// Quick-reference card for all caveman modes, skills, and commands. One-shot display, not a persistent mode. Trigger: /caveman-help, "caveman help", "what caveman commands", "how do I use caveman".
Compress natural language memory files (CLAUDE.md, todos, preferences) into caveman format to save input tokens. Preserves all technical substance, code, URLs, and structure. Compressed version overwrites the original file. Human-readable backup saved as FILE.original.md. Trigger: /caveman-compress FILEPATH or "compress memory file"
Compress natural language memory files (CLAUDE.md, todos, preferences) into caveman format to save input tokens. Preserves all technical substance, code, URLs, and structure. Compressed version overwrites the original file. Human-readable backup saved as FILE.original.md. Trigger: /caveman-compress FILEPATH or "compress memory file"
Decision guide for delegating to caveman-style subagents. Tells the main thread WHEN to spawn `cavecrew-investigator` (locate code), `cavecrew-builder` (1-2 file edit), or `cavecrew-reviewer` (diff review) instead of doing the work inline or using vanilla `Explore`. Subagent output is caveman-compressed so the tool-result injected back into main context is ~60% smaller — main context lasts longer across long sessions. Trigger: "delegate to subagent", "use cavecrew", "spawn investigator/builder/reviewer", "save context", "compressed agent output".
Ultra-compressed commit message generator. Cuts noise from commit messages while preserving intent and reasoning. Conventional Commits format. Subject ≤50 chars, body only when "why" isn't obvious. Use when user says "write a commit", "commit message", "generate commit", "/commit", or invokes /caveman-commit. Auto-triggers when staging changes.
Ultra-compressed code review comments. Cuts noise from PR feedback while preserving the actionable signal. Each comment is one line: location, problem, fix. Use when user says "review this PR", "code review", "review the diff", "/review", or invokes /caveman-review. Auto-triggers when reviewing pull requests.
Ultra-compressed communication mode. Cuts token usage ~75% by speaking like caveman while keeping full technical accuracy. Supports intensity levels: lite, full (default), ultra, wenyan-lite, wenyan-full, wenyan-ultra. Use when user says "caveman mode", "talk like caveman", "use caveman", "less tokens", "be brief", or invokes /caveman. Also auto-triggers when token efficiency is requested.
| name | caveman-help |
| description | Quick-reference card for all caveman modes, skills, and commands. One-shot display, not a persistent mode. Trigger: /caveman-help, "caveman help", "what caveman commands", "how do I use caveman". |
Display this reference card when invoked. One-shot — do NOT change mode, write flag files, or persist anything. Output in caveman style.
| Mode | Trigger | What change |
|---|---|---|
| Lite | /caveman lite | Drop filler. Keep sentence structure. |
| Full | /caveman | Drop articles, filler, pleasantries, hedging. Fragments OK. Default. |
| Ultra | /caveman ultra | Extreme compression. Bare fragments. Tables over prose. |
| Wenyan-Lite | /caveman wenyan-lite | Classical Chinese style, light compression. |
| Wenyan-Full | /caveman wenyan | Full 文言文. Maximum classical terseness. |
| Wenyan-Ultra | /caveman wenyan-ultra | Extreme. Ancient scholar on a budget. |
Mode stick until changed or session end.
| Skill | Trigger | What it do |
|---|---|---|
| caveman-commit | /caveman-commit | Terse commit messages. Conventional Commits. ≤50 char subject. |
| caveman-review | /caveman-review | One-line PR comments: L42: bug: user null. Add guard. |
| caveman-compress | /caveman-compress <file> | Compress .md files to caveman prose. Saves ~46% input tokens. |
| caveman-help | /caveman-help | This card. |
Say "stop caveman" or "normal mode". Resume anytime with /caveman.
Default mode = full. Change it:
Environment variable (highest priority):
export CAVEMAN_DEFAULT_MODE=ultra
Config file (~/.config/caveman/config.json):
{ "defaultMode": "lite" }
Set "off" to disable auto-activation on session start. User can still activate manually with /caveman.
Resolution: env var > config file > full.
Full docs: https://github.com/JuliusBrussee/caveman