2.13.0-beta.20). Features may change before the next stable release.Switch to stable →ak skill
ak skill install
Provision one skill's pinned Python or Node environment, shared cache, and local runtime record.
Use ak skill install after the skill content already exists in a local kits
tree and you need its declared Python or Node environment.
Usage
ak skill install <kit>/<skill>Exactly one canonical reference is required. The command reads
<kits-dir>/<kit>/skills/<skill>/skill.yaml directly; the skill does not need
to be listed in kit.yaml exports.
Option
| Flag | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
--kits-dir <dir> | AGENTKIT_KITS_DIR or ./kits | Select the local kits source. |
Shared flags are described in CLI conventions. The command
never prompts; --yes and --no-interactive do not change its mutation policy.
What it writes
For a new runtime hash, AgentKit stages the environment beside the cache and renames it into place after the tools complete. It then writes the per-skill manifest atomically:
~/.agentkit/cache/<runtime-hash>/{venv,node_modules}/
~/.agentkit/skills/<kit>/<skill>/.manifest.jsonA ready cache is reused. There is no backup or rollback snapshot, but a failed
new cache population removes its staging directory. A legacy install.sh is
not executed; when found, its path is reported as a warning on stderr.
Package and network policy
Python uses uv; Node uses pnpm. uv can also resolve the requested Python
runtime before package installation. Package specs must be exact pins such as
pypdf==5.1.0 or zod@3.24.1. AgentKit fixes package sources to public PyPI
and npm, removes common registry override variables, rejects URL/VCS, local-file,
flag-injection, and unsafe specs, and passes --ignore-scripts to pnpm.
The command does not contact the AgentKit kit registry and performs no account or entitlement check. Package-manager network access is still possible.
Output and automation
Success writes this form to stderr and leaves stdout empty:
[OK] <kit>/<skill> env installedThis remains true with --json and --quiet; there is no JSON success envelope.
JSON execution failures use a structured error envelope on stderr. Capture the
two streams separately.
Exit behavior
| Exit | Meaning |
|---|---|
0 | The record was written or a ready cache was reused. Opt-out and unsupported-only runtime declarations can also complete as no-ops. |
1 | Parsing, path validation, tool execution, package policy, or filesystem work failed. |
2 | The single reference was malformed, or flags were invalid. |
4 | uv or pnpm was missing, or the skill declared no supported runtime block. |
5 | The local kit or skill manifest was not found. |
Cobra rejects a missing or extra positional argument before the command's
classified renderer; that path currently exits 1. Do not use it as an
argument-validation contract.
Verify and recover
ak skill verify <kit>/<skill>If installation fails, correct the declaration or tool dependency and rerun. Do not delete a shared cache hash until you have checked whether other skill records reference it.