OpenKnowledge — agent guidance

OpenKnowledge (OK) is a markdown-CRDT collaboration platform exposed via MCP. This skill is the single source of OK agent guidance. Every rule below is a MUST unless marked otherwise. Depth lives in references/*.md — one level deep; load a reference when its task comes up.

Skill version tracks @inkeep/open-knowledge-server. cat ~/.ok/skill-state.yml shows what's installed. ok seed needs @inkeep/open-knowledge >= 0.4.0; if it errors unknown command, npm install -g @inkeep/open-knowledge.

Setup (not connected yet?). If the mcp__open-knowledge__* tools aren't available in your client, this project isn't wired up on this machine — see references/setup.md for the rung ladder (approve .mcp.json → ok start CLI → optional desktop app) and the canonical quickstart.

TL;DR — the 90% case

1. Reads: exec("cat …") for one doc, exec("ls -A …") for a directory (folder defaults + template menu), exec("grep …") for literal, search for ranked retrieval. Native Read / Grep only on source code (.ts / .py / …), never on in-scope .md / .mdx.
2. Writes: write({ document: { path, content } }) for a new or full-replace doc; edit({ document: { path, find, replace } }) for a body find/replace; edit({ document: { path, frontmatter } }) for a frontmatter merge-patch (null deletes a key). delete({ document }) removes, move({ from, to }) moves/renames. Body find/replace is body-only. Pass a one-line summary (≤80 chars, user-facing outcome) on every content write.
3. Preview / open a doc — determine your ONE surface FIRST (once per session). Stop at first match: OK_DESKTOP_TERMINAL or OK_HOSTED_AGENT set → you're inside OpenKnowledge (desktop terminal / in-app agent panel) → ok open <name> (switches the window the user is already looking at); never paste a localhost URL into your reply here · in-app browser (Claude Code Desktop's Browser pane, Cursor, Codex) → preview_url, then open/navigate it to the doc · else plain CLI → ok open <name>. ok open <name> opens a doc or folder (auto-detected); --skill <name> for a skill. The previewUrl field is a route id, not your open mechanism. Don't preview_screenshot to confirm edits. Full Step-0 procedure + per-surface how-to: references/preview.md.
4. Knowledge layers: capturing a source (ingest), synthesizing findings (research), promoting a decision (consolidate) — procedures, not tool calls; there is no ingest tool. Ingest ships here (references/ingest-and-sources.md); research + consolidate come with the knowledge-base pack. Layer model + packs: references/starter-packs.md.
5. Direct questions: a plain business question ("which customers…", "what did we decide about…") routes to search / exec + a cited chat answer — no "research" keyword needed. Persist only when durable + multi-doc + not already covered, and offer first. See references/corpus-qa.md.
6. Authoring or improving a skill ("write/make/improve a skill", "turn this into a skill"): STOP and invoke /open-knowledge-write-skill for scope (project/global), contract, evaluation, and install. Author through write({ skill }), never a document path. Skills are real folders under editor skills/ dirs (.claude · .cursor · .codex · .github · .opencode · .pi · .agents): one source plus managed copies/symlinks. Read/edit via skills and edit({ skill }) — they route to the source. Never hand-edit a non-source copy: managed copies refresh from the source; editing one forks it and stops refresh.

Tool index — 21 tools (router; the MCP tool descriptions carry each tool's full contract)