| name | cli-tools-overview |
| description | Router for CLI tooling skills — install checklist, safe patterns, search, git, MCP. Start here for agent command-line workflows. |
CLI tools overview
For which search tool to use, see search-tool-selection.
Purpose
Index of CLI tooling skills and shared references for coding agents on Windows, WSL2, and macOS.
When to Use
- Starting work in an unfamiliar repo
- Choosing which specialized CLI skill to load
- Provisioning a human workstation (via install-checklist)
Required Tools
Varies by topic skill; core: git, rg, fd, jq.
Install tiers
Install in order — see install-tiers.md:
- Tier 0:
git, rg, fd, jq, node
- Block A: canonical block in install-blocks.md
- Block B: child-skill extensions (
yq, just, mise, …)
- Deferred: optional tools per skill (
fzf, semgrep, Unity, …)
Agent environment
After installing CLI tools, restart Cursor and verify PATH — see agent-environment.md.
Install
Install blocks are shared — See install-blocks.md.
Windows PowerShell
Use winget blocks from the reference when provisioning a new machine.
WSL2 Ubuntu
Use apt/curl blocks from the reference; symlink fdfind → fd if needed.
macOS
Use Homebrew blocks from the reference.
Common Commands
tree -L 2 -I 'node_modules|dist|build'
rg --files | head -20
git status --short
Benchmark/watch helpers (human): hyperfine, entr, watchexec — use for perf comparisons, not in agent loops.
Agent-Safe Patterns
- Load
safe-command-patterns before destructive or broad commands.
- Load
search-tool-selection before repo-wide search.
- See bounded-output-patterns.md.
Shared references
See also
| Skill | Topic |
|---|
| search-tool-selection | fd vs rg vs ast-grep vs fff MCP |
| safe-command-patterns | Bounded output, git hygiene |
| install-checklist | Human provisioning |
| search-and-navigation | rg, fd, bat, tree |
| structural-code-search | ast-grep, semgrep |
| git-and-diff-workflows | git, gh |
| data-config-tools | jq, yq, curl |
| task-env-package-tools | just, uv, docker, project gates |
| unity-tests | Unity 6000.5.1f1 batch validation, EditMode/PlayMode |
| lint-format-security | ruff, eslint, trivy |
| mcp-code-intelligence | MCP tiers |
| windows-agent-tooling | Native Windows |
| wsl2-agent-tooling | WSL2 workflows |
Commands Requiring Confirmation
See commands-requiring-confirmation.md.
Troubleshooting
See topic skill for tool-specific failures.
Windows Notes
- Prefer
rg and fd from winget; PowerShell aliases may shadow Unix names — use full binary names if commands fail.
- See windows-wsl-split.md.
WSL2 Notes
- Use Linux packages in WSL; avoid calling Windows binaries for repo work when Linux equivalents exist.
- See windows-wsl-split.md.
Verification Checklist