---
type: Playbook
id: https://w3id.org/ktl/linkml-sidecar/knowledge/playbooks/installing-the-skills
title: Installing the skills
description: How to install linkml-sidecar and linkml-author with gh skill, npx skills, the Claude Code plugin or a copy of the repository, for your user or a team, pinned to one tag, and how to turn on the workflow and run the preflight and scaffold without an agent.
genre: how-to
resource: docs/install.md
tags:
  - install
  - gh skill
  - npx skills
  - claude plugin
  - pin
references:
  - https://w3id.org/ktl/linkml-sidecar/knowledge/playbooks/linkml-sidecar-skill
  - https://w3id.org/ktl/linkml-sidecar/knowledge/playbooks/linkml-author-skill
  - https://w3id.org/ktl/linkml-sidecar/knowledge/services/linkml-scaffold
  - https://w3id.org/ktl/linkml-sidecar/knowledge/services/linkml-preflight
sources:
  - resource: docs/install.md
  - resource: .claude-plugin/plugin.json
  - resource: .claude-plugin/marketplace.json
generated:
  by: process:ktl-librarian
  at: "2026-10-22T18:19:05Z"
status: draft
verified:
  - by: process:ktl-librarian
    at: "2026-10-22T15:14:26Z"
---

# Overview

Install both skills for your user, then ask your agent to set up a LinkML sidecar. **linkml-sidecar** runs once and hands off to **linkml-author**, which you keep using. A repository that already holds a LinkML project needs only **linkml-author**.

## GitHub CLI

This route needs `gh skill` version 2.90.0 or later. It defaults to GitHub Copilot, so pass `--agent` to name yours (`claude-code`, `github-copilot`, `cursor`, `codex`, `gemini-cli`, or another from `gh skill install --help`).

```bash
gh skill install noelmcloughlin/linkml-sidecar --all --scope user --agent claude-code
```

This is the route for a work machine: it needs github.com but no npm registry.

## Open Skills CLI

The Open Skills CLI, `npx skills`, installs both skills. This route could fail behind a company proxy or an internal npm registry. Take the GitHub CLI route there instead.

```bash
npx skills add noelmcloughlin/linkml-sidecar --global --yes \
  --skill linkml-sidecar --skill linkml-author
```

In PowerShell or cmd, type the command on one line without the `\` continuation.

## Claude Code plugin

```text
/plugin marketplace add noelmcloughlin/linkml-sidecar
/plugin install linkml-sidecar@linkml-sidecar
```

## From a copy of the repository

Where github.com is out of reach, install from a company copy of this repository, or from a release archive. `npx skills add` and `/plugin marketplace add` take a git URL on any host, or a local path. The GitHub CLI takes a local folder, and needs no network for it:

```bash
git clone https://git.example.com/mirrors/linkml-sidecar.git
gh skill install ./linkml-sidecar/skills --from-local --all --scope user --agent claude-code
```

Point it at the copy's `skills/` folder, not its root: a working copy's `website/node_modules/` can hold other skills.

## For your user, not the repository

The commands above install for your user, which keeps the instructions an agent follows under your control. Install into the repository only when a team wants every member on one version: leave out `--global`, or pass `--scope project`, and commit what the installer writes.

## Pin to one tag

Both skills are released together under one tag, so pin them to the same one. Append it to the skill name (`linkml-author@v0.1.1`) or pass `--pin v0.1.1`. The changelog says what each release changed.

## Turn on the workflow

The workflow the sidecar installs checks the schema on every pull request that touches `.linkml/`. It publishes the documentation site only once the repository variable `LINKML_DOCS_ENABLED` is set to `true` (on GitHub: Settings, Secrets and variables, Actions, Variables). On Forgejo and Codeberg the sidecar installs a Forgejo workflow instead, and `skills/linkml-sidecar/references/automation.md` says how to set it up.

## Run the scripts without an agent

The two scripts of **linkml-sidecar** work without an agent. From the host's root, with this repository cloned beside it:

```bash
bash ../linkml-sidecar/skills/linkml-sidecar/templates/scripts/linkml-preflight.sh .
export PROJ_NAME="Acme Platform" PROJ_DESC="One sentence." GITHUB_ORG=acme \
  REPO_URL=https://github.com/acme/platform FULL_NAME="A Person" EMAIL=a.person@acme.example \
  LICENSE_ID=Apache-2.0 SCHEMA_ID=https://w3id.org/acme/platform DOCS_URL=https://acme.github.io/platform/linkml/
bash ../linkml-sidecar/skills/linkml-sidecar/scripts/linkml-scaffold.sh --dry-run
bash ../linkml-sidecar/skills/linkml-sidecar/scripts/linkml-scaffold.sh
```

Step 0 of linkml-sidecar's `SKILL.md` says where each fact comes from, and Step 1 lists the exit codes, `--repair` and `--pointers-only`.

## What each skill needs

Both skills run from a POSIX shell: on Windows, the bash of Git for Windows. **linkml-sidecar** starts with a preflight that prints what this machine can do, and which steps are switched off by what it lacks.

- `linkml-sidecar` needs `git`, and `uv`, which runs copier, just and the project's Python: 3.10 or later, which uv downloads when the machine has none. It needs network access once: the template from github.com and packages from PyPI, or a company copy and mirror of each.
- `linkml-author` needs the project's own recipes (`just` or `make`), or `uv`, or the host's own environment where it already installs `linkml`.

Behind a company proxy or package mirror, on RHEL, or under WSL2, `skills/linkml-sidecar/references/portability.md` says what to set. If you cannot act on a line the preflight prints, `skills/linkml-sidecar/references/prerequisites.md` gives a request note for whoever can.