prune-agents
Kill orphaned Claude subagent processes that didn't exit cleanly. Use when asked to "prune agents", "clean up agents", "kill orphaned processes", or when subagents accumulate from Task tool usage.
Best use case
prune-agents is best used when you need a repeatable AI agent workflow instead of a one-off prompt.
Kill orphaned Claude subagent processes that didn't exit cleanly. Use when asked to "prune agents", "clean up agents", "kill orphaned processes", or when subagents accumulate from Task tool usage.
Teams using prune-agents should expect a more consistent output, faster repeated execution, less prompt rewriting.
When to use this skill
- You want a reusable workflow that can be run more than once with consistent structure.
When not to use this skill
- You only need a quick one-off answer and do not need a reusable workflow.
- You cannot install or maintain the underlying files, dependencies, or repository context.
Installation
Claude Code / Cursor / Codex
Manual Installation
- Download SKILL.md from GitHub
- Place it in
.claude/skills/prune-agents/SKILL.mdinside your project - Restart your AI agent — it will auto-discover the skill
How prune-agents Compares
| Feature / Agent | prune-agents | Standard Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Platform Support | Not specified | Limited / Varies |
| Context Awareness | High | Baseline |
| Installation Complexity | Unknown | N/A |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this skill do?
Kill orphaned Claude subagent processes that didn't exit cleanly. Use when asked to "prune agents", "clean up agents", "kill orphaned processes", or when subagents accumulate from Task tool usage.
Where can I find the source code?
You can find the source code on GitHub using the link provided at the top of the page.
SKILL.md Source
<arc_runtime> This workflow requires the full Arc bundle, not a prompts-only install. Paths in this skill use these conventions: - `agents/...`, `references/...`, `disciplines/...`, `templates/...`, `scripts/...`, `rules/...`, `skills/<name>/...` are Arc-owned files at the plugin root. Resolve the plugin root from this skill's filesystem location — it's the directory containing `agents/` and `skills/`. - `./...` is local to this skill's directory. - `.ruler/...`, `docs/...`, `src/...`, or any project-relative path refers to the user's project repository. </arc_runtime> # Prune Orphaned Agents Run the cleanup script to kill orphaned Claude agent processes. ```bash scripts/cleanup-orphaned-agents.sh ``` This kills Claude Code processes that have become detached from their terminal (TTY shows "??"). These accumulate when the Task tool spawns subagents that don't cleanly exit after completion. **Safe to run anytime** — only kills orphaned processes. Active terminal sessions are preserved. After running, report the result to the user including how many processes were cleaned up.
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