bash-tools

name	bash-tools
description	Proper usage of Bash and file operation tools. Use this skill when executing shell commands, writing files, or when tempted to use echo/cat/heredoc to pipe content to files. Prevents permission circumvention patterns like piping multiline content through echo instead of using Write tool. Covers Bash tool, Write tool, Edit tool, and Read tool best practices.

Bash Tools

Guidelines for proper tool selection when executing commands or modifying files.

Core Principle

Use specialized file tools for file operations. Use Bash only for actual shell commands.

Never use Bash to circumvent file operation permissions. If Write tool is blocked, that's intentional - do not work around it with echo, cat, or heredocs.

Tool Selection Decision Tree

Need to create/overwrite a file?
├── YES → Use Write tool (NOT echo/cat/heredoc)
└── NO → Continue...

Need to edit part of a file?
├── YES → Use Edit tool (NOT sed/awk)
└── NO → Continue...

Need to read file contents?
├── YES → Use Read tool (NOT cat/head/tail)
└── NO → Continue...

Need to search file contents?
├── YES → Use Grep tool (NOT grep/rg in Bash)
└── NO → Continue...

Need to find files by pattern?
├── YES → Use Glob tool (NOT find/ls in Bash)
└── NO → Continue...

Is this an actual shell command? (git, npm, docker, make, etc.)
├── YES → Use Bash tool
└── NO → Reconsider - probably need a file tool

Prohibited Patterns

These patterns attempt to circumvent Write tool permissions and MUST NOT be used:

Pattern	Why It's Wrong	Correct Approach
echo "content" > file.py	Bypasses Write permissions	Use Write tool
cat << 'EOF' > file.py	Heredoc bypasses permissions	Use Write tool
printf '%s' "$content" > file	Same as echo bypass	Use Write tool
tee file.py <<< "content"	Redirect bypass	Use Write tool

See references/permission-patterns.md for comprehensive examples.

Tool References

• Write Tool - Creating and overwriting files
• Bash Tool - Running shell commands
• Edit Tool - Modifying existing files
• Read Tool - Reading file contents

When Write Tool is Blocked

If the Write tool is blocked for a file:

1. Accept the block - It exists for a reason
2. Ask the user if they want to allow the operation
3. Do NOT attempt to use Bash to write the file instead

The permission system protects the user. Circumventing it defeats its purpose.

Updating This Skill

When encountering new permission circumvention patterns or tool usage issues, see references/updating-skill.md.

Quick Reference

Task	Tool	NOT This
Create file	Write	echo > file
Edit file	Edit	sed -i
Read file	Read	cat file
Search content	Grep	grep pattern
Find files	Glob	find . -name
Git commands	Bash	-
npm/yarn	Bash	-
docker/make	Bash	-
Run tests	Bash	-