Walk an adopter through promoting a local
`.apache-magpie-overrides/<skill>.md` file into a PR
against `apache/magpie`. After the PR merges and
the adopter runs `/magpie-setup upgrade`, the override file
is no longer needed and the skill prompts for its removal.
Walk an adopter through promoting a local
`.apache-magpie-overrides/<skill>.md` file into a PR
against `apache/magpie`. After the PR merges and
the adopter runs `/magpie-setup upgrade`, the override file
is no longer needed and the skill prompts for its removal.
when_to_use
Invoke when the user says "upstream my override", "promote
this override to the framework", "convert my local
modification into a magpie feature", "make this override
a framework feature", "open a PR to apache-magpie for
this override", or similar — typically after running the
override locally for a while and deciding the change is
worth contributing back.
argument-hint
[skill-name]
capability
capability:platform
license
Apache-2.0
setup-override-upstream
This skill is the path from local override to framework
feature. It takes a single
.apache-magpie-overrides/<skill>.md file in an adopter
repo, walks the user through deciding whether the change is
worth upstreaming, designs the framework-level abstraction,
implements it in apache/magpie, and opens a PR.
The override mechanism (per
docs/setup/agentic-overrides.md)
is deliberately agentic and adopter-local: there's no
schema, no anchors, no patch tool. That makes overrides
quick to write but hard to share — every adopter who wants
the same behaviour writes their own. Upstreaming is the
escape hatch: when an override stops being project-specific
and starts looking like a missing feature, the right move
is a PR that bakes the change into the framework's default,
making every adopter benefit on their next
/magpie-setup upgrade.
Hard rule: agents NEVER modify the snapshot under
<adopter-repo>/.apache-magpie/. Local modifications go in
the override file. Framework changes go via PR to
apache/magpie.
Snapshot drift
Also at the top of every run, this skill compares the
gitignored .apache-magpie.local.lock (per-machine
fetch) against the committed .apache-magpie.lock (the
project pin). On mismatch the skill surfaces the gap and
proposes
/magpie-setup upgrade.
The proposal is non-blocking — the user may defer if
they want to run with the local snapshot for now. See
docs/setup/install-recipes.md § Subsequent runs and drift detection
for the full flow.
Drift severity:
method or URL differ → ✗ full re-install needed.
ref differs (project bumped tag, or git-branch
local is behind upstream tip) → ⚠ sync needed.
svn-zip SHA-512 mismatches the committed
anchor → ✗ security-flagged; investigate before
upgrading.
Doubly important here: the skill is about to design
a framework-level abstraction by reading the snapshot's
framework skill. If the snapshot is stale, the
abstraction may be designed against a version that has
already changed upstream. Address drift before
proceeding.
Golden rules
Golden rule 1 — not every override should be upstreamed.
Many overrides encode genuinely project-specific choices:
the wording of a canned response, the project's scope-label
taxonomy, milestone-format regex, a tone-of-voice
preference. These should stay in the adopter repo. The
skill explicitly walks through this decision and stops
early if the change is not generalisable.
Golden rule 2 — write to <framework-clone>, never to
the snapshot. The framework PR is implemented in the
user's local apache-magpie clone (a separate working
directory from the adopter's .apache-magpie/ snapshot,
which is gitignored and read-only). If the user does not
have a clone yet, the skill helps them set one up.
Golden rule 3 — assistant proposes, user fires. Per the
framework convention (see
AGENTS.md), every state-changing
action — clone, branch, commit, push, gh pr create — is
proposed by the skill and only happens on explicit user
confirmation. Public PR content is shown to the user before
it is posted.
Golden rule 4 — decouple PR from override deletion.
Opening the framework PR is one step; deleting the now-
redundant override file in the adopter repo is a separate
step that happens AFTER the PR has merged AND the adopter
has run /magpie-setup upgrade to pick up the framework
change. The skill ends with a clear pointer at the
post-merge cleanup; it does not delete the override
preemptively.
Walk-through
Step 0 — Pre-flight
We are in an adopter repo (has
<adopter-repo>/.apache-magpie.lock and
<adopter-repo>/.apache-magpie-overrides/). If not,
stop — the skill is for adopters with at least one
override file.
The snapshot is current (no drift per the section
above). If drift exists, propose
/magpie-setup upgrade first.
Identify <framework-clone> — the user's local clone
of apache/magpie. Common locations:
~/code/magpie/, ~/work/magpie/.
If not found, surface and ask the user where it is, or
help them clone it (git clone git@github.com:apache/magpie.git). The clone
is separate from <adopter-repo>/.apache-magpie/
(the snapshot).
Step 1 — Pick the override
List <adopter-repo>/.apache-magpie-overrides/*.md
(excluding the directory's own README.md). For each,
print the file name + first headline.
Zero overrides → stop. There is nothing to upstream.
One override → auto-pick.
Multiple → ask the user which one to upstream this
run. The skill handles one override per invocation
(clean PR, clean review).
Step 2 — Read the override + framework skill
Read the chosen override file. Surface to the user:
Title + the override headlines (### Override N — ...)
The "why" paragraph if the file has one
Then read the framework skill it modifies, from the
snapshot at
<adopter-repo>/.apache-magpie/skills/<framework-skill>/.
Surface:
The skill's purpose (frontmatter description)
The specific section(s) the override modifies (steps,
decision-table rows, golden rules)
Any cross-skill references the override depends on
Goal: both the user and the agent should now have a clear
mental model of what the change is and where it
applies.
Step 3 — Decide if upstreamable
Walk through with the user. Common categories:
Project-specific (canned-response wording, scope
labels, milestone formats, tooling assumptions
particular to this project) → stop here. Suggest the
override stay local. Generalising would require the
framework to either include the adopter's specifics
(defeats project-agnosticism) or expose a config knob
that no other adopter would set the same way (bloats the
contract).
Missing feature (the override does something useful
that any adopter might want) → continue. The
framework should learn this behaviour by default, or
expose it as an opt-in.
Better default (the override changes a default the
framework currently picks; if a majority of adopters
would prefer the override's default, the framework
should adopt it) → continue. The PR may also keep
the old behaviour reachable via a flag.
Refactor a step (the framework's step is
awkward / redundant / has an edge case) → continue.
The PR fixes the step itself.
If the user is unsure, lean toward stop — keep the
override local until a second adopter wants the same thing.
Step 4 — Design the framework-level abstraction
Once the user confirms the change is upstreamable, design
the framework-side change. Pick one of:
Shape
When
Add a config knob in <project-config>/
The change is opt-in per-adopter; default behaviour is unchanged.
Change a default
The new behaviour is better for the majority; the framework's existing default becomes a <project-config>/ opt-out.
Add an optional step
The change is an additional step (not a substitute for an existing one).
Refactor existing step
The change rewrites how an existing step works. No new config; the new behaviour is universal.
Surface the proposal to the user. Iterate. The output of
this step is a concrete plan: which framework files to
modify, what to add / remove / change, what tests or
verification the framework already has that may need
updating.
Apply the changes the design step decided on. Read the
surrounding framework code first (the framework's
AGENTS.md, the relevant supporting files of the
modified skill) to match conventions.
Run framework pre-commit:
prek run --all-files. Fix anything that fires.
Show the user the diff (git diff). Get explicit
confirmation before committing.
Commit with a message matching the framework's
conventions (Conventional-Commits prefix:
feat(skills): ... for new framework behaviour,
refactor(skills): ... for restructure, etc.). End the
message with a Generated-by: <agent> (<model>) trailer,
where <agent> and <model> are the actual agent and
model you are running as (e.g. Claude (Opus 4.8),
OpenCode (Big Pickle)) — do not hardcode either, per
the framework's no-coauthored-by hook.
Step 6 — Open the PR
git push -u <fork-remote> feat/<branch>. If no fork
remote is configured, surface and help the user add one
(git remote add fork <user>/magpie.git).
Draft the PR title + body. Include:
Summary — what the change is, in 1–3 bullets.
Motivation — link to the originating override
file in the adopter repo (the user's project), with
enough context that the framework reviewer
understands the use case without reading the full
override.
Migration path for existing adopters — if the
change introduces a new config knob, explain the
default; if it changes a default, explain how
adopters opt out.
Test plan — what the user verified locally.
Confirm with the user before posting. Show the
exact title + body. Wait for "OK to post" / "yes" /
"send" / similar before running gh pr create.
Pick the labels. Every framework PR carries at least one
family:* and one capability:* label per
docs/labels-and-capabilities.md.
The override is upstreaming a change to skill <skill>, so:
family:* — follow the skill's family
(family:pr-management for pr-management-*, family:security
for security-*, family:setup for setup-*, family:issue
for issue-*, etc.).
Framework PR opened: <PR URL>
Next steps once it merges:
1. /magpie-setup upgrade (in <adopter-repo>)
- Bumps the snapshot to the new framework version.
- .apache-magpie.lock will reflect the new pin.
2. Delete .apache-magpie-overrides/<skill>.md in <adopter-repo>
- The override is now redundant; the framework does
what the override used to do.
3. Commit the deletion + the bumped lock together.
The skill does not delete the override file itself —
that happens after the PR merges, and the skill cannot
predict when (or if) the framework reviewers accept the
PR. Deletion is the user's manual cleanup once the PR
lands.
Output to the user (skill end)
✓ Override picked: .apache-magpie-overrides/<skill>.md
✓ Framework skill: <framework-skill>
✓ Decision: upstreamable as <shape from Step 4>
✓ Framework clone: <framework-clone>
✓ Branch: feat/<short-description>
✓ Commits: <count>
✓ PR opened: <PR URL>
Next: wait for the PR to merge, then in <adopter-repo>:
/magpie-setup upgrade
rm .apache-magpie-overrides/<skill>.md
git add -A && git commit -m "Remove override <skill>: upstreamed in apache/magpie#<N>"
Failure modes
Symptom
Likely cause
Remediation
<adopter-repo> has no .apache-magpie-overrides/
not adopted, or adopted without the overrides scaffold
run /magpie-setup adopt (idempotent)
Step 1 finds zero overrides
nothing to upstream — adopter has no local modifications recorded
stop
<framework-clone> not found
user has not cloned apache/magpie yet
help them clone, then resume
Framework pre-commit fails after the implementation
the change does not match framework conventions
iterate with the user, re-run pre-commit, do not bypass with --no-verify
User decides mid-flow that the override is project-specific after all
wrong call in Step 3
stop without opening a PR; the override file in the adopter repo is unchanged, no harm done
What this skill is NOT for
Not for applying an override at run-time — that is the
per-skill pre-flight protocol documented in
docs/setup/agentic-overrides.md.
Not for upgrading the snapshot — that is
/magpie-setup upgrade.
Run that BEFORE this skill if drift exists.
Not for arbitrary framework PRs unrelated to overrides.
This skill is specifically the override → PR flow. Other
framework contributions (new skill, new tool, refactor)
go through the framework's normal PR workflow.
