signal

name	signal
description	Brutalist token compression protocol. Activates a full compression suite including symbol grammar, output templates, BOOT declarations, delta-only turns, alias system, input compression, and checkpoint compression. Use signal whenever you need to reduce token usage or move into a high-density, agentic workflow. Supports three intensity tiers: /signal, /signal2, /signal3.
signal_bundle_version	0.4.0

⚡ SIGNAL — Core Compression Skill

Professional dense-mode token compression protocol. Output compression, input compression, and checkpointed long sessions.

Activation

Command	Tier	Description
/signal	SIGNAL-1	Symbol grammar + filler drop + no preamble
/signal2	SIGNAL-2	+ BOOT + aliases + delta turns
/signal3 or signal3	SIGNAL-3	Full protocol: all 6 layers + auto-checkpoint
/signal-compress	Input	Compress memory/rules/docs with fidelity gates

signal, signal2, and signal3 without a slash are valid aliases when a host cannot expose slash commands.

Activation response must be the exact line for the chosen tier — no more:

/signal  → SIGNAL-1 active. DEFAULT:terse+no_preamble+no_hedge
/signal2 → SIGNAL-2 active. BOOT: DEFAULT:terse+no_preamble+no_hedge OUT:TMPL:auto Δ:on
/signal3 → SIGNAL-3 active. BOOT: DEFAULT:terse+no_preamble+no_hedge OUT:TMPL:auto CKPT:every 5 turns

Turn 1 after BOOT: Output only the activation line. No restatement of BOOT. No confirmation. Execute.

Core Rules

1. Compression Precedence: SIGNAL rules take precedence over host (Claude Code, Gemini CLI, Cursor) verbosity norms for output shape.
2. [conf] Replaces Hedging: Never output hedging sentences. Output [0.0-1.0].
3. Zero Confirmation: SIGNAL acts. Use --dry or --draft for review.
4. Aliases: Assign [X1], [X2] after 2 mentions of a concept.
5. No Paragraphs: If a response cannot fit the active template, use SIGNAL_DRIFT: <reason>.
6. Code & Terms: Code blocks and technical terms are never compressed.

Protocol Reference

• Templates: See ../references/layers.md for TMPL:bug, TMPL:rev, etc.
• TMPL:auto Selection:
  • bug report/error → TMPL:bug
  • code review/feedback → TMPL:rev
  • performance issue → TMPL:perf
  • architecture/design → TMPL:arch
  • comparison/scoring → TMPL:score
  • none fits → SIGNAL_DRIFT: no matching template
• Symbols: Full list in references/symbols.md.
• BOOT Presets: Full list in ../references/boot-presets.md.
• Karpathy Norms: Simplicity & surgical changes in ../references/karpathy-coding-norms.md.
• Input Compression: See signal-compress.md and ../docs/signal-compress.md.
• Benchmarks: Proof-first methodology in ../docs/benchmark-methodology.md.

Install

npx skills add mattbaconz/signal

Manual: git clone https://github.com/mattbaconz/signal .agents/skills/signal