Clawpm

Multi-project task and research management (JSON-first CLI)

Security Scan

The skill appears internally consistent with its description: it installs a CLI from a GitHub repo and its runtime instructions operate on local project directories and git repositories, which matches a project-management CLI.

Purpose & Capability

Name/description, required binary (clawpm), and instructions all align: this is a JSON-first CLI that operates on local projects and git repos. No unrelated credentials, binaries, or config paths are requested.

Instruction Scope

SKILL.md instructs the agent to create ~/clawpm/, .project/ directories, scan/walk parent directories for .project/settings.toml, read git status and recent commits, and auto-initialize untracked git repos under ~/clawpm/projects/ on first use. These actions are expected for a project/task manager, but they do modify local files and read repository state — users should be aware the tool will add metadata (.project/) and read repository contents.

Install Mechanism

Install spec fetches code via git+https from a GitHub repository (git+https://github.com/malphas-gh/clawpm) and provides a 'clawpm' binary. Using GitHub is a common pattern, but it does mean arbitrary code from that repo will be placed on disk and executed; users should review the repo or prefer a signed/released binary if they need higher assurance.

Credentials

No environment variables or external credentials are required. The instructions reference git and local filesystem state only, which is proportionate to the described functionality.

Persistence & Privilege

always:false and user-invocable:true. The skill does not request persistent platform privileges or modify other skills' configuration. Its side effects are limited to the user's filesystem (creating ~/clawpm and .project folders) which is reasonable for a CLI of this type.

Assessment

This skill is coherent for a local project/task CLI, but exercise the usual caution: review the upstream GitHub repository before installing (look for releases, recent commits, and issues), and be aware the tool will create ~/clawpm/ and .project/ directories and will read your git repositories (it can auto-initialize repos under ~/clawpm/projects/). If you need stronger isolation, install and run it in a sandbox or VM, or inspect the source code locally before running. Also confirm whether the tool will perform any automatic commits or remote operations in your workflow before giving it write access to repositories.

ClawPM Skill

Multi-project task management. All commands emit JSON by default; use -f text for human-readable output.

First-Time Setup

clawpm setup               # Creates ~/clawpm/ with portfolio.toml, projects/, work_log.jsonl
clawpm setup --check       # Verify installation

Creating Projects

Projects are directories with a .project/ folder. They don't need to be git repos.

Initialize in any directory

cd /path/to/my-project
clawpm project init                    # Auto-detects ID/name from directory
clawpm project init --id myproj        # Custom ID

From a git clone (auto-init)

Git repos under ~/clawpm/projects/ auto-initialize on first use:

git clone [e-mail]:user/repo.git ~/clawpm/projects/repo
cd ~/clawpm/projects/repo
clawpm add "First task"    # Auto-initializes .project/, then adds task

Discover untracked repos

clawpm projects list --all   # Shows tracked + untracked git repos

Quick Start

# From a project directory (auto-detected):
clawpm status              # See project status
clawpm next                # Get next task
clawpm start 42            # Start task (short ID works)
clawpm done 42             # Mark done

# Or set a project context:
clawpm use my-project
clawpm status              # Now uses my-project

Top-Level Commands (Shortcuts)

Command	Equivalent	Description
clawpm add "Title"	clawpm tasks add -t "Title"	Quick add a task
clawpm add "Title" -b "desc"	clawpm tasks add -t "Title" -b "desc"	Add with body
clawpm add "Title" --parent 25	-	Add subtask
clawpm done 42	clawpm tasks state 42 done	Mark task done
clawpm start 42	clawpm tasks state 42 progress	Start working
clawpm block 42	clawpm tasks state 42 blocked	Mark blocked
clawpm next	clawpm projects next	Get next task
clawpm status	-	Project overview
clawpm context	-	Full agent context
clawpm use <id>	-	Set project context

Project Auto-Detection

ClawPM automatically detects your project from (in priority order):

1. Subcommand flag: clawpm tasks list --project clawpm
2. Global flag: clawpm --project clawpm status
3. Current directory: Walks up looking for .project/settings.toml
4. Auto-init: If in untracked git repo under project_roots, auto-initializes
5. Context: Previously set with clawpm use <project>

Short Task IDs

You can use just the numeric part of a task ID:

• 42 → CLAWP-042 (prefix derived from project ID)
• CLAWP-042 → CLAWP-042 (full ID works too)

Subtasks

clawpm add "Subtask" --parent 25   # Creates subtask (auto-splits parent if needed)
clawpm tasks split 25              # Manually convert task to parent directory

clawpm done 25             # Fails if subtasks not done
clawpm done 25 --force     # Override and complete anyway

Subtasks move with parent on state change (done/blocked moves entire directory).

Agent Context (Resuming Work)

Get everything needed to resume work in one command:

clawpm context             # Full context for current project
clawpm context -p myproj   # Specific project

Returns JSON with: project info + spec, in-progress/next task, blockers, recent work log, git status, open issues.

Workflow Example

clawpm context             # Get full context
clawpm start 42            # Mark in progress (auto-logs)
# ... do work ...
git add . && git commit -m "feat: ..."
clawpm done 42 --note "Completed"       # Auto-logs with files_changed
clawpm log commit                        # Also log the git commits themselves

Hit a blocker:

clawpm block 42 --note "Need API credentials"

Full Command Reference

Projects

clawpm projects list [--all]            # List projects (--all includes untracked repos)
clawpm projects next                    # Next task across all projects
clawpm project context [project]        # Full project context
clawpm project init                     # Initialize project in current dir

Tasks

clawpm tasks                            # List tasks (default: open+progress+blocked)
clawpm tasks list [-s open|done|blocked|progress|all] [--flat]
clawpm tasks show <id>                  # Task details
clawpm tasks add -t "Title" [--priority 3] [--complexity m] [--parent <id>] [-b "body"]
clawpm tasks edit <id> [--title "..."] [--priority N] [--complexity s|m|l|xl] [--body "..."]
clawpm tasks state <id> open|progress|done|blocked [--note "..."] [--force]
clawpm tasks split <id>                 # Convert to parent directory for subtasks

Work Log

clawpm log add --task <id> --action progress --summary "What I did"
clawpm log tail [--limit 10]            # Recent entries (auto-filtered to current project)
clawpm log tail --all                   # Recent entries across all projects
clawpm log tail --follow                # Live tail (like tail -f)
clawpm log last                         # Most recent entry (auto-filtered to current project)
clawpm log last --all                   # Most recent entry across all projects
clawpm log commit [-n 10]               # Log recent git commits to work log
clawpm log commit --dry-run             # Preview without logging
clawpm log commit --task <id>           # Associate commits with a task

Note: State changes (start/done/block) auto-log to work_log with git files_changed.

Research

clawpm research list
clawpm research add --type investigation --title "Question"
clawpm research link --id <research_id> --session-key <key>

Issues

clawpm issues add --type bug --severity high --actual "What happened"
clawpm issues list [--open]             # Open issues only

Admin

clawpm setup               # Create portfolio (first-time)
clawpm setup --check       # Verify installation
clawpm status              # Project overview
clawpm context             # Full agent context
clawpm doctor              # Health check
clawpm use [project]       # Set/show project context
clawpm use --clear         # Clear context

Work Log Actions

• start - Started working (auto-logged on clawpm start)
• progress - Made progress
• done - Completed (auto-logged on clawpm done)
• blocked - Hit a blocker (auto-logged on clawpm block)
• commit - Git commit (logged via clawpm log commit)
• pause - Switching tasks
• research - Research note
• note - General observation

Task States & File Locations

State	File Pattern	Meaning
open	tasks/CLAWP-042.md	Ready to work
progress	tasks/CLAWP-042.progress.md	In progress
done	tasks/done/CLAWP-042.md	Completed
blocked	tasks/blocked/CLAWP-042.md	Waiting

Tips

• Flag order: clawpm [global flags] <command> [command flags] — e.g. clawpm -f text tasks list -s open
• JSON output: All commands emit JSON by default; use -f text for human-readable
• One command per call: Don't chain clawpm commands with && — run each separately
• Portfolio root: Default ~/clawpm
• Work log: Append-only at <portfolio>/work_log.jsonl

Troubleshooting

clawpm doctor              # Check for issues
clawpm setup --check       # Verify installation
clawpm log tail            # See recent activity