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Design UNIX-style CLI tools v1.0.0

Use this resource to design a command-line tool that follows POSIX conventions

New

  • 308 downloads
  • 240 likes
  • 204 saves

Free

Install with the CLI

In a terminal, from the folder you want:

npx --yes palatekit@latest install unix-cli-design-conventions

With no option, the skill goes to ~/.agents/skills/; add --agent claude-code (or codex, cursor…) to target an agent.

First time: connect the CLI with

npx --yes palatekit@latest login

The agent applies 44 rules ranked by impact: arguments and options, exit codes, separating stdout and stderr, built-in help and XDG configuration. You get a tool that fits well into Unix pipelines.

Mostly picked by

Updated November 2, 2026

Card for the “Design UNIX-style CLI tools” skill

Details

Works in
Install guides
Generates with
Your agent's model
Licence
MIT

Similar resources

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What you get

  • references/args-use-getopt.md: argument parsing with getopt
  • references/args-never-read-secrets-from-flags.md: never reading secrets from flags
  • references/config-follow-xdg.md: configuration files under XDG

Good fit for

  • Your CLI writes its errors to standard output
  • You want a shell script to chain your tool in a pipeline

Not for

    Tags

    • cli
    • unix
    • posix
    • options

    About

    You say

    “Review the options of this tool and make it follow UNIX conventions.”

    Card for the “Design UNIX-style CLI tools” skill

    Skill published by pproenca under the MIT license, delivered in its original version.

    Show more

    How to use it

    1. Install the skill in your agent's skills folder
    2. Ask your agent to design a command-line tool that follows POSIX conventions
    3. Review and adjust the result

    Content preview

    Files

    • assets/templates/_template.md0.9 KB
    • LICENSE1.1 KB
    • metadata.json1.1 KB
    • NOTICE-PALATEKIT.md0.5 KB
    • references/_sections.md1.9 KB
    • references/args-never-read-secrets-from-flags.md2 KB
    • references/args-prefer-flags-over-positional.md2.1 KB
    • references/args-provide-long-options.md1.5 KB
    • references/args-require-help-version.md2.1 KB
    • references/args-support-double-dash.md1.6 KB
    • references/args-support-option-bundling.md1.6 KB
    • references/args-use-getopt.md1.8 KB
    • references/args-use-standard-flag-names.md2 KB
    • references/config-env-naming.md1.9 KB
    • references/config-follow-xdg.md2 KB
    • references/config-never-store-secrets.md2.3 KB
    • references/config-precedence-order.md2.2 KB
    • references/config-respect-standard-vars.md2.3 KB
    • references/error-actionable-messages.md1.7 KB
    • references/error-avoid-stack-traces.md2 KB
    • references/error-include-program-name.md1.7 KB
    • references/error-use-strerror.md1.8 KB
    • references/error-validate-early.md2.4 KB
    • references/exit-distinguish-error-types.md2.2 KB
    • references/exit-partial-success.md1.8 KB
    • references/exit-signal-codes.md1.7 KB
    • references/exit-use-standard-codes.md2.1 KB
    • references/exit-zero-for-success.md1.6 KB
    • references/help-include-examples.md2.4 KB
    • references/help-show-defaults.md1.8 KB
    • references/help-show-usage-on-error.md1.8 KB
    • references/help-structure-help-output.md2.7 KB
    • references/help-version-format.md1.7 KB
    • references/io-atomic-writes.md2 KB
    • references/io-be-stateless.md1.9 KB
    • references/io-handle-binary-safely.md1.9 KB
    • references/io-handle-multiple-files.md2.2 KB
    • references/io-support-stdin.md1.7 KB
    • references/io-write-to-stdout.md1.9 KB
    • references/output-detect-tty.md1.6 KB
    • references/output-line-based-text.md1.8 KB
    • references/output-provide-machine-format.md1.9 KB
    • references/output-respect-no-color.md2 KB
    • references/output-stderr-for-errors.md1.6 KB
    • references/output-stdout-for-data.md1.6 KB
    • references/signal-cleanup-on-second-interrupt.md1.9 KB
    • references/signal-handle-sigint.md1.8 KB
    • references/signal-handle-sigpipe.md1.7 KB
    • references/signal-handle-sigterm.md2 KB
    • SKILL.md7 KB

    Origin and licence

    Listed unmodified

    Author
    pproenca
    Source
    github.com/pproenca/dot-skills/tree/cf93c57cac89d6fc3e4194686000411567f5caf3/skills/.experimental/unix-cli
    Licence
    MIT

    Notice

    « unix-cli » (pproenca, MIT) livré dans sa version d'origine : fiche en français et en anglais par PalateKit.

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