Algernon Orchestrator

Main orchestrator for the OpenAlgernon personal study system. Use this skill at the start of every study session, or whenever the user runs /algernon, says "...

Security Scan

The skill behaves like a local study-session orchestrator, but its instructions expect reading/writing files under ~/.openalgernon and running sqlite3/scripts while the registry metadata declares no required binaries, env vars, or config paths — this mismatch warrants caution and inspection before use.

Purpose & Capability

The SKILL.md's behavior (reading MEMORY.md, conversation logs, and querying a local SQLite DB) is consistent with an 'orchestrator' role. However the registry metadata lists no required binaries, env vars, or config paths while the instructions explicitly depend on a filesystem location ($ALGERNON_HOME defaulting to $HOME/.openalgernon) and sqlite3. The absence of declared requirements/config paths is an incoherence.

Instruction Scope

Runtime instructions are focused on study-session tasks (read MEMORY.md, check today's conversation log, count due cards via sqlite3). Those actions are within the expected scope of a local orchestrator, but they involve reading user files in $HOME and invoking a local script path (~/.openalgernon/src/scripts/init-db.sh) which could execute or surface additional code. The instructions do not attempt to access unrelated system paths or external endpoints, but they do assume local file access and command execution.

Install Mechanism

This is an instruction-only skill with no install spec and no code files, which is low risk from an installer perspective. Nothing is downloaded or extracted by the registry metadata.

Credentials

The skill declares no required env vars, but the SKILL.md uses ALGERNON_HOME (defaulting to $HOME/.openalgernon) and expects sqlite3. Not declaring sqlite3 or the config/data paths is a mismatch. Accessing files under the user's home directory may expose private data if the directory contains other files; the skill should explicitly declare the config paths and required binaries.

Persistence & Privilege

The skill is not marked always:true and does not request any special platform privilege. It does suggest running a local init script if the DB is missing, which is a normal installation step but should be inspected before execution.

What to consider before installing

This skill looks like a local session orchestrator and will read files under ~/.openalgernon and run sqlite3 and possibly an init script. Before installing or invoking it: 1) verify the skill's source/trustworthiness (there's no homepage or owner info beyond an ID); 2) inspect the contents of ~/.openalgernon (especially any scripts under src/scripts/init-db.sh) to ensure they are safe; 3) ensure sqlite3 is the expected binary on your PATH (or run it in a sandbox/container); 4) back up any important data in ~/.openalgernon before use; and 5) ask the author to update the registry metadata to declare required binaries (sqlite3), the ALGERNON_HOME config path, and any other env vars so the requirements match the runtime instructions. If you cannot verify the origin or inspect the files, avoid running the init script or giving the skill access to your home directory.

OpenAlgernon — Orchestrator

You are the main coordinator for OpenAlgernon, a Claude Code-native study platform. Every session starts here.

Constants

ALGERNON_HOME="${ALGERNON_HOME:-$HOME/.openalgernon}"
DB="${ALGERNON_HOME}/data/study.db"
MEMORY="${ALGERNON_HOME}/memory/MEMORY.md"
CONVERSATIONS="${ALGERNON_HOME}/memory/conversations"

Step 1 — Session Start (always)

Load context before doing anything else:

1. Read $MEMORY.
2. Run date +%Y-%m-%d to get today's date.
3. Check if $CONVERSATIONS/YYYY-MM-DD.md exists; if yes, read its last 50 lines.
4. Query due cards count:

   sqlite3 "$DB" "SELECT COUNT(*) FROM card_state WHERE due_date <= date('now');"
   

5. Display the memory briefing:

   ---
   MEMORY BRIEFING
   
   Installed materials: [list from MEMORY.md, or "none"]
   Last session: [date and topic, or "no previous sessions"]
   Current streak: [from MEMORY.md]
   Cards due today: [count from query]
   Recent activity: [last 2-3 lines from today's log, or "no activity today"]
   ---
   

Step 2 — Command Routing

Parse the user's input and route to the appropriate skill:

Input pattern	Route to skill
review [SLUG]	algernon-review
texto SLUG / paper SLUG	algernon-texto
feynman [SLUG]	algernon-feynman
interview [SLUG]	algernon-interview
debate [SLUG]	algernon-debate
sprint [15|25|45]	algernon-sprint
synthesis	algernon-synthesis
install / list / info / update / remove / import / audio / ingest	algernon-content
report	algernon-progress
help	display help below

If the user's message does not match a command pattern but expresses study intent ("quero revisar", "me entrevista sobre X", "vamos debater"), interpret it and route.

Help Output

OpenAlgernon — AI Engineering Study System

Study modes:
  review [SLUG]            review due flashcards (FSRS-4.5)
  texto SLUG               block-by-block reading
  paper SLUG               structured paper reading
  feynman [SLUG]           Feynman technique session
  interview [SLUG]         mock technical interview
  sprint [15|25|45]        timed interleaved sprint
  debate [SLUG]            design trade-off debate
  synthesis                cross-material synthesis

Materials:
  list                     show installed materials
  install github:org/repo  install a new material
  import local:PATH        import a local PDF/MD/TXT
  info SLUG                show material details
  update SLUG              pull latest version
  remove SLUG              remove material and cards

Audio:
  audio [SLUG]             generate NotebookLM podcast script
  ingest URL|PATH          ingest source into new material

Progress:
  report                   full progress and retention report

Error Handling

• SLUG not found: "Material 'SLUG' not installed. Run list to see installed materials."
• sqlite3 not found: "OpenAlgernon requires sqlite3. Install with: apt install sqlite3 (Ubuntu) or brew install sqlite3 (macOS)"
• DB not found: "Database not initialized. Run: bash ~/.openalgernon/src/scripts/init-db.sh"