managing-dagger

name	managing-dagger
description	Use when working with Dagger — dagger CI/CD pipeline management. Covers pipeline-as-code configuration, module management, function execution, caching layers, container builds, and pipeline debugging. Use when managing Dagger pipelines, debugging function execution, inspecting modules, or optimizing container-based CI workflows.
connection_type	dagger
preload	false

Dagger CI/CD Pipeline Management Skill

Manage and analyze Dagger pipelines, modules, and container-based CI/CD workflows.

MANDATORY: Discovery-First Pattern

Always check current Dagger configuration and module structure before modifying pipelines.

Phase 1: Discovery

#!/bin/bash

echo "=== Dagger Configuration ==="
cat dagger.json 2>/dev/null || echo "No dagger.json found"

echo ""
echo "=== Dagger Module Structure ==="
ls -la dagger/ 2>/dev/null || ls -la .dagger/ 2>/dev/null
find . -name "dagger.json" -not -path "*/node_modules/*" 2>/dev/null | head -10

echo ""
echo "=== Dagger Version ==="
dagger version 2>/dev/null

echo ""
echo "=== Available Functions ==="
dagger functions 2>/dev/null | head -20

Phase 2: Analysis

#!/bin/bash

echo "=== Module Dependencies ==="
cat dagger.json 2>/dev/null | jq '{
  name: .name,
  sdk: .sdk,
  dependencies: .dependencies
}' 2>/dev/null

echo ""
echo "=== Pipeline Functions ==="
dagger functions --json 2>/dev/null | jq '[.[] | {
  name: .name,
  description: .description,
  args: [.args[]? | .name]
}]' 2>/dev/null | head -30

Output Rules

• TOKEN EFFICIENCY: Target <=50 lines per output
• List available functions with their arguments
• Summarize module dependency trees
• Report pipeline execution status concisely

Common Operations

Execute Pipeline Function

#!/bin/bash
FUNC="${1:?Function name required}"
echo "=== Running $FUNC ==="
dagger call "$FUNC" 2>&1 | tail -20

Module Inspection

#!/bin/bash
echo "=== Installed Modules ==="
dagger mod list 2>/dev/null | head -15

echo ""
echo "=== Module Source ==="
find . -path "*/dagger/*.go" -o -path "*/dagger/*.ts" -o -path "*/dagger/*.py" 2>/dev/null | head -10

Safety Rules

• Test pipeline changes locally with dagger call before pushing to CI
• Never expose secrets in function arguments -- use Dagger secret references
• Review container images used in pipelines for vulnerability exposure
• Cache layers carefully -- stale caches can cause non-reproducible builds

Output Format

Present results as a structured report:

Managing Dagger Report
══════════════════════
Resources discovered: [count]

Resource       Status    Key Metric    Issues
──────────────────────────────────────────────
[name]         [ok/warn] [value]       [findings]

Summary: [total] resources | [ok] healthy | [warn] warnings | [crit] critical
Action Items: [list of prioritized findings]

Target ≤50 lines of output. Use tables for multi-resource comparisons.

Anti-Hallucination Rules

1. NEVER assume resource names — always discover via CLI/API in Phase 1 before referencing in Phase 2.
2. NEVER fabricate metric names or dimensions — verify against the service documentation or --help output.
3. NEVER mix CLI commands between service versions — confirm which version/API you are targeting.
4. ALWAYS use the discovery → verify → analyze chain — every resource referenced must have been discovered first.
5. ALWAYS handle empty results gracefully — an empty response is valid data, not an error to retry.

Counter-Rationalizations

Shortcut	Counter	Why
"I'll skip discovery and check known resources"	Always run Phase 1 discovery first	Resource names change, new resources appear — assumed names cause errors
"The user only asked for a quick check"	Follow the full discovery → analysis flow	Quick checks miss critical issues; structured analysis catches silent failures
"Default configuration is probably fine"	Audit configuration explicitly	Defaults often leave logging, security, and optimization features disabled
"Metrics aren't needed for this"	Always check relevant metrics when available	API/CLI responses show current state; metrics reveal trends and intermittent issues
"I don't have access to that"	Try the command and report the actual error	Assumed permission failures prevent useful investigation; actual errors are informative