os-big-picture is a skill in kharmanskyi/open-steps, last changed 4 Oct 2026. It can run shell commands, bundle scripts and pre-approve tools — read the findings before installing.
ALWAYS invoke this skill when the user asks where the project as a whole stands - "where are we", "what's the big picture", "what have we built", "what is in this project", "map the project", "what does this thing even do", "what is stale", "what can we delete", "update the roadmap" - in any language, and whenever a session report has just been written. It keeps one file, BIG-PICTURE.md: what the product is, every feature with how far it got, which parts nobody has touched, and what is queued next. Age and wiring are measured from git; how far a feature got comes from the reports or says "not checked". Where a tracker is connected it offers to open the queue as tickets, after a yes and never before. Never invents work, never deletes code.
At a glance
What it can touch
How much a skill can do, not whether it is risky.
Pattern check
1 item to review
Broad tools pre-approved in allowed-tools
R34 · High · SKILL.md:17Commit 4fa744b · 29 Oct 2026
How the check worksPattern check:1 item to reviewSee it
Install
Each tab says whether it installs commit 4fa744b, the one we checked, or the latest version.
OpenCode also looks in .agents/skills/ and ~/.agents/skills/, so use the Any agent steps.
Goose also looks in .agents/skills/ and ~/.agents/skills/, so use the Any agent steps.
Windsurf (Devin Desktop) also looks in .agents/skills/ and ~/.agents/skills/, so use the Any agent steps.
Zed also looks in .agents/skills/ and ~/.agents/skills/, so use the Any agent steps.
Roo Code also looks in .agents/skills/ and ~/.agents/skills/, so use the Any agent steps.
Factory Droid also looks in .agents/skills/ and ~/.agents/skills/, so use the Any agent steps.
Junie also looks in .agents/skills/ and ~/.agents/skills/, so use the Any agent steps.
Amp also looks in .agents/skills/ and ~/.agents/skills/, so use the Any agent steps.
No install command here reaches Kiro. Copy the skill's folder into .kiro/skills/ in your project, or ~/.kiro/skills/ for all your projects. kharmanskyi/open-steps/skills/os-big-picture (opens in a new tab)
Antigravity also looks in .agents/skills/, so the Any agent steps reach it with This project. For All projects, see where Antigravity looks.
Cline also looks in .claude/skills/, so the Claude Code steps reach it with This project. For All projects, see where Cline looks.
Read this before installing: Broad tools pre-approved in allowed-tools — SKILL.md:17
Claude Code
Pinned to commit 4fa744b, the one we checked.
From your project's root folder:
tmp="$(mktemp -d)" &&git clone -q --depth 1 --filter=blob:none --no-checkout https://github.com/kharmanskyi/open-steps.git "$tmp" &&git -C "$tmp" fetch -q --depth 1 origin 4fa744ba8ea06ccf128a39853824c46ac391dd00 &&git -C "$tmp" sparse-checkout set -- skills/os-big-picture &&git -C "$tmp" checkout -q 4fa744ba8ea06ccf128a39853824c46ac391dd00 &&mkdir -p .claude/skills &&mkdir .claude/skills/os-big-picture &&cp -R "$tmp"/skills/os-big-picture/. .claude/skills/os-big-picture/ &&rm -rf "$tmp"If Claude Code was already running and this created the skills folder, run /reload-skills.
Or install the open-steps plugin it ships in. Installs the latest version, not the one we checked. Installs everything in the plugin, including any hooks, MCP servers and scripts our check doesn't cover.
claude plugin marketplace add kharmanskyi/open-steps --scope project &&claude plugin install open-steps@open-steps --scope projectClaude apps
Pinned to commit 4fa744b, the one we checked.
Skills in the Claude apps belong to your account rather than to a project.
Make os-big-picture.zip, with the skill folder at the top level:
tmp="$(mktemp -d)" &&git clone -q --depth 1 --filter=blob:none --no-checkout https://github.com/kharmanskyi/open-steps.git "$tmp" &&git -C "$tmp" fetch -q --depth 1 origin 4fa744ba8ea06ccf128a39853824c46ac391dd00 &&git -C "$tmp" sparse-checkout set -- skills/os-big-picture &&git -C "$tmp" checkout -q 4fa744ba8ea06ccf128a39853824c46ac391dd00 &&out="$(mktemp -d)" &&cp -R "$tmp"/skills/os-big-picture "$out"/os-big-picture &&(cd "$out" && zip -qr - os-big-picture) > os-big-picture.zip &&rm -rf "$tmp" "$out"In Claude, open Customize > Skills, select +, then + Create skill > Upload a skill, and choose os-big-picture.zip.
On Free, Pro and Max plans, turn on Code execution and file creation (Create and edit files in newer settings) under Settings > Capabilities.
Codex
Pinned to commit 4fa744b, the one we checked.
From your project's root folder:
tmp="$(mktemp -d)" &&git clone -q --depth 1 --filter=blob:none --no-checkout https://github.com/kharmanskyi/open-steps.git "$tmp" &&git -C "$tmp" fetch -q --depth 1 origin 4fa744ba8ea06ccf128a39853824c46ac391dd00 &&git -C "$tmp" sparse-checkout set -- skills/os-big-picture &&git -C "$tmp" checkout -q 4fa744ba8ea06ccf128a39853824c46ac391dd00 &&mkdir -p .agents/skills &&mkdir .agents/skills/os-big-picture &&cp -R "$tmp"/skills/os-big-picture/. .agents/skills/os-big-picture/ &&rm -rf "$tmp"Codex picks up new skills on its own; restart it if this one does not appear.
Cursor
Pinned to commit 4fa744b, the one we checked.
From your project's root folder:
tmp="$(mktemp -d)" &&git clone -q --depth 1 --filter=blob:none --no-checkout https://github.com/kharmanskyi/open-steps.git "$tmp" &&git -C "$tmp" fetch -q --depth 1 origin 4fa744ba8ea06ccf128a39853824c46ac391dd00 &&git -C "$tmp" sparse-checkout set -- skills/os-big-picture &&git -C "$tmp" checkout -q 4fa744ba8ea06ccf128a39853824c46ac391dd00 &&mkdir -p .cursor/skills &&mkdir .cursor/skills/os-big-picture &&cp -R "$tmp"/skills/os-big-picture/. .cursor/skills/os-big-picture/ &&rm -rf "$tmp"Copilot & VS Code
Pinned to commit 4fa744b, the one we checked.
From your project's root folder:
tmp="$(mktemp -d)" &&git clone -q --depth 1 --filter=blob:none --no-checkout https://github.com/kharmanskyi/open-steps.git "$tmp" &&git -C "$tmp" fetch -q --depth 1 origin 4fa744ba8ea06ccf128a39853824c46ac391dd00 &&git -C "$tmp" sparse-checkout set -- skills/os-big-picture &&git -C "$tmp" checkout -q 4fa744ba8ea06ccf128a39853824c46ac391dd00 &&mkdir -p .github/skills &&mkdir .github/skills/os-big-picture &&cp -R "$tmp"/skills/os-big-picture/. .github/skills/os-big-picture/ &&rm -rf "$tmp"In a running Copilot CLI session, run /skills reload.
Or install it with gh skill, which also installs the commit we checked. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90 or later.
gh skill install kharmanskyi/open-steps skills/os-big-picture/SKILL.md@4fa744ba8ea06ccf128a39853824c46ac391dd00 --agent github-copilot --scope projectGemini CLI
Pinned to commit 4fa744b, the one we checked.
From your project's root folder:
tmp="$(mktemp -d)" &&git clone -q --depth 1 --filter=blob:none --no-checkout https://github.com/kharmanskyi/open-steps.git "$tmp" &&git -C "$tmp" fetch -q --depth 1 origin 4fa744ba8ea06ccf128a39853824c46ac391dd00 &&git -C "$tmp" sparse-checkout set -- skills/os-big-picture &&git -C "$tmp" checkout -q 4fa744ba8ea06ccf128a39853824c46ac391dd00 &&mkdir -p .gemini/skills &&mkdir .gemini/skills/os-big-picture &&cp -R "$tmp"/skills/os-big-picture/. .gemini/skills/os-big-picture/ &&rm -rf "$tmp"In a running session, run /skills reload.
Or use Gemini CLI’s own installer. Installs the latest version, not the one we checked.
gemini skills install https://github.com/kharmanskyi/open-steps.git --path skills/os-big-picture --scope workspaceAny agent
Pinned to commit 4fa744b, the one we checked.
OpenCode, Goose, Windsurf (Devin Desktop), Zed, Roo Code, Factory Droid, Junie, Amp and Antigravity read .agents/skills in a project.
From your project's root folder:
tmp="$(mktemp -d)" &&git clone -q --depth 1 --filter=blob:none --no-checkout https://github.com/kharmanskyi/open-steps.git "$tmp" &&git -C "$tmp" fetch -q --depth 1 origin 4fa744ba8ea06ccf128a39853824c46ac391dd00 &&git -C "$tmp" sparse-checkout set -- skills/os-big-picture &&git -C "$tmp" checkout -q 4fa744ba8ea06ccf128a39853824c46ac391dd00 &&mkdir -p .agents/skills &&mkdir .agents/skills/os-big-picture &&cp -R "$tmp"/skills/os-big-picture/. .agents/skills/os-big-picture/ &&rm -rf "$tmp"Or use the skills CLI from skills.sh. Installs the latest version, not the one we checked. The skills CLI reports installs to skills.sh unless you set DISABLE_TELEMETRY=1.
npx skills@1.7.4 add kharmanskyi/open-steps --skill os-big-pictureWhat it can touch
From the files and frontmatter at commit 4fa744b. This is how much a skill can do, not whether it is risky.
Pattern check
Pattern check: 1 item to review · commit 4fa744b · 29 Oct 2026
We checked every text file in this skill, at commit 4fa744b on 29 Oct 2026, against 45 published patterns such as download-and-run commands, hidden text and credential access. We don't run the skill, we don't read the web pages it points to, and we can't judge everything its instructions might lead an agent to do. In published tests, pattern checks like this one missed most malicious skills. Read the skill before you install it — especially anything it asks you to download or run.
Format check
Each agent reads SKILL.md a little differently. We check the file against each one's published rules; we don't run the skill in any agent.
Agent Skills specPasses with warnings
The open format from agentskills.io, held to what the strictest agents enforce, so one folder loads everywhere.
- Warning
allowed-tools is a list; the spec defines a space-separated string. gh skill publish rejects a list, though Claude Code accepts one. O5
Fix: Write it on one line: allowed-tools: Read(~/.claude/open-steps/**) Edit(BIG-PICTURE.md) Bash(bash ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/scripts/census.sh *) Bash(git rev-parse --git-dir) Bash(gh repo view *) Bash(gh issue list *) Bash(gh issue create *)
- Note
The first sentence of the description is 355 characters. Agents shorten long descriptions, so lead with the main job. D8
Fix: Start with one short sentence that names the job.
- Note
There is no license field, so readers can't tell whether they may reuse the skill. O2
Fix: Add license: with an SPDX name such as MIT or Apache-2.0, or the name of a bundled licence file.
- Note
Reference files that SKILL.md doesn't link: references/01-quiet-is-not-dead.md (linked only from references/rationale.md) and references/rationale.md. Anthropic suggests linking every reference file directly from SKILL.md. B4
Fix: Link each one from SKILL.md and say when to read it.
- Note
Reference files over 100 lines with no table of contents at the top: references/rationale.md (132 lines). B5
Fix: Add a short list of the sections at the top of each.
- Warning
Claude CodePasses
Claude Code reads its own extra fields, ignores unknown ones, and still loads a skill whose frontmatter is broken, without its fields.
- Note
The first sentence of the description is 355 characters. Agents shorten long descriptions, so lead with the main job. D8
Fix: Start with one short sentence that names the job.
- Note
Reference files that SKILL.md doesn't link: references/01-quiet-is-not-dead.md (linked only from references/rationale.md) and references/rationale.md. Anthropic suggests linking every reference file directly from SKILL.md. B4
Fix: Link each one from SKILL.md and say when to read it.
- Note
Reference files over 100 lines with no table of contents at the top: references/rationale.md (132 lines). B5
Fix: Add a short list of the sections at the top of each.
- Note
Claude apps & API uploadPasses
Uploading to claude.ai or the Claude API, or packaging with Anthropic's script, accepts only the six spec fields and stops on anything else.
- Note
The description is 748 characters. The claude.ai Help Center says 200 at most, though Anthropic's API docs and validator allow 1,024. D4
Fix: If the claude.ai upload refuses it, trim the description to 200 characters.
- Note
allowed-tools is a list; the spec defines a space-separated string. O5
Fix: Write it on one line: allowed-tools: Read(~/.claude/open-steps/**) Edit(BIG-PICTURE.md) Bash(bash ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/scripts/census.sh *) Bash(git rev-parse --git-dir) Bash(gh repo view *) Bash(gh issue list *) Bash(gh issue create *)
- Note
Reference files that SKILL.md doesn't link: references/01-quiet-is-not-dead.md (linked only from references/rationale.md) and references/rationale.md. Anthropic suggests linking every reference file directly from SKILL.md. B4
Fix: Link each one from SKILL.md and say when to read it.
- Note
Reference files over 100 lines with no table of contents at the top: references/rationale.md (132 lines). B5
Fix: Add a short list of the sections at the top of each.
- Note
OpenAI (Codex & API)Passes
Codex finds SKILL.md by its exact name and needs a description; OpenAI's Skills API checks the frontmatter against the spec and caps uploads.
- Note
The first sentence of the description is 355 characters. Agents shorten long descriptions, so lead with the main job. D8
Fix: Start with one short sentence that names the job.
- Note
allowed-tools is a list; the spec defines a space-separated string. O5
Fix: Write it on one line: allowed-tools: Read(~/.claude/open-steps/**) Edit(BIG-PICTURE.md) Bash(bash ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/scripts/census.sh *) Bash(git rev-parse --git-dir) Bash(gh repo view *) Bash(gh issue list *) Bash(gh issue create *)
- Note
VS Code & CopilotPasses
VS Code reads skills one folder below .github/skills, .claude/skills or .agents/skills and falls back to the folder name when the name is missing or differs; GitHub's Copilot docs require the exact name SKILL.md.
- Note
allowed-tools is a list; the spec defines a space-separated string. O5
Fix: Write it on one line: allowed-tools: Read(~/.claude/open-steps/**) Edit(BIG-PICTURE.md) Bash(bash ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/scripts/census.sh *) Bash(git rev-parse --git-dir) Bash(gh repo view *) Bash(gh issue list *) Bash(gh issue create *)
- Note
SKILL.md
Files
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