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Install in OpenClaw
/install openclaw-harness
Description
Cross-session context manager for AI agents with checkpoint/snapshot, Build-Verify-Fix closure, and entropy management (GC). Use when: (1) creating a task ch...
Usage Guidance
This skill appears to implement the advertised checkpoint/verify/GC features, but there are important mismatches and risks you should consider before installing or running it:
- Missing dependency/declarations: The code expects node, jq, openssl and other common utilities, but the skill metadata lists none. Verify/install those dependencies yourself or run the scripts in an environment where missing dependencies won't cause surprises.
- Review and restrict verify rules: The 'harness verify' mechanism can execute arbitrary shell commands via 'command' rules. Never run verify with untrusted rules. Inspect any --rule JSON before use and prefer file/pattern checks over command checks unless you trust the commands.
- Inspect memory-palace integration: The GC agent will try to call a 'memory-palace' node binary at an absolute path (/root/.openclaw/...). That may access workspace-level or root-owned data. If you don't run memory-palace, set ARCHIVE_PRIORITY=local or point MEMORY_PALACE_BIN to a trusted binary, or disable compression.
- Run in isolation first: Test the skill in a throwaway container or dedicated VM and run gc with --dry-run initially. Do not enable daemon mode until you audit behavior.
- Do not blindly install hooks: The docs mention pre-commit hooks that run harness verify and linter on commits — review those hooks before adding them; they could block commits or run commands during commits.
- Ask the publisher for provenance: There is no homepage or clear source origin. If you need to use it in production, request a signed release, dependency list, and explicit explanation of why absolute paths are used and what memory-palace does.
If you proceed, prefer changing defaults to local-only operations, disable daemon mode, run GC only with --dry-run first, and ensure the .harness root is inside the project directory (not /root) to avoid touching unrelated data.
Capability Analysis
Type: OpenClaw Skill
Name: openclaw-harness
Version: 1.0.3
The openclaw-harness skill bundle is a legitimate workspace and context management utility for AI agents, providing features for state snapshotting (checkpoints), task verification, and automated cleanup (GC). The bundle includes robust safety mechanisms such as a 'safe file' list in lib/harness-core.sh to prevent the deletion of critical identity and memory files, a trash system for archived deletions, and detailed logging in bin/gc-agent.sh. While the tool possesses high-risk capabilities like file deletion and command execution for verification, these are strictly aligned with its stated purpose and are implemented with appropriate safeguards and documentation.
Capability Assessment
Purpose & Capability
The name/description (checkpointing, verify, GC, progress) align with the provided scripts and documentation. The package also includes helper scripts to initialize/package skills which is plausible for a developer-focused harness. However the implementation relies on system tools (node, jq, openssl, sha256sum) and an external 'memory-palace' component at an absolute path (/root/.openclaw/...), none of which are declared in the skill metadata — this is an incoherence between declared requirements (none) and actual capabilities/dependencies.
Instruction Scope
SKILL.md tells the agent to run harness commands that operate on and modify local files (create/restore/delete checkpoints, compress MEMORY.md, run 'harness verify' etc.) — that is expected. But the verify subsystem supports 'command' checks that run arbitrary shell commands (e.g., 'npm run build' via a rule) which means the skill can execute arbitrary commands in the workspace when asked; SKILL.md exposes CLI options that accept JSON rules from the caller. The gc-agent can run as a daemon and will read/write/trim files across .harness and, via memory-palace integration, read MEMORY.md and invoke a node-based archiver. The instructions are not explicit about the required binaries or the fact that verification can execute arbitrary commands — this broad, under-documented power is a risk.
Install Mechanism
No install spec is provided (instruction-only), which is lower risk by itself. But the skill ships many executable scripts in-bin and libs; there is no documented dependency list or installer. That means users may run these scripts without realizing they require node/jq/openssl and may call other binaries. No remote download URLs are used in the install spec (none present), so there is no obvious remote-exec install risk, but missing declared dependencies is a usability/security mismatch.
Credentials
The registry metadata declares no required environment variables or credentials, but the runtime code references and uses several environment/config variables and hard-coded paths: OPENCLAW_WORKSPACE, MEMORY_PALACE_BIN, HARNESS_DIR, and defaults to /root/.openclaw/workspace and /root/.openclaw/workspace/skills/memory-palace/bin/memory-palace.js. The scripts also expect and call system tools (node, jq, openssl, sha256sum). Requesting/assuming access to /root/.openclaw (an absolute path outside a project directory) is disproportionate to a tool described as a local workspace harness and could grant access to data outside the immediate project.
Persistence & Privilege
always:false (normal). The skill includes a GC agent that can run as a daemon (gc-agent.sh) and create lock/log files under .harness; running it as a background service is optional and under user control. Autonomous model invocation is allowed by default (disable-model-invocation:false) — not an exceptional privilege on the platform, but combined with the ability to run arbitrary commands via verify and to run a daemon, this increases the blast radius if misused. The skill does not assert it will modify other skills' configurations.
How to Use
- Make sure OpenClaw is installed (local or Docker)
- Run the install command in chat:
/install openclaw-harness - After installation, invoke the skill by name or use
/openclaw-harness - Provide required inputs per the skill's parameter spec and get structured output
Version History
v1.0.3
v1.0.3: Full package with all 10 submodules, .git excluded, clean
v1.0.2
v1.0.2: Fix .git exclusion bug; clean package with all 10 submodules
v1.0.1
Full package: all 10 submodules (harness init/checkpoint/status/verify/gc/progress/linter/fix/gc-agent)
v1.0.0
Initial release: Phase 1-4 complete with memory-palace integration
Metadata
Frequently Asked Questions
What is OpenClaw Harness?
Cross-session context manager for AI agents with checkpoint/snapshot, Build-Verify-Fix closure, and entropy management (GC). Use when: (1) creating a task ch... It is an AI Agent Skill for Claude Code / OpenClaw, with 142 downloads so far.
How do I install OpenClaw Harness?
Run "/install openclaw-harness" in the OpenClaw or Claude Code chat to install it in one step — no extra setup required.
Is OpenClaw Harness free?
Yes, OpenClaw Harness is completely free, licensed under MIT-0. You can download, install and use it at no cost.
Which platforms does OpenClaw Harness support?
OpenClaw Harness is cross-platform and runs anywhere OpenClaw / Claude Code is available (cross-platform).
Who created OpenClaw Harness?
It is built and maintained by 蓝宙 (@lanzhou3); the current version is v1.0.3.
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