Table of Contents
Tutorial Updates Skill
Orchestrate tutorial generation with GIF recordings from VHS tape files and Playwright browser specs.
When To Use
- Generating or updating user-facing tutorials
- Creating VHS and Playwright tutorial recordings
When NOT To Use
- Internal documentation without user-facing tutorials
- API reference docs - use scribe:doc-generator instead
Overview
This skill coordinates the complete tutorial generation pipeline:
- Discover tape files and manifests in the project
- Validate tape commands and check binary freshness
- Rebuild binaries if stale so demos reflect latest code
- Record terminal sessions using VHS (scry:vhs-recording)
- Record browser sessions using Playwright (scry:browser-recording)
- Generate optimized GIFs (scry:gif-generation)
- Compose multi-component tutorials (scry:media-composition)
- Generate dual-tone markdown for docs/ and book/
Command Options
bash
/update-tutorial quickstart # Single tutorial by name
/update-tutorial sync mcp # Multiple tutorials
/update-tutorial --all # All tutorials with manifests
/update-tutorial --list # Show available tutorials
/update-tutorial --scaffold # Create structure without recording
Verification: Run the command with
flag to verify availability.
Required TodoWrite Items
Create todos with these prefixes for progress tracking:
**Verification:** Run the command with `--help` flag to verify availability.
- tutorial-updates:discovery
- tutorial-updates:validation
- tutorial-updates:rebuild
- tutorial-updates:recording
- tutorial-updates:generation
- tutorial-updates:integration
Verification: Run the command with
flag to verify availability.
Phase 1: Discovery (tutorial-updates:discovery
)
Step 1.1: Locate Tutorial Assets
Find tape files and manifests in the project:
bash
# Find manifest files
find . -name "*.manifest.yaml" -type f 2>/dev/null | head -20
# Find tape files
find . -name "*.tape" -type f 2>/dev/null | head -20
# Find browser specs
find . -name "*.spec.ts" -path "*/browser/*" -type f 2>/dev/null | head -20
Verification: Run the command with
flag to verify availability.
Step 1.2: Parse Manifests
For each manifest file, extract:
- Tutorial name and title
- Component list (tape files, playwright specs)
- Output paths for GIFs
- Composition rules (layout, combine options)
See
modules/manifest-parsing.md
for manifest schema details.
Step 1.3: Handle Options
| Option | Behavior |
|---|
| Display discovered tutorials and exit |
| Process all discovered manifests |
| Create directory structure and empty files without recording |
| Process only specified tutorials |
**Verification:** Run the command with `--help` flag to verify availability.
Available tutorials:
quickstart assets/tapes/quickstart.tape
sync assets/tapes/sync.tape (manifest)
mcp assets/tapes/mcp.manifest.yaml (terminal + browser)
skill-debug assets/tapes/skill-debug.tape
Verification: Run the command with
flag to verify availability.
Phase 1.5: Validation (tutorial-updates:validation
)
CRITICAL: Validate tape commands BEFORE running VHS to avoid expensive regeneration cycles.
See
modules/tape-validation.md
for detailed validation logic.
Step 1.5.1: VHS Syntax Validation
Check each tape file for valid VHS syntax:
bash
# Required: Output directive exists
grep -q '^Output ' "$tape_file" || echo "ERROR: Missing Output directive"
# Check for balanced quotes in Type directives
grep '^Type ' "$tape_file" | while read -r line; do
quote_count=$(echo "$line" | tr -cd '"' | wc -c)
if [ $((quote_count % 2)) -ne 0 ]; then
echo "ERROR: Unbalanced quotes: $line"
fi
done
Verification: Run the command with
flag to verify availability.
Step 1.5.2: Extract and Validate CLI Commands
For each
directive, extract the command and validate flags:
bash
# Extract commands from Type directives
grep '^Type ' "$tape_file" | sed 's/^Type "//' | sed 's/"$//' | while read -r cmd; do
# Skip comments, clear, and echo commands
[[ "$cmd" =~ ^# ]] && continue
[[ "$cmd" == "clear" ]] && continue
# For skrills commands, validate flags exist
if [[ "$cmd" =~ ^skrills ]]; then
base_cmd=$(echo "$cmd" | awk '{print $1, $2}')
flags=$(echo "$cmd" | grep -oE '\-\-[a-zA-Z0-9-]+' || true)
for flag in $flags; do
if ! $base_cmd --help 2>&1 | grep -q -- "$flag"; then
echo "ERROR: Invalid flag '$flag' in command: $cmd"
fi
done
fi
done
Verification: Run the command with
flag to verify availability.
Step 1.5.3: Verify Demo Data Exists
If the tape uses demo data, verify it exists and is populated:
bash
# Check SKRILLS_SKILL_DIR if set
skill_dir=$(grep '^Env SKRILLS_SKILL_DIR' "$tape_file" | sed 's/.*"\(.*\)"/\1/')
if [ -n "$skill_dir" ]; then
if [ ! -d "$skill_dir" ]; then
echo "ERROR: Demo skill directory missing: $skill_dir"
else
skill_count=$(find "$skill_dir" -name "SKILL.md" 2>/dev/null | wc -l)
if [ "$skill_count" -eq 0 ]; then
echo "ERROR: No skills in demo directory: $skill_dir"
else
echo "OK: Found $skill_count demo skills in $skill_dir"
fi
fi
fi
Verification: Run the command with
flag to verify availability.
Step 1.5.4: Test Commands Locally
CRITICAL: Run each extracted command locally to verify it produces expected output:
bash
# For each command in the tape, do a quick sanity check
# This catches issues like:
# - Commands that exit with non-zero status
# - Commands that produce no output (won't show anything in GIF)
# - Commands that require user input (will hang VHS)
for cmd in $(extract_commands "$tape_file"); do
# Run with timeout to catch hanging commands
if ! timeout 5s bash -c "$cmd" &>/dev/null; then
echo "WARNING: Command may fail or hang: $cmd"
fi
done
Verification: Run the command with
flag to verify availability.
Validation Flags
| Flag | Behavior |
|---|
| Run validation without generating GIF |
| Bypass validation for rapid regeneration |
Validation Exit Criteria
If validation fails: Stop immediately, report errors, and do NOT proceed to VHS recording.
Phase 1.6: Binary Rebuild ()
CRITICAL: Ensure the binary being tested in tapes matches the latest source code. Stale binaries produce misleading demos.
Step 1.6.1: Detect Build System
Identify the project's build system:
bash
# Check for Cargo (Rust)
if [ -f "Cargo.toml" ]; then
BUILD_SYSTEM="cargo"
BINARY_NAME=$(grep '^name = ' Cargo.toml | head -1 | sed 's/.*"\(.*\)"/\1/')
echo "Detected Cargo project: $BINARY_NAME"
# Check for Makefile
elif [ -f "Makefile" ]; then
BUILD_SYSTEM="make"
echo "Detected Make project"
# Unknown
else
echo "WARNING: Unknown build system, skipping binary check"
BUILD_SYSTEM="unknown"
fi
Verification: Run
to verify build configuration.
Step 1.6.2: Check Binary Freshness
Compare binary modification time against Git HEAD:
bash
check_binary_freshness() {
local binary_name="$1"
# Locate binary (check cargo install location first, then PATH)
local binary_path=$(which "$binary_name" 2>/dev/null)
if [ -z "$binary_path" ]; then
echo "WARNING: Binary '$binary_name' not found in PATH"
return 1
fi
# Get binary modification time (Linux/macOS compatible)
local binary_mtime
if command -v stat >/dev/null 2>&1; then
# Linux
binary_mtime=$(stat -c %Y "$binary_path" 2>/dev/null || \
# macOS
stat -f %m "$binary_path" 2>/dev/null)
else
echo "WARNING: stat command not available, skipping freshness check"
return 2
fi
# Get Git HEAD commit time
local git_head_time=$(git log -1 --format=%ct 2>/dev/null)
if [ -z "$git_head_time" ]; then
echo "WARNING: Not a git repository, skipping freshness check"
return 2
fi
# Compare timestamps
if [ "$binary_mtime" -lt "$git_head_time" ]; then
echo "STALE: Binary is older than Git HEAD"
echo " Binary: $(date -d @$binary_mtime 2>/dev/null || date -r $binary_mtime)"
echo " HEAD: $(date -d @$git_head_time 2>/dev/null || date -r $git_head_time)"
return 1
else
echo "OK: Binary is up-to-date"
return 0
fi
}
Verification: Run
to confirm working tree state.
Step 1.6.3: Rebuild Binary
Rebuild using the detected build system:
bash
rebuild_binary() {
local build_system="$1"
local binary_name="$2"
case "$build_system" in
cargo)
echo "Rebuilding with Cargo..."
# Use cargo install for CLI binaries
if [ -d "crates/cli" ]; then
cargo install --path crates/cli --locked --quiet
else
cargo install --path . --locked --quiet
fi
;;
make)
echo "Rebuilding with Make..."
make build --quiet
;;
*)
echo "ERROR: Cannot rebuild, unknown build system"
return 1
;;
esac
echo "Build complete: $binary_name"
}
Verification: Run
to verify build configuration.
Step 1.6.4: Verify Binary Accessibility
Ensure the rebuilt binary is accessible:
bash
verify_binary() {
local binary_name="$1"
if ! command -v "$binary_name" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
echo "ERROR: Binary '$binary_name' not found after rebuild"
echo " Check PATH includes: $HOME/.cargo/bin"
return 1
fi
# Test binary can execute
if ! "$binary_name" --version >/dev/null 2>&1; then
echo "WARNING: Binary exists but --version failed"
else
echo "OK: Binary is accessible and functional"
"$binary_name" --version
fi
}
Verification: Run
to verify tests pass.
Rebuild Flags
| Flag | Behavior |
|---|
| Skip binary freshness check and rebuild |
| Force rebuild even if binary is fresh |
Rebuild Exit Criteria
If rebuild fails: Stop immediately, report build errors, and do NOT proceed to tape validation or VHS recording.
Phase 2: Recording (tutorial-updates:recording
)
Step 2.1: Process Tape Components
For each tape file component:
- Parse tape file for metadata annotations (@step, @docs-brief, @book-detail)
- Validate Output directive exists
- Invoke
Skill(scry:vhs-recording)
with tape file path
- Verify GIF output was created
Step 2.2: Process Browser Components
For each playwright spec component:
- Check field for prerequisite commands (e.g., start server)
- Launch any required background processes
- Invoke
Skill(scry:browser-recording)
with spec path
- Stop background processes
- Invoke
Skill(scry:gif-generation)
to convert WebM to GIF
Step 2.3: Handle Multi-Component Tutorials
For manifests with
section:
- Verify all component GIFs exist
- Invoke
Skill(scry:media-composition)
with manifest
- Verify combined output was created
Phase 3: Generation (tutorial-updates:generation
)
Step 3.1: Parse Tape Annotations
Extract documentation content from tape files:
tape
# @step Install skrills
# @docs-brief Install via cargo
# @book-detail The recommended installation method uses cargo...
Type "cargo install skrills"
Verification: Run the command with
flag to verify availability.
Annotations:
- - Step title/heading
- - Concise text for project docs (docs/ directory)
- - Extended text for technical book (book/ directory)
Step 3.2: Generate Dual-Tone Markdown
Generate two versions of each tutorial:
-
- Brief, action-oriented
- Uses @docs-brief content
- Focuses on commands and quick results
-
Technical book (
book/src/tutorials/<name>.md
)
- Detailed, educational
- Uses @book-detail content
- Explains concepts and rationale
See
modules/markdown-generation.md
for formatting details.
Step 3.3: Generate README Demo Section
Create or update demo section in README.md:
markdown
## Demos
### Quickstart

*Install, validate, analyze, and serve in under a minute. [Full tutorial](docs/tutorials/quickstart.md)*
Verification: Run the command with
flag to verify availability.
Phase 4: Integration (tutorial-updates:integration
)
Step 4.1: Verify All Outputs
Confirm all expected files exist:
bash
# Check GIF files
for gif in assets/gifs/*.gif; do
if [[ -f "$gif" ]]; then
echo "OK: $gif ($(du -h "$gif" | cut -f1))"
else
echo "MISSING: $gif"
fi
done
# Check markdown files
ls -la docs/tutorials/*.md 2>/dev/null
ls -la book/src/tutorials/*.md 2>/dev/null
Verification: Run the command with
flag to verify availability.
Step 4.2: Update SUMMARY.md (Book)
If the project has an mdBook structure, update
:
markdown
- [Tutorials](./tutorials/README.md)
- [Quickstart](./tutorials/quickstart.md)
- [Sync Workflow](./tutorials/sync.md)
- [MCP Integration](./tutorials/mcp.md)
- [Skill Debugging](./tutorials/skill-debug.md)
Verification: Run the command with
flag to verify availability.
Step 4.3: Report Results
Summarize the update:
**Verification:** Run the command with `--help` flag to verify availability.
Tutorial Update Complete
========================
Tutorials processed: 4
GIFs generated: 5
- quickstart.gif (1.2MB)
- sync.gif (980KB)
- mcp-terminal.gif (1.5MB)
- mcp-browser.gif (2.1MB)
- skill-debug.gif (890KB)
Markdown generated:
- docs/tutorials/ (4 files)
- book/src/tutorials/ (4 files)
README demo section updated
Verification: Run the command with
flag to verify availability.
Exit Criteria
Error Handling
| Error | Resolution |
|---|
| VHS not installed | go install github.com/charmbracelet/vhs@latest
|
| Playwright not installed | npm install -D @playwright/test && npx playwright install chromium
|
| Tape file missing Output | Add Output assets/gifs/<name>.gif
directive |
| Browser spec requires server | Start server before running spec |
| GIF too large | Adjust fps/scale in gif-generation |
Scaffold Mode
When
is specified, create structure without recording:
- Create directory
- Create directory
- Create directory (if browser tutorials planned)
- Create template tape file with metadata annotations
- Create template manifest file
- Create empty markdown files in docs/tutorials/ and book/src/tutorials/
Template tape file:
tape
# @title: Tutorial Name
# @description: Brief description of the tutorial
Output assets/gifs/tutorial-name.gif
Set FontSize 14
Set Width 1200
Set Height 600
Set Theme "Catppuccin Mocha"
# @step Step 1 Title
# @docs-brief Brief docs text
# @book-detail Extended book text with more context and explanation
Type "command here"
Enter
Sleep 2s
Verification: Run the command with
flag to verify availability.
Troubleshooting
Common Issues
Command not found
Ensure all dependencies are installed and in PATH
Permission errors
Check file permissions and run with appropriate privileges
Unexpected behavior
Enable verbose logging with
flag