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mylesmcook/cli-for-agent

v1.0.2MIT

Patterns for designing command-line tools that coding agents can run reliably.

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CLI for Agents

cli-for-agent is a skills-only Codex plugin for designing and reviewing command-line tools that coding agents can run without babysitting. It is an adaptation of Cursor's MIT-licensed CLI for Agent plugin, packaged for Codex's documented plugin and marketplace structure.

What it covers

  • Non-interactive commands with explicit inputs and confirmation bypasses where appropriate.
  • Scoped --help with valid examples, stable command grammar, stdin, files, pipelines, pagination, and ordering.
  • Machine-useful stdout, structured-output modes, stderr diagnostics, and clear exit behavior.
  • Fast, actionable errors that explain the next valid command without leaking secrets.
  • Idempotent retries, --dry-run, and proportionate safeguards for consequential mutations.
  • Bounded remote jobs, retries, cancellation, and durable operation IDs for asynchronous work.

It does not add a runtime, hook, MCP server, or new command framework. The skill applies the smallest compatible improvement to the CLI already in scope.

Use in Codex

Invoke it directly:

$cli-for-agent:cli-for-agents Review this CLI for coding-agent usability.

Or ask Codex to build, refactor, document, or review a command-line interface. The skill can be selected implicitly for that work.

Package layout

cli-for-agent/
├── .codex-plugin/plugin.json
└── skills/cli-for-agents/
    ├── SKILL.md
    └── agents/openai.yaml

The manifest and skill location follow OpenAI's Codex plugin structure. This bundle needs no optional integration components.

Install or refresh on a machine

This repository's Git-backed marketplace is mcook-plugins-local. Close any active tasks that are using the plugin, then run:

codex plugin marketplace upgrade mcook-plugins-local
codex plugin add cli-for-agent@mcook-plugins-local
codex plugin list | rg 'cli-for-agent@mcook-plugins-local'

Start a new Codex task after reinstalling so it loads the refreshed skill. There is no bulk plugin-update command; repeat the codex plugin add step for each updated plugin.

Attribution and license

See ATTRIBUTION.md and LICENSE.