Unix Conventions

unix-conventions

A Claude Code skill for reviewing CLI tools, shell scripts, C programs, and documentation against Unix tradition.

Five sources: *The Art of Unix Programming* (ESR), POSIX (IEEE Std 1003.1), GNU Coding Standards, "Worse is Better" (R.P. Gabriel, 1989), and The Jargon File (Community Edition).

Install

./install.sh

Copies the skill to `~/.claude/skills/unix-conventions/`. Requires Claude Code.

Use

Claude loads the skill automatically when reviewing CLI tools, shell scripts, or man pages. Invoke it directly with `/unix-conventions`.

Only the references relevant to the task are loaded.

Updating references

./fetch-taoup.sh [-v] [-o FILE]          # requires wget, pandoc, iconv, perl
./fetch-gnu-standards.sh [-v] [-o FILE]  # requires wget
./fetch-jargon.sh [-v] [-o FILE]         # requires wget, pandoc

Each script writes to its default output file under `documentation/`; use `-o` to redirect. All support `-h`.

`fetch-jargon.sh` pulls the Jargon File (Community Edition) from GitHub Pages and includes all letter entries, linguistic conventions, style chapters, and appendices (Story of Mel, AI Koans, J. Random Hacker portrait).

`documentation/posix-conventions.txt` is an original POSIX utility conventions summary. The full standard is copyrighted by The Open Group and IEEE; authoritative text at https://pubs.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/9799919799/

Files

SKILL.md                   skill definition and checklists
references/
  taoup-principles.md      the 17 Rules from TAOUP
  cli-conventions.md       POSIX option syntax, exit codes, streams, error format
  gnu-coding-standards.md  GNU error format, standard options, shell scripting, C style
  man-page-format.md       man page sections, macros, writing style
  worse-is-better.md       Gabriel's four properties and when to apply them
  jargon-lore.md           curated hacker lore: koans, incidents, cultural touchstones
  jargon-terms.md          curated vocabulary: