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Caveman Input Compression

by austrian_guy · GitHub ↗ · v0.1.0 · MIT-0
cross-platform ⚠ suspicious
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Install in OpenClaw
/install caveman-compress
Description
Compress workspace bootstrap files into caveman-speak to reduce input tokens on every session load. Creates .original.md backups before overwriting.
README (SKILL.md)

Caveman Input Compression Skill

Identity

Compress natural language workspace files into caveman-speak (~45% fewer input tokens). Creates .original.md backup before overwriting.

Supported Files

Always safe to compress:

  • SOUL.md ✅
  • IDENTITY.md ✅
  • USER.md ✅

Feature-flagged (requires env var set):

  • AGENTS.md 🔒 (CAVEMAN_COMPRESS_AGENTS=1)
  • HEARTBEAT.md 🔒 (CAVEMAN_COMPRESS_HEARTBEAT=1)
  • MEMORY.md 🔒 (CAVEMAN_COMPRESS_MEMORY=1)

Security

  • No shell=True in subprocess calls
  • No user content as shell arguments
  • Files >500KB rejected
  • .original.md backup created before overwrite
  • Aborts if backup already exists (prevents accidental overwrite)

API Fallback Chain

Models tried in order:

  1. claude CLI (desktop auth) - Primary
  2. MiniMax (OpenAI-compatible) - Requires MINIMAX_BASE_URL + MINIMAX_API_KEY
  3. DeepSeek (OpenAI-compatible) - Requires DEEPSEEK_API_KEY

Uses subprocess + curl, no OpenAI SDK required.

Usage

# Compress a specific file
python3 -m skills.caveman_compress.scripts.compress /home/pi/.openclaw/workspace/SOUL.md

# Dry run (no write, just preview)
python3 -m skills.caveman_compress.scripts.compress --dry-run /home/pi/.openclaw/workspace/SOUL.md

# Feature flags (environment variables)
CAVEMAN_COMPRESS_AGENTS=1 /home/pi/.openclaw/workspace/scripts/caveman-enable.sh

Model Override

Set COMPRESSION_MODEL env var to use specific model:

COMPRESSION_MODEL=deepseek32 python3 -m skills.caveman_compress.scripts.compress SOUL.md

Default: deepseek32 (cheap, fast)

References

Usage Guidance
This skill is likely what it claims (a workspace markdown compressor) but has small inconsistencies and a few security-relevant behaviors you should be aware of: (1) the backup filename in code is '.md.original' whereas SKILL.md says '.original.md' — confirm where backups will land before running; (2) the implementation passes your file content and API keys to subprocess commands (claude CLI and curl) as command arguments, which can expose them to other local processes via the process list — prefer a dry-run or run in a sandbox first; (3) the claude path does not truncate input, so very large files could break the call; (4) SKILL.md's safety claims (no user content as shell arguments) are misleading. Before installing: review and test the code in a safe environment, run the --dry-run option, ensure you trust any remote base_url/DEEPSEEK endpoints you configure, and back up workspace files manually so you can recover if behavior differs from the documentation.
Capability Analysis
Type: OpenClaw Skill Name: caveman-compress Version: 0.1.0 The skill compresses workspace files by sending their content to external LLM APIs (Claude, MiniMax, and DeepSeek) using subprocess calls to 'curl' and the 'claude' CLI. While it includes safety features such as path validation (restricting access to the ~/.openclaw/workspace directory), file size limits (500KB), and atomic backup creation, the inherent behavior of transmitting workspace data to third-party endpoints and handling API keys via environment variables in shell commands is high-risk. Additionally, a functional bug exists in scripts/compress.py where it attempts to call 'is_technically_intact' without importing it from scripts/validate.py, which would cause a runtime error.
Capability Assessment
✓ Purpose & Capability
Name/description match the code: it compresses markdown files under ~/.openclaw/workspace, creates a backup, and uses a model fallback chain (claude CLI → OpenAI-compatible endpoints → DeepSeek). The requested credentials (optional API keys) are proportional to this purpose.
⚠ Instruction Scope
SKILL.md claims 'No user content as shell arguments' and 'Creates .original.md backups', but the implementation: (1) sends user content to subprocess.run for the claude CLI and for curl's -d argument (content appears as command arguments), and (2) creates backups with a different suffix (code uses .md.original, SKILL.md says .original.md). The claude path does not truncate content, so very long files could exceed command-line argument limits. The code does limit content for OpenAI-compatible fallback to 10k chars, but not for claude.
✓ Install Mechanism
No install spec (instruction-only install) and the package is just Python files included in the skill. Nothing is being downloaded or extracted from third-party URLs during install.
ℹ Credentials
No required env vars declared in registry, but the code optionally uses MINIMAX_BASE_URL, MINIMAX_API_KEY, OPENAI_API_KEY, DEEPSEEK_API_KEY, COMPRESSION_MODEL and feature flags like CAVEMAN_COMPRESS_MEMORY. These are reasonable for remote model access. However, API keys are passed as literal command arguments/headers to curl and appear on the subprocess command line (and therefore might be visible to other local processes), which is a sensitive handling detail the SKILL.md does not call out.
✓ Persistence & Privilege
Skill is not always-enabled, does not request elevated system persistence, and does not modify other skills or system-wide settings. It operates as a one-shot on explicit paths.
How to Use
  1. Make sure OpenClaw is installed (local or Docker)
  2. Run the install command in chat: /install caveman-compress
  3. After installation, invoke the skill by name or use /caveman-compress
  4. Provide required inputs per the skill's parameter spec and get structured output
Version History
v0.1.0
Initial release of caveman-compress. - Compresses workspace bootstrap files into caveman-speak, reducing input tokens by ~45%. - Creates `.original.md` backup before overwriting files and aborts if backup exists. - Only compresses SOUL.md, IDENTITY.md, and USER.md by default; AGENTS.md, HEARTBEAT.md, and MEMORY.md require feature flags. - Files larger than 500KB are rejected for safety. - Supports multiple model backends (claude CLI, MiniMax, DeepSeek) using subprocess + curl. - Includes dry-run option and environment variable controls for model and file support.
Metadata
Slug caveman-compress
Version 0.1.0
License MIT-0
All-time Installs 0
Active Installs 0
Total Versions 1
Frequently Asked Questions

What is Caveman Input Compression?

Compress workspace bootstrap files into caveman-speak to reduce input tokens on every session load. Creates .original.md backups before overwriting. It is an AI Agent Skill for Claude Code / OpenClaw, with 85 downloads so far.

How do I install Caveman Input Compression?

Run "/install caveman-compress" in the OpenClaw or Claude Code chat to install it in one step — no extra setup required.

Is Caveman Input Compression free?

Yes, Caveman Input Compression is completely free, licensed under MIT-0. You can download, install and use it at no cost.

Which platforms does Caveman Input Compression support?

Caveman Input Compression is cross-platform and runs anywhere OpenClaw / Claude Code is available (cross-platform).

Who created Caveman Input Compression?

It is built and maintained by austrian_guy (@ether-btc); the current version is v0.1.0.

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