Frank
02883d3ed2
Copy of the legacy ~/.pi/agent/docs tree rebuilt as the command-center knowledge base: concept files promoted to path identity, index listings stripped of frontmatter, all wikilinks/relative links resolved, every checkable claim verified against the live fleet (Dankserver = Ryzen 7 7700X + RTX 3090; Strix Halo is Dankclaw), unverifiable claims tagged. kb-lint exits 0.
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1.8 KiB
type, title, description, tags, timestamp, verified
| type | title | description | tags | timestamp | verified | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| reference | Skills vs Extensions | Side-by-side comparison of skills (markdown-based) vs extensions (TypeScript-based) for pi coding agent. |
|
2026-07-18 | 2026-08-28 |
Skills vs Extensions
| Feature | Skills | Extensions |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Markdown (SKILL.md + optional scripts) |
TypeScript (.ts files) |
| Purpose | Instructions for the LLM to follow | Code that intercepts events, registers tools/commands |
| Execution | Agent reads and follows instructions | Runs in pi's Node.js runtime |
| Loading | On-demand (progressive disclosure) | Always loaded at startup |
| Power | Can instruct the agent to run anything | Full programmatic access to pi's API |
| Security | Review content (instructs model) | Review code (runs arbitrary code) |
| Best for | Domain knowledge, workflows, scripts | Permission gates, custom tools, event handling |
| Location | skills/ directory |
extensions/ directory |
| Can distribute via npm? | Yes (via pi packages) | Yes (via pi packages) |
When to Use Each
- Skill: You want to teach the agent a new workflow, provide domain expertise, or bundle helper scripts
- Extension: You need to intercept tool calls, register new LLM-callable tools, modify system prompts programmatically, or add custom TUI components
They Can Work Together
A pi package can contain both:
{
"pi": {
"extensions": ["./extensions"],
"skills": ["./skills"]
}
}
Example: pi-web-access provides both a web-search extension AND skill documentation for it.
Related
- Package Structure — How to bundle both in one npm package