nginx-explorer

Explore nginx-proxied directories to discover tools and utilities. Use when: user asks to explore available tools, find utilities for specific tasks, or when OpenClaw needs to discover executable projects in a directory structure served by nginx. Configuration requires nginx URL. Each directory contains README.md explaining contents and execution instructions.

Nginx Explorer Skill

Explore directories served by nginx to discover tools, utilities, and executable projects. Each main directory contains a README.md file that explains what's available and how to use it.

Configuration

This skill requires one environment variable:

• NGINX_URL: The base URL of the nginx server (e.g., http://192.168.1.100:8080 or http://internal-tools.local)

Optional environment variable:

• NGINX_SKIP_SSL_VERIFY: Set to true to skip SSL certificate verification (useful for internal networks with self-signed certificates). Default is true.

Configure in ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json:

json5

{
  skills: {
    entries: {
      "nginx-explorer": {
        enabled: true,
        env: {
          NGINX_URL: "http://your-nginx-server:port",
          NGINX_SKIP_SSL_VERIFY: "true"  // Optional: skip SSL verification for internal networks
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

When to Use

✅ USE this skill when:

• User asks "what tools are available?" or "explore the nginx directory"
• OpenClaw needs to find utilities for specific tasks
• User wants to discover executable projects in the nginx-proxied structure
• When conventional approaches fail and exploring available tools might help

❌ DON'T use this skill when:

• Direct file access is available (use normal file operations instead)
• The nginx URL is not configured
• Simple file downloads are needed (use curl/wget directly)

Configuration

The skill requires one configuration item:

• NGINX_URL: The base URL of the nginx server (e.g., http://192.168.1.100:8080 or http://internal-tools.local)

How It Works

1. Directory Discovery: Fetches the nginx directory listing (HTML)
2. README Reading: For each directory, reads the README.md file to understand contents
3. Tool Identification: Identifies executable projects and their usage instructions
4. Download & Execution: Can download tools locally and run them as needed

Basic Usage

1. Configure the nginx URL

First, set the nginx URL in your environment or workspace:

bash

# Set as environment variable
export NGINX_URL="http://192.168.1.100:8080"

# Or store in workspace config
echo '{"nginx_url": "http://192.168.1.100:8080"}' > /home/node/.openclaw/workspace/nginx-config.json

2. Explore the Directory Structure

bash

# Fetch directory listing
curl -s "$NGINX_URL/" | grep -o 'href="[^"]*"' | grep -v '^href="\.' | cut -d'"' -f2

3. Read README Files

For each discovered directory:

bash

# Check if README.md exists
curl -s -I "$NGINX_URL/tool-directory/README.md" | head -1 | grep "200"

# Read the README
curl -s "$NGINX_URL/tool-directory/README.md"

4. Download and Execute Tools

When a useful tool is found:

bash

# Download the tool (assuming it's a script or archive)
curl -o /tmp/tool.sh "$NGINX_URL/tool-directory/tool.sh"

# Make executable if needed
chmod +x /tmp/tool.sh

# Run according to README instructions
/tmp/tool.sh --help

Workflow Examples

Example 1: Discovering Available Tools

bash

#!/bin/bash
NGINX_URL="http://192.168.1.100:8080"

# Get all directories
echo "Exploring $NGINX_URL..."
DIRS=$(curl -s "$NGINX_URL/" | grep -o 'href="[^"]*/"' | grep -v '^href="\.' | cut -d'"' -f2 | sed 's|/$||')

for dir in $DIRS; do
    echo "=== $dir ==="
    # Try to read README
    README=$(curl -s "$NGINX_URL/$dir/README.md" 2>/dev/null)
    if [ -n "$README" ]; then
        echo "$README" | head -5
    else
        echo "No README found"
    fi
    echo
done

Example 2: Finding a Specific Type of Tool

bash

#!/bin/bash
NGINX_URL="http://192.168.1.100:8080"

# Search for tools related to "data processing"
echo "Searching for data processing tools..."
DIRS=$(curl -s "$NGINX_URL/" | grep -o 'href="[^"]*/"' | grep -v '^href="\.' | cut -d'"' -f2 | sed 's|/$||')

for dir in $DIRS; do
    README=$(curl -s "$NGINX_URL/$dir/README.md" 2>/dev/null)
    if echo "$README" | grep -qi "data.*process\|csv\|json\|transform"; then
        echo "Found in $dir:"
        echo "$README" | grep -i "data.*process\|csv\|json\|transform" | head -3
        echo "---"
    fi
done

Example 3: Downloading and Running a Tool

bash

#!/bin/bash
NGINX_URL="http://192.168.1.100:8080"
TOOL_DIR="data-processor"

# Read instructions
README=$(curl -s "$NGINX_URL/$TOOL_DIR/README.md")
echo "Tool instructions:"
echo "$README"

# Download main script
curl -o /tmp/processor.py "$NGINX_URL/$TOOL_DIR/processor.py"

# Download dependencies if mentioned
if echo "$README" | grep -q "requirements.txt"; then
    curl -o /tmp/requirements.txt "$NGINX_URL/$TOOL_DIR/requirements.txt"
    pip install -r /tmp/requirements.txt
fi

# Run the tool
python /tmp/processor.py --help

Integration with OpenClaw Decision Making

This skill is designed to be used when OpenClaw encounters difficult problems. The workflow:

1. Problem Assessment: Determine if conventional approaches are failing
2. Tool Exploration: Use this skill to explore available utilities
3. Tool Selection: Identify tools that might help with the specific problem
4. Tool Application: Download and use the selected tool

Decision Flow

text

User Request → Can OpenClaw solve it directly? → Yes → Solve directly
                               ↓
                               No
                               ↓
                    Explore nginx directory
                               ↓
                    Read README files
                               ↓
              Find relevant tools/utilities
                               ↓
            Download and apply tool to problem

Error Handling

• Connection Issues: Check if nginx URL is correct and accessible
• Missing README: Some directories may not have README.md files
• Broken Links: Verify tool files exist before downloading
• Execution Failures: Check dependencies and permissions

Best Practices

1. Cache Discoveries: Store directory listings to avoid repeated requests
2. Validate Tools: Test tools in isolated environment before use
3. Clean Up: Remove downloaded files after use
4. Document Findings: Update workspace notes with useful tools discovered

Example README Structure

Tools in the nginx directory should follow this README format:

markdown

# Tool Name

## Purpose
Brief description of what this tool does.

## Usage
```bash
./tool.sh [options]

Dependencies

• Python 3.8+
• Required packages: requests, pandas

Examples

bash

# Basic usage
./tool.sh --input data.csv --output results.json

# Advanced usage
./tool.sh --config config.yaml --verbose

Notes

Any additional information or warnings.

text

## Security Considerations

- Only download from trusted nginx servers
- Validate scripts before execution
- Run in sandboxed environment when possible
- Check for malicious code in downloaded files