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lanzhou3

OpenClaw Harness

by 蓝宙 · GitHub ↗ · v1.0.3 · MIT-0
cross-platform ⚠ suspicious
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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
  1. Make sure OpenClaw is installed (local or Docker)
  2. Run the install command in chat: /install openclaw-harness
  3. After installation, invoke the skill by name or use /openclaw-harness
  4. 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
Slug openclaw-harness
Version 1.0.3
License MIT-0
All-time Installs 0
Active Installs 0
Total Versions 4
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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