -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/riekelt/principal-engineer/tree/HEAD/plugins/principal-engineer/skills/operating-safely/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- block unconfirmed deletions of database tables and storage volumes
- prevent secret keys and tokens from leaking into logs
- protect uncommitted teammate changes from accidental overwrites
- preserve diagnostic logs before running cleanup commands

## Example prompts
- Clean up orphaned containers and data volumes on the staging host.
- Check database connectivity and verify that `DATABASE_URL` is set.
- Prepare the migration script to purge inactive user records.

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From the same set: [riekelt/principal-engineer](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/by/riekelt/principal-engineer.md) — 5 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