mthds-install

Original：🇺🇸 English

Translated

Install MTHDS method packages from GitHub or local directories. Use when user says "install a method", "install from GitHub", "add a method package", "mthds install", "install method", "set up a method", or wants to install an MTHDS method package for use with an AI agent.

1installs

Sourcemthds-ai/skills

Added on2026-03-03

NPX Install

npx skill4agent add mthds-ai/skills mthds-install

SKILL.md Content

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Install MTHDS method packages

Install method packages from GitHub or local directories using the

mthds-agent

CLI.

Process

Step 0 — CLI Check (mandatory, do this FIRST)

Run

mthds-agent --version

. The minimum required version is 0.0.13 (declared in this skill's front matter as

min_mthds_version

).

If the command is not found: STOP. Do not proceed. Tell the user:

The
mthds-agent
CLI is required but not installed. Install it with:
npm install -g mthds
Then re-run this skill.

If the version is below 0.0.13: STOP. Do not proceed. Tell the user:

This skill requires
mthds-agent
version 0.0.13 or higher (found X.Y.Z). Upgrade with:
npm install -g mthds@latest
Then re-run this skill.

If the version is 0.0.13 or higher: proceed to the next step.

Do not attempt manual installation. The CLI handles resolution, file placement, shim generation, and runtime setup.

No backend setup needed: This skill works without configuring inference backends or API keys. You can start building/validating methods right away. Backend configuration is only needed to run methods with live inference — use
/pipelex-setup
when you're ready.

Step 1: Identify the Source

Determine where the method package lives:

Source	Syntax	Example
GitHub (short)	`org/repo`	`mthds-ai/contract-analysis`
GitHub (full URL)	`https://github.com/org/repo`	`https://github.com/mthds-ai/contract-analysis`
Local directory	`--local <path>`	`--local ./my-methods/`

If the user provides a GitHub URL or

org/repo

string, use it as the address argument. If they point to a local directory, use

--local

.

Step 2: Choose Install Parameters

Flag	Required	Values	Description
`--agent`	Yes	`claude-code` , `cursor` , `codex`	AI agent to install for
`--location`	Yes	`local` , `global`	`local` = project `.claude/methods/` , `global` = `~/.claude/methods/`
`--method <name>`	No	method name	Install only one method from a multi-method package
`--skills`	No	—	Also install the MTHDS skills plugin
`--no-runner`	No	—	Skip automatic Pipelex runtime installation

Defaults:

Use
```
--agent claude-code
```
(since this skill runs inside Claude Code)
Use
```
--location local
```
unless the user explicitly asks for global install

Step 3: Run the Install

From GitHub:

bash

mthds-agent install <org/repo> --agent claude-code --location local

From a local directory:

bash

mthds-agent install --local <path> --agent claude-code --location local

Install a specific method from a multi-method package:

bash

mthds-agent install <org/repo> --agent claude-code --location local --method <name>

Install with skills plugin:

bash

mthds-agent install <org/repo> --agent claude-code --location local --skills

Step 4: Present Results

On success, the CLI returns JSON:

json

{
  "success": true,
  "installed_methods": ["method-name"],
  "location": "local",
  "target_dir": "/path/to/.claude/methods",
  "installed_skills": [],
  "shim_dir": "~/.mthds/bin",
  "shims_generated": ["method-name"]
}

Present to the user:

Which methods were installed and where (
```
target_dir
```
)
If CLI shims were generated, note the shim directory and advise adding
```
~/.mthds/bin
```
to PATH if not already present
If skills were installed, mention they are now available

Step 5: Handle Errors

When encountering errors, re-run with

--log-level debug

for additional context:

bash

mthds-agent --log-level debug install <org/repo> --agent claude-code --location local

Common errors:

Error	Cause	Fix
`--agent is required`	Missing `--agent` flag	Add `--agent claude-code`
`--location is required`	Missing `--location` flag	Add `--location local` or `--location global`
`Unknown agent`	Invalid agent ID	Use one of: `claude-code` , `cursor` , `codex`
`Failed to resolve methods`	GitHub repo not found or no methods in repo	Verify the address and that the repo contains METHODS.toml
`Method "X" not found`	`--method` filter doesn't match any method in the package	Check available method names in the package
`Failed to install pipelex runtime`	Runtime install failed (network, permissions)	Retry, or use `--no-runner` to skip runtime install

For all error types and recovery strategies, see Error Handling Reference.

Reference

Error Handling — read when CLI returns an error to determine recovery
MTHDS Agent Guide — read for CLI command syntax or output format details

mthds-install

NPX Install

Tags

SKILL.md Content

Install MTHDS method packages

Process

Step 0 — CLI Check (mandatory, do this FIRST)

Step 1: Identify the Source

Step 2: Choose Install Parameters

Step 3: Run the Install

Step 4: Present Results

Step 5: Handle Errors

Reference