powershell-skill
Windows PowerShell commands and patterns for process management, file operations, and system administration.
Best use case
powershell-skill is best used when you need a repeatable AI agent workflow instead of a one-off prompt.
Windows PowerShell commands and patterns for process management, file operations, and system administration.
Teams using powershell-skill 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/powershell-skill/SKILL.mdinside your project - Restart your AI agent — it will auto-discover the skill
How powershell-skill Compares
| Feature / Agent | powershell-skill | 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?
Windows PowerShell commands and patterns for process management, file operations, and system administration.
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
# PowerShell Skill (Windows)
Use this skill when the host system is **Windows**. Commands run via the `process_manager` tool (which has full PATH access).
## Detect Windows
Before using PowerShell commands, verify the OS:
```json
{"operation": "start", "name": "os-check", "command": "powershell -Command \"$env:OS\""}
```
If output contains `Windows_NT`, use this skill. Otherwise use the bash skill.
## Common Patterns
### Run a PowerShell command
```json
{"operation": "start", "name": "ps-cmd", "command": "powershell -NoProfile -Command \"Get-Process | Sort-Object CPU -Descending | Select-Object -First 10\""}
```
### Install packages
```json
{"operation": "start", "name": "npm-install", "command": "npm install express"}
```
```json
{"operation": "start", "name": "pip-install", "command": "pip install flask"}
```
### Start a dev server
```json
{"operation": "start", "name": "dev-server", "command": "npm run dev"}
```
### Check what's running on a port
```json
{"operation": "start", "name": "port-check", "command": "powershell -Command \"Get-NetTCPConnection -LocalPort 3000 -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Select-Object OwningProcess\""}
```
### List files recursively
```json
{"operation": "start", "name": "find-files", "command": "powershell -Command \"Get-ChildItem -Recurse -Filter *.py | Select-Object FullName\""}
```
### Environment variables
```json
{"operation": "start", "name": "env", "command": "powershell -Command \"$env:PATH -split ';'\""}
```
### Kill a process by port
```json
{"operation": "start", "name": "kill-port", "command": "powershell -Command \"Stop-Process -Id (Get-NetTCPConnection -LocalPort 8080).OwningProcess -Force\""}
```
### Download a file
```json
{"operation": "start", "name": "download", "command": "powershell -Command \"Invoke-WebRequest -Uri 'https://example.com/file.zip' -OutFile 'file.zip'\""}
```
## Key Differences from Bash
| Task | Bash | PowerShell |
|------|------|------------|
| List files | `ls -la` | `Get-ChildItem` or `dir` |
| Find files | `find . -name "*.py"` | `Get-ChildItem -Recurse -Filter *.py` |
| Environment | `echo $PATH` | `$env:PATH` |
| Process list | `ps aux` | `Get-Process` |
| Kill process | `kill -9 PID` | `Stop-Process -Id PID -Force` |
| Download | `curl -O url` | `Invoke-WebRequest -Uri url -OutFile file` |
| Grep | `grep pattern file` | `Select-String -Pattern pattern -Path file` |
## Guidelines
- Always prefix PowerShell commands with `powershell -NoProfile -Command "..."` when running via process_manager
- Use `-ErrorAction SilentlyContinue` to suppress non-critical errors
- Use `Select-Object` to limit output columns
- Use `ConvertTo-Json` for structured output the agent can parse
- Escape inner quotes with backtick `` ` `` or use single quotes inside double quotesRelated Skills
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