process-manager-skill

name	process-manager-skill
description	Start, stop, and manage long-running processes with full system PATH. Use for npm, python, node, dev servers, watchers, build tools. Destructive file commands blocked.
allowed-tools	process_manager
metadata	{"author":"opencompany","version":"3.0","category":"execution"}

Process Manager Tool

Manage long-running processes with full system PATH access. Use this for anything that needs npm, python, node, or runs as a persistent server/watcher.

Security

The process manager blocks destructive file commands to prevent accidental deletion outside the agent's workspace. Use shell_execute for file operations instead (sandboxed, no PATH, confined to workspace).

Blocked commands: rm, rmdir, del, rd, Remove-Item, format, mkfs, dd, shred, chmod 777

Allowed: npm, python, node, pip, cargo, go, servers, build tools, installers

Operations

start

Launch a process. Output streams to the Terminal tab and is saved to log files.

{"operation": "start", "name": "dev-server", "command": "python -m http.server 8080"}

stop

Kill a process and its entire process tree.

{"operation": "stop", "name": "dev-server"}

restart

Stop then re-launch with the same command.

{"operation": "restart", "name": "dev-server"}

list

Show all running processes for this workflow.

{"operation": "list"}

get_output

Read output from a process's log file. Use tail to get last N lines, stream to choose stdout or stderr.

{"operation": "get_output", "name": "dev-server", "stream": "stdout", "tail": 20}

Returns {"lines": [...], "total": 150, "file": "/path/to/stdout.log"}.

send_input

Write text to a process's stdin (newline appended automatically).

{"operation": "send_input", "name": "dev-server", "text": "quit"}

Shell vs Process Manager

Need	Tool	Why
ls, cat, find, grep	shell_execute	Sandboxed, fast, no PATH
rm, mv, cp, file ops	shell_execute	Sandboxed, confined to workspace
npm install, pip install	process_manager	Needs PATH
python script.py	process_manager	Needs PATH
npm run dev, flask run	process_manager	Long-running, streams output
Dev servers, watchers	process_manager	Persistent, log files

Output Log Files

Each process writes to its own log files in the agent's workspace:

{workspace}/{agent_node_id}/.processes/{process_name}/
  stdout.log    # Standard output
  stderr.log    # Error output

Use get_output to read them selectively. The agent can also read these files directly with the file_read tool.

OS-Specific Commands

Commands differ by platform. Refer to:

• bash-skill -- Linux/macOS (apt, brew, lsof, kill, curl)
• powershell-skill -- Windows (Get-Process, Stop-Process, Invoke-WebRequest)
• wsl-skill -- Running Linux tools on Windows (prefix with wsl)

Detect the OS first:

{"operation": "start", "name": "os", "command": "python -c \"import platform; print(platform.system())\""}

Returns Windows, Linux, or Darwin (macOS).

Guidelines

• Always give processes a meaningful name so you can stop/check them later
• Use get_output after starting to verify the process launched correctly
• Use stop to clean up processes when done -- don't leave servers running
• Do NOT use process_manager for file deletion -- use shell_execute instead
• Processes are automatically killed when the server shuts down
• Max concurrent processes: configurable in Settings (default: 10)
• Output streams to the Terminal tab in real-time