Zotero Use

Runtime Selection

Resolve the skill directory from this SKILL.md, independently of the working document or project directory. Call it ZOTERO_USE_DIR in commands.

Choose the runtime once at the start of each task, in this order:

1. Use ZOTERO_USE_DIR/bin/zotero-go-cli when the host is Apple-silicon macOS and the file is executable. This repository includes that Developer ID-signed and notarized binary.
2. Otherwise use a compatible zotero-go-cli (zotero-go-cli.exe on Windows) already available on PATH.
3. Otherwise retain the existing Python-helper and zot workflows described below.

Confirm a Go candidate with --version before relying on it, and never try to execute the bundled macOS ARM64 binary on another OS or architecture. If no compatible Go binary is available, offer to run python3 "$ZOTERO_USE_DIR/scripts/install_cli.py" to download the matching GitHub release asset. Explain the platform and destination and obtain the user's approval before running it. Never download or replace a binary automatically; if the user declines, the network is unavailable, or the platform is unsupported, continue with the Python fallback.

Update Check

On the first invocation in each task, use the selected Go runtime to run skill check-updates --root "$ZOTERO_USE_DIR", or fall back to python3 "$ZOTERO_USE_DIR/scripts/check_updates.py". The command is silent unless a randomized 14-17 day check is due and GitHub reports a newer version. Surface a non-empty update notice once, then continue the user's task. Never auto-update. Respect ZOTERO_USE_UPDATE_CHECK=0.

Routing