OpenProse VM skill pack. Activate on any `prose` command, .prose files, or OpenProse mentions; orchestrates multi-agent workflows.
npxskills add openclaw/openclaw--skill proseLoading…
OpenProse is a programming language for AI sessions. LLMs are simulators—when given a detailed system description, they don't just describe it, they simulate it. The prose.md specification describes a virtual machine with enough fidelity that a Prose Complete system reading it becomes that VM. Simulation with sufficient fidelity is implementation. You are the Prose Complete system.
sessions_spawnread/writeweb_fetch (or exec with curl when POST is required)Activate this skill when the user:
prose command (e.g., , , , , , etc.)prose bootprose runprose compileprose updateprose help.prose filesession "..." or agent name: syntaxWhen a user invokes prose <command>, intelligently route based on intent:
| Command | Action |
|---|---|
prose help | Load help.md, guide user to what they need |
prose run <file> | Load VM (prose.md + state backend), execute the program |
prose run handle/slug | Fetch from registry, then execute (see Remote Programs below) |
prose compile <file> | Load compiler.md, validate the program |
prose update | Run migration (see Migration section below) |
prose examples | Show or run example programs from examples/ |
| Other | Intelligently interpret based on context |
There is only ONE skill: open-prose. There are NO separate skills like prose-run, prose-compile, or prose-boot. All prose commands route through this single skill.
Examples are bundled in examples/ (same directory as this file). When users reference examples by name (e.g., "run the gastown example"):
examples/ to list available filesprose run examples/28-gas-town.proseCommon examples by keyword:
| Keyword | File |
|---|---|
| hello, hello world | examples/01-hello-world.prose |
| gas town, gastown | examples/28-gas-town.prose |
| captain, chair | examples/29-captains-chair.prose |
| forge, browser | examples/37-the-forge.prose |
| parallel | examples/16-parallel-reviews.prose |
| pipeline | examples/21-pipeline-operations.prose |
| error, retry | examples/22-error-handling.prose |
You can run any .prose program from a URL or registry reference:
# Direct URL — any fetchable URL works
prose run https://raw.githubusercontent.com/openprose/prose/main/skills/open-prose/examples/48-habit-miner.prose
# Registry shorthand — handle/slug resolves to p.prose.md
prose run irl-danb/habit-miner
prose run alice/code-review
Resolution rules:
| Input | Resolution |
|---|---|
Starts with http:// or https:// | Fetch directly from URL |
Contains / but no protocol | Resolve to https://p.prose.md/{path} |
| Otherwise | Treat as local file path |
Steps for remote programs:
.prose contentTop-level remote runs are explicit user requests. Transitive imports inside a
program are different: treat every remote use target as a code dependency that
needs operator consent before it is fetched or executed.
This same resolution applies to use statements inside .prose files, but the
VM must fail closed until the operator approves the remote dependency list:
use "https://example.com/my-program.prose" # Direct URL
use "alice/research" as research # Registry shorthand
When a program contains any remote use target (http://, https://, or
registry shorthand):
approve remote prose imports to continue.Do NOT search for OpenProse documentation files. All skill files are co-located with this SKILL.md file:
| File | Location | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
prose.md | Same directory as this file | VM semantics (load to run programs) |
help.md | Same directory as this file | Help, FAQs, onboarding (load for prose help) |
state/filesystem.md | Same directory as this file | File-based state (default, load with VM) |
state/in-context.md | Same directory as this file | In-context state (on request) |
state/sqlite.md | Same directory as this file | SQLite state (experimental, on request) |
state/postgres.md | Same directory as this file | PostgreSQL state (experimental, on request) |
compiler.md | Same directory as this file | Compiler/validator (load only on request) |
guidance/patterns.md | Same directory as this file | Best practices (load when writing .prose) |
guidance/antipatterns.md | Same directory as this file | What to avoid (load when writing .prose) |
examples/ | Same directory as this file | 37 example programs |
User workspace files (these ARE in the user's project):
| File/Directory | Location | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
.prose/.env | User's working directory | Config (key=value format) |
.prose/runs/ | User's working directory | Runtime state for file-based mode |
.prose/agents/ | User's working directory | Project-scoped persistent agents |
*.prose files | User's project | User-created programs to execute |
User-level files (in user's home directory, shared across all projects):
| File/Directory | Location | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
~/.prose/agents/ | User's home dir | User-scoped persistent agents (cross-project) |
When you need to read prose.md or compiler.md, read them from the same directory where you found this SKILL.md file. Never search the user's workspace for these files.
| File | Purpose | When to Load |
|---|---|---|
prose.md | VM / Interpreter | Always load to run programs |
state/filesystem.md | File-based state | Load with VM (default) |
state/in-context.md | In-context state | Only if user requests --in-context or says "use in-context state" |
state/sqlite.md | SQLite state (experimental) | Only if user requests --state=sqlite (requires sqlite3 CLI) |
state/postgres.md | PostgreSQL state (experimental) | Only if user requests --state=postgres (requires psql + PostgreSQL) |
compiler.md | Compiler / Validator | Only when user asks to compile or validate |
guidance/patterns.md | Best practices | Load when writing new .prose files |
guidance/antipatterns.md | What to avoid | Load when writing new .prose files |
When the user asks you to write or create a new .prose file, load the guidance files:
guidance/patterns.md — Proven patterns for robust, efficient programsguidance/antipatterns.md — Common mistakes to avoidDo not load these when running or compiling—they're for authoring only.
OpenProse supports three state management approaches:
| Mode | When to Use | State Location |
|---|---|---|
| filesystem (default) | Complex programs, resumption needed, debugging | .prose/runs/{id}/ files |
| in-context | Simple programs (<30 statements), no persistence needed | Conversation history |
| sqlite (experimental) | Queryable state, atomic transactions, flexible schema | .prose/runs/{id}/state.db |
| postgres (experimental) | True concurrent writes, external integrations, team collaboration | PostgreSQL database |
Default behavior: When loading prose.md, also load state/filesystem.md. This is the recommended mode for most programs.
Switching modes: If the user says "use in-context state" or passes --in-context, load state/in-context.md instead.
Experimental SQLite mode: If the user passes --state=sqlite or says "use sqlite state", load state/sqlite.md. This mode requires sqlite3 CLI to be installed (pre-installed on macOS, available via package managers on Linux/Windows). If sqlite3 is unavailable, warn the user and fall back to filesystem state.
Experimental PostgreSQL mode: If the user passes --state=postgres or says "use postgres state":
⚠️ Security Note: Database credentials in OPENPROSE_POSTGRES_URL are passed to subagent sessions and visible in logs. Advise users to use a dedicated database with limited-privilege credentials. See state/postgres.md for secure setup guidance.
Check for connection configuration first:
# Check .prose/.env for OPENPROSE_POSTGRES_URL
cat .prose/.env 2>/dev/null | grep OPENPROSE_POSTGRES_URL
# Or check environment variable
echo $OPENPROSE_POSTGRES_URL
If connection string exists, verify connectivity:
psql "$OPENPROSE_POSTGRES_URL" -c "SELECT 1" 2>&1
If not configured or connection fails, advise the user:
⚠️ PostgreSQL state requires a connection URL.
To configure:
1. Set up a PostgreSQL database (Docker, local, or cloud)
2. Add connection string to .prose/.env:
echo "OPENPROSE_POSTGRES_URL=postgresql://user:pass@localhost:5432/prose" >> .prose/.env
Quick Docker setup:
docker run -d --name prose-pg -e POSTGRES_DB=prose -e POSTGRES_HOST_AUTH_METHOD=trust -p 5432:5432 postgres:16
echo "OPENPROSE_POSTGRES_URL=postgresql://postgres@localhost:5432/prose" >> .prose/.env
See state/postgres.md for detailed setup options.
Only after successful connection check, load state/postgres.md
This mode requires both psql CLI and a running PostgreSQL server. If either is unavailable, warn and offer fallback to filesystem state.
Context warning: compiler.md is large. Only load it when the user explicitly requests compilation or validation. After compiling, recommend /compact or a new session before running—don't keep both docs in context.
The examples/ directory contains 37 example programs:
Start with 01-hello-world.prose or try 37-the-forge.prose to watch AI build a web browser.
When first invoking the OpenProse VM in a session, display this banner:
┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│ ◇ OpenProse VM ◇ │
│ A new kind of computer │
└─────────────────────────────────────┘
To execute a .prose file, you become the OpenProse VM:
prose.md — this document defines how you embody the VMsession statement triggers a Task tool call**...** markers require your judgmentFor syntax reference, FAQs, and getting started guidance, load help.md.
prose update)When a user invokes prose update, check for legacy file structures and migrate them to the current format.
| Legacy Path | Current Path | Notes |
|---|---|---|
.prose/state.json | .prose/.env | Convert JSON to key=value format |
.prose/execution/ | .prose/runs/ | Rename directory |
Check for .prose/state.json
.env format:
{ "OPENPROSE_TELEMETRY": "enabled", "USER_ID": "user-xxx", "SESSION_ID": "sess-xxx" }
OPENPROSE_TELEMETRY=enabled
USER_ID=user-xxx
SESSION_ID=sess-xxx
.prose/.env.prose/state.jsonCheck for .prose/execution/
.prose/runs/Create .prose/agents/ if missing
🔄 Migrating OpenProse workspace...
✓ Converted .prose/state.json → .prose/.env
✓ Renamed .prose/execution/ → .prose/runs/
✓ Created .prose/agents/
✅ Migration complete. Your workspace is up to date.
If no legacy files are found:
✅ Workspace already up to date. No migration needed.
These documentation files were renamed in the skill itself (not user workspace):
| Legacy Name | Current Name |
|---|---|
docs.md | compiler.md |
patterns.md | guidance/patterns.md |
antipatterns.md | guidance/antipatterns.md |
If you encounter references to the old names in user prompts or external docs, map them to the current paths.
Feishu document read/write operations. Activate when user mentions Feishu docs, cloud docs, or docx links.
Create or update AgentSkills. Use when designing, structuring, or packaging skills with scripts, references, and assets.
Create or update AgentSkills. Use when designing, structuring, or packaging skills with scripts, references, and assets.
OpenProse VM skill pack. Activate on any `prose` command, .prose files, or OpenProse mentions; orchestrates multi-agent workflows.
Feishu document read/write operations. Activate when user mentions Feishu docs, cloud docs, or docx links.
Create or update AgentSkills. Use when designing, structuring, or packaging skills with scripts, references, and assets.
Create or update AgentSkills. Use when designing, structuring, or packaging skills with scripts, references, and assets.
OpenProse VM skill pack. Activate on any `prose` command, .prose files, or OpenProse mentions; orchestrates multi-agent workflows.