| name | ubuntu-encyclopedia |
| description | Ubuntu documentation-first workflow for Ubuntu-specific questions, maintenance, updates, upgrades, package management, system administration, service troubleshooting, networking, storage, logs, release behavior, and diagnostics. Use when the request materially depends on Ubuntu or Ubuntu-specific tooling/behavior such as Ubuntu release behavior, `apt`/`apt-get`/`dpkg`/`snap`, `systemd`/`systemctl`/`journalctl`, Netplan, NetworkManager, package repair, repository/key issues, service failures, boot issues, mounts/`fstab`, permissions, users/groups, or non-trivial Ubuntu maintenance/troubleshooting. Do not use for generic shell, git, Python, Docker, or Linux questions unless Ubuntu-specific semantics matter. |
| metadata | {"openclaw":{"emoji":"🟠","homepage":"https://manpages.ubuntu.com/manpages/","os":["linux"]}} |
Ubuntu Encyclopedia
Overview
Use a docs-first workflow for Ubuntu-specific work. Prefer Ubuntu manpages at https://manpages.ubuntu.com/manpages/ for command and utility behavior, use official Ubuntu documentation when the task is broader than a manpage, consult cached local copies under .Ubuntu-Encyclopedia/ before re-fetching, and record useful authoritative excerpts plus environment-specific operational learnings so future work gets faster and safer.
This skill is for the Ubuntu distro/admin layer. It should trigger for Ubuntu-specific package, service, networking, storage, and release-behavior questions — not for generic Linux/shell/dev tooling questions that merely happen to be asked from an Ubuntu machine.
Workflow
-
Classify the task
- Decide whether the task is an Ubuntu-specific question, maintenance task, troubleshooting task, command-planning task, upgrade/update task, or live admin task.
- Use this skill when the task materially depends on Ubuntu-specific behavior, Ubuntu administration knowledge, Ubuntu package/service behavior, or command semantics that should be verified from manpages or official Ubuntu docs.
- Do not use this skill for generic shell work, generic Docker/git/Python work, or generic Linux questions that merely happen to be on Ubuntu when Ubuntu-specific semantics do not matter.
-
Check local cache first
- Use
.Ubuntu-Encyclopedia/ as the local knowledge/cache root.
- Check these locations first when relevant:
.Ubuntu-Encyclopedia/manpages/manpages.ubuntu.com/....Ubuntu-Encyclopedia/docs/....Ubuntu-Encyclopedia/notes/components/....Ubuntu-Encyclopedia/notes/patterns/....Ubuntu-Encyclopedia/inventory/...
- If a cached page or note already answers the question well enough, use it.
-
Consult authoritative Ubuntu sources before answering or acting
- Before answering direct or indirect Ubuntu questions that depend on command syntax, package behavior, service behavior, configuration semantics, or version-sensitive distro details, consult the relevant authoritative source unless the answer is already well-supported by the local cache.
- Prefer sources in this order:
- Ubuntu manpages for command and utility behavior
- Official Ubuntu docs for broader workflows and distro-specific guidance
- Before performing non-trivial Ubuntu maintenance or troubleshooting work, consult the relevant docs first when:
- the exact command semantics matter
- service/package behavior is easy to misremember
- the action could affect package state, service health, networking, storage, bootability, or access
- Do not improvise high-impact Ubuntu admin commands from memory when the docs are easy to check.
-
Cache consulted docs locally
- When you consult a manpage, save a normalized cache copy under
.Ubuntu-Encyclopedia/manpages/manpages.ubuntu.com/....
- When you consult broader Ubuntu docs, save a normalized cache copy under
.Ubuntu-Encyclopedia/docs/....
- Mirror the official path structure as much as practical.
- Cache only pages actually consulted; do not try to mirror the whole docs site eagerly.
- Use
scripts/cache_manpage.py or scripts/cache_doc.py when appropriate.
-
Separate authoritative documentation from local observations
- Store manpage-derived material under
.Ubuntu-Encyclopedia/manpages/....
- Store other official-doc-derived material under
.Ubuntu-Encyclopedia/docs/....
- Store environment-specific operational knowledge under:
.Ubuntu-Encyclopedia/notes/components/.Ubuntu-Encyclopedia/notes/patterns/.Ubuntu-Encyclopedia/inventory/
- Distinguish clearly between:
- authoritative documentation
- observed local configuration/state
- inferred best-practice guidance
-
Record useful local learnings
- After useful live work, save durable notes such as:
- package/service management patterns
- host-specific quirks
- repeated repair/maintenance sequences
- networking/storage/admin gotchas
- safe/unsafe operational boundaries for the environment
- Prefer concise durable notes over re-learning the same Ubuntu-specific details later.
Live Work Rules
- Treat manpage/docs lookup as the default preflight for non-trivial Ubuntu work.
- Prefer read/inspect first when entering an Ubuntu area you have not recently reviewed.
- Treat release upgrades, package repair, service/network/storage changes, and boot-impacting admin work as high-sensitivity areas.
- When uncertainty remains after checking cache + docs, say so and avoid bluffing.
- When answering a question, mention when useful whether the answer comes from cached manpages, cached official docs, a fresh lookup, or live observed environment state.
Data Root
Use this workspace-local root for cache and notes:
Expected structure:
.Ubuntu-Encyclopedia/manpages/manpages.ubuntu.com/....Ubuntu-Encyclopedia/docs/....Ubuntu-Encyclopedia/notes/components/....Ubuntu-Encyclopedia/notes/patterns/....Ubuntu-Encyclopedia/inventory/...
Use scripts/init_workspace.py to create or repair the expected directory structure.
Note Destinations
- Component-specific observations →
.Ubuntu-Encyclopedia/notes/components/<component-name>.md
- Reusable Ubuntu patterns/gotchas →
.Ubuntu-Encyclopedia/notes/patterns/<topic>.md
- Environment-wide deployment/access info →
.Ubuntu-Encyclopedia/inventory/*.md
- Cached manpages →
.Ubuntu-Encyclopedia/manpages/manpages.ubuntu.com/...
- Cached official docs →
.Ubuntu-Encyclopedia/docs/...
Secrets / Sensitive Data
- Do not store plaintext credentials, API keys, session tokens, private URLs, recovery codes, or other secrets in the encyclopedia notes/inventory tree.
- If a note needs to mention access details, keep it high-level and redact or omit secret material.
- Treat these workspace notes as operational memory, not as a secrets vault.
Resources
scripts/init_workspace.py — create or repair the .Ubuntu-Encyclopedia/ directory tree.scripts/cache_manpage.py — fetch and cache a consulted Ubuntu manpage under .Ubuntu-Encyclopedia/manpages/....scripts/cache_doc.py — fetch and cache a consulted official Ubuntu docs page under .Ubuntu-Encyclopedia/docs/....references/workflow.md — detailed operating workflow and evidence-handling rules.references/cache-layout.md — canonical .Ubuntu-Encyclopedia/ directory structure.references/topic-map.md — useful Ubuntu topic groupings for faster authoritative lookup.
Good Outcomes
- Answer an Ubuntu-specific question using cached or freshly checked manpages/docs instead of guesswork.
- Inspect a live Ubuntu host after checking the relevant docs and record any new local operational knowledge.
- Build a growing local Ubuntu knowledge cache that makes later work faster, safer, and more grounded.
- Turn one-off Ubuntu discoveries into durable notes so future work does not rediscover them from scratch.
Avoid
- Triggering on generic shell work that is not materially Ubuntu-specific.
- Answering Ubuntu-specific questions purely from memory when authoritative sources are easy to consult.
- Treating local observed behavior as if it were guaranteed authoritative documented behavior.
- Dumping large amounts of low-value docs into the workspace without a reason.
- Making high-impact live changes before checking the relevant docs when exact behavior matters.
