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The review-first prompt is selected by default. You can switch to a direct command or download a local copy.
Read SKILL.md and any companion files shown by SkillsMP before deciding whether to install.
Install with Codex or Claude Copy this prompt, paste it into Codex, Claude, or another assistant, and let it review the skill page and install it for you.
A direct command skips the review prompt. Inspect the source before running it.
npx skills add https://github.com/rajnandan1/ken --skill ken-helpThe command stays on one line. Scroll horizontally to inspect it before copying.
Prefer a local copy? Download the files currently available to SkillsMP.
Showing SKILL.md
| name | ken-help |
| description | Quick reference for ken modes, skills, and commands. One-shot display. |
| homepage | https://github.com/rajnandan1/ken |
| license | MIT |
Display this reference card when invoked. One-shot, do NOT change mode, write flag files, or persist anything.
| Level | Trigger | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Lite | /ken lite | Build what's asked, name the Thompson move (the rewrite, the brute-force cut) in one line. |
| Full | /ken | The loop enforced: think first → steal → bottom-up → brute force → try it → throw it out. Default. |
| Ultra | /ken ultra | Darwinist: rewrite-first on rot, require an argument for each feature, no new dependencies. |
Level sticks until changed or session end.
| Skill | Trigger | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| ken | /ken | Thompson mode itself. Think, steal, build bottom-up, brute force, rewrite. |
| ken-review | /ken-review | Method review: L42: rot: third patch on this unit. Rewrite, ~25 lines. |
| ken-audit | /ken-audit | Whole-repo method audit: ranked list of what to rewrite or remove. |
| ken-debt | /ken-debt | Harvest ken: ceiling comments into a tracked ledger. |
| ken-gain | /ken-gain | Measured-impact scoreboard from ken's own benchmark results. |
| ken-help | /ken-help | This card. |
Codex uses @ken, @ken-review, and @ken-help; Claude Code and OpenCode
use the slash-command forms above (OpenCode ships all six as slash commands).
Say "stop ken" or "normal mode". Resume anytime with /ken. /ken off also works.
Default mode = full, auto-active every session. Change it:
Environment variable (highest priority):
export KEN_DEFAULT_MODE=ultra
Config file (~/.config/ken/config.json, Windows: %APPDATA%\ken\config.json):
{ "defaultMode": "lite" }
Set "off" to disable auto-activation on session start. Use /ken to
activate it when wanted.
Resolution: env var > config file > full.
Enable auto-update once: open /plugin, go to Marketplaces, pick ken, Enable auto-update. Claude Code then pulls new versions at startup (run /reload-plugins when it prompts). Manual refresh: /plugin marketplace update ken then /reload-plugins.
If /plugin is not recognized, your Claude Code is out of date. Update it (npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code@latest, or brew upgrade claude-code) and restart. Other hosts use their own update flow.
Full docs + provenance for every rule: the ken repo's README.md and PROVENANCE.md.