Open Orchestrator

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The Open Orchestrator skill provides Claude Code with context about worktree management, enabling intelligent command suggestions.

What is a Claude Code Skill? ​

Skills are markdown files that provide Claude Code with specialized knowledge about tools and workflows. The Open Orchestrator skill teaches Claude about owt commands and orchestration patterns.

Installation ​

Use the built-in installer:

bash
owt skill install

This creates a symlink from ~/.claude/skills/open-orchestrator/SKILL.md to the skill file in your Open Orchestrator installation.

Install as Copy ​

If you prefer a standalone copy:

bash
owt skill install --copy

This copies the skill file instead of creating a symlink.

Manual Installation ​

bash
# Create directory
mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills/open-orchestrator

# Symlink
ln -s /path/to/open-orchestrator/src/open_orchestrator/skills/open-orchestrator/SKILL.md \
      ~/.claude/skills/open-orchestrator/SKILL.md

Verify Installation ​

Check the installation status:

bash
owt skill status

Output:

Open Orchestrator Skill
  Status:     Installed (symlink)
  Source:     /path/to/open-orchestrator/skills/open-orchestrator/SKILL.md
  Target:     ~/.claude/skills/open-orchestrator/SKILL.md
  Up-to-date: yes

What the Skill Provides ​

The skill gives Claude Code knowledge about:

Commands ​

All owt commands with their options:

  • Worktree management (new, list, switch, delete, cleanup)
  • Task delegation (send)
  • Merging (merge)
  • Syncing (sync)
  • Control Plane navigation

Workflows ​

Common patterns like:

  • Parallel feature development
  • Bug investigation
  • Code refactoring

Configuration ​

Understanding of:

  • .worktreerc options
  • AI tool settings
  • Templates

When the Skill is Used ​

Claude Code uses the skill when you mention:

  • "worktree" or "worktrees"
  • "parallel development"
  • "owt" commands
  • "tmux" sessions
  • "AI orchestration"
  • "control plane"

Example Prompts ​

"Create a worktree for the new feature"

Claude will suggest: owt new "description of the feature"

"I need to work on multiple features at once"

Claude will explain parallel development with Open Orchestrator.

"How do I see what my AI agents are doing?"

Claude will describe the Control Plane (owt).

Updating the Skill ​

If you installed with symlink (default), updates happen automatically when you update Open Orchestrator.

Copy Installation ​

If you installed as a copy, re-run:

bash
owt skill install --copy

Manual Check ​

bash
owt skill status

Shows if the skill is up-to-date.

Uninstalling ​

bash
owt skill uninstall

Or manually:

bash
rm -rf ~/.claude/skills/open-orchestrator

Skill File Location ​

The skill file is located at:

/path/to/open-orchestrator/src/open_orchestrator/skills/open-orchestrator/SKILL.md

You can view it:

bash
cat $(owt skill status --path)

Custom Skills ​

You can extend the skill with project-specific information:

  1. Create a project-specific skill file:

    bash
    mkdir -p .claude/skills/my-project

  2. Add your own SKILL.md with project context that references Open Orchestrator.

Troubleshooting ​

Skill Not Being Used ​

  1. Verify installation:

    bash
    owt skill status

  2. Check Claude Code sees it:

    • In Claude Code, ask: "What skills do you have access to?"

  3. Use explicit triggers:

    • Mention "worktree" or "owt" in your prompt

If the symlink points to a non-existent file:

bash
owt skill uninstall
owt skill install

Permission Issues ​

Ensure you have write access:

bash
ls -la ~/.claude/skills/

See Also ​