core

name	core
description	Core Tinker CLI usage guide. Read this before running any tinker commands. Covers discovering installed plugins, opening and closing plugin windows, listing running plugins, launching and quitting the Tinker desktop app from the command line. Use when this skill is loaded for any user goal that might map to a Tinker plugin, or when the user asks to open a Tinker plugin, list plugins, check what is running, restart or close a plugin, launch or quit Tinker.
allowed-tools	Bash(tinker:*)

Tinker core

Tinker is a desktop toolbox. Each tool is a plugin. The tinker CLI talks to the running app over a local IPC socket. If Tinker is not running, the CLI auto-launches it and retries.

When this skill is in context, treat the user's request as potentially solvable by an installed plugin. Check the catalog before writing a one-off script.

For MCP tools → mcp skill. For window automation without MCP → ui skill.

Discover and open

Do not run bare tinker list for discovery — the full catalog is long and agent output often truncates.

tinker list --short              # short ids + names on one line
tinker list <plugin>…            # details for candidates (tags + description)
tinker open <plugin>
tinker ps
tinker close <plugin>            # when done

Skip discovery if the user already named the plugin. Names accept short form (json-editor) or full id (tinker-json-editor); the CLI normalizes to tinker-<name>.

Scoped npm plugins (e.g. @tencent/tinker-wxapkg) appear as ids like tencent-tinker-wxapkg. Use the full id from list (or the @scope/... package name) — short names such as wxapkg will not resolve.

Detail lines look like:

  tinker-json-editor JSON Editor [builtin] [mcp] - JSON editor with text and tree modes
  tinker-hash Hash [builtin] - Hash calculator

Tags: [builtin], [mcp] (programmatic tools — see mcp), [background] (Run in Background enabled; required for open --headless).

Plugin lifecycle

tinker open <plugin>                              # detached window
tinker open <plugin> --headless                   # no window (needs Run in Background)
tinker open <plugin> --inspect                    # per-plugin CDP (see **debug**)
tinker close <plugin>
tinker restart <plugin>                           # close then open (starts if needed)
tinker restart <plugin> --inspect
tinker launch                                     # start the Tinker app
tinker launch --remote-debugging-port 9222        # app-wide CDP (see **debug**)
tinker launch --http                              # HTTP remote viewer (see **debug**)
tinker quit

open / restart succeed even when the plugin was not running. close fails if it is not running.

--headless requires Run in Background (right-click the plugin → checkbox); otherwise open fails.

Prefer plugin --inspect over app-wide launch --remote-debugging-port for single-plugin debugging. If Tinker is already running, quit before relaunching with --http / --remote-debugging-port.

tinker ps                    # running plugins + renderer PIDs
tinker restart <plugin>      # stuck plugin

Plugin data

Backup, restore, or wipe a plugin's localStorage / IndexedDB. The plugin must be running. No dialogs; import overwrites; clear requires --yes.

tinker open json-editor
tinker data export json-editor ./backup.zip
tinker data import json-editor ./backup.zip
tinker data clear json-editor --yes

Prerequisites

• Tinker app installed; CLI ships with the app (tinker on macOS/Linux/Windows).
• Most commands need the main process. Connection errors usually mean Tinker is still starting — wait and retry.

Command reference

Command	Description
tinker list --short	Short ids and names on one line (no tinker- prefix)
tinker list <plugin>…	Details for one or more plugins
tinker list	Full catalog (avoid for agents; may truncate)
tinker ps	Running plugins with PIDs
tinker open <plugin>	Open plugin window
tinker open <plugin> --headless	Background open (no window)
tinker open <plugin> --inspect	Per-plugin CDP (see debug)
tinker close / restart <plugin>	Close or restart
tinker launch	Launch Tinker
tinker launch --remote-debugging-port / --http …	App-wide debug/viewer (see debug)
tinker quit	Quit Tinker
tinker ui <plugin> …	Automate plugin UI (see ui)
tinker data …	Export / import / clear plugin data

When to load another skill

• create — scaffold a standalone plugin
• mcp — tools / call / mcp
• ui — tinker ui snapshot/click/fill (no MCP)
• debug — --inspect, Chrome DevTools, agent-browser, --http

Troubleshooting

Failed to connect to Tinker — Start with tinker launch, then retry.

Plugin not found: tinker-... — tinker list --short, then tinker list <plugin>. External plugins use the global tinker- npm prefix.

Plugin is not running: tinker-... — tinker open <plugin> before close, call, ui, or data.

Plugin does not allow running in background — Enable Run in Background before --headless.

Connection timed out — Wait a few seconds after auto-launch and retry.

Working safely

CLI commands affect the user's live Tinker session and open windows on their desktop. Confirm the target with list --short / list <plugin> before opening or restarting.