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caveman-compress

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Compress a memory file such as CLAUDE.md or a todo list into caveman format to save input tokens, keeping a readable backup. Sends the file's text to the configured model provider. Trigger: /caveman-compress.

skills/caveman-compress/SKILL.md

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Network or broad shell
Last checked
Nov 9, 2026

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118,757
Repository last updated
Nov 9, 2026
License
Apache-2.0

Observed agent integration: No specific integration evidence. Standard SKILL.md installation does not imply verified compatibility.

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# Caveman Compress

## Purpose

> **Data leaves the machine.** Compression sends the file's full text to the model provider that `scripts/compress.py` is configured for: the `claude` CLI, the Anthropic API, or an OpenAI-compatible endpoint. Files whose names look like secrets (`.env`, `credentials`, `secrets`, `.netrc`, …) are refused before they are read, and a file whose text holds a credential (a private key block, or a cloud, Git host or model API token) is refused before anything is sent. Don't compress a file the provider shouldn't see.

Compress natural language files (CLAUDE.md, todos, preferences) into caveman-speak to reduce input tokens. Compressed version overwrites original. Human-readable backup saved as `<filename>.original.md`, but NOT beside the source file — it lives in an out-of-tree data dir (`$XDG_DATA_HOME/caveman-compress/backups/<parent-dir-name>/`, or `%LOCALAPPDATA%\caveman-compress\backups\<parent-dir-name>\` on Windows) so skill auto-loaders don't re-ingest it as a live file.

## Trigger

`/caveman-compress <filepath>` or when user asks to compress a memory file.

**Requires an explicit filepath.** If the user pastes raw text instead of naming a file, do NOT improvise an inline compression — ask them for the filepath to compress, or offer to save the pasted text to a file first. Writing your own reasoning/commentary about the request into the compressed output (e.g. "User passed text directly, not a filepath...") is the exact failure this guards against — never let that leak into a saved file.
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