/librarian

name: librarian
description: Cache and refresh remote git repositories under ~/.cache/checkouts/<host>/<org>/<repo> so future references can reuse a local copy. Use this skill when the user points you to a remote git repository as reference or you encountered a remote git repo through other means.

Use this skill when the user points you to a remote git repository (GitHub/GitLab/Bitbucket URLs, `git@...`, or `owner/repo` shorthand).

The goal is to keep a reusable local checkout that is:

• **stable** (predictable path)
• **up to date** (periodic fetch + fast-forward when safe)
• **efficient** (partial clone with `--filter=blob:none`, no repeated full clones)

Cache location

Repositories are stored at:

`~/.cache/checkouts/<host>/<org>/<repo>`

Example:

`github.com/mitsuhiko/minijinja` → `~/.cache/checkouts/github.com/mitsuhiko/minijinja`

Command

bash checkout.sh <repo> --path-only

Examples:

bash checkout.sh mitsuhiko/minijinja --path-only
bash checkout.sh github.com/mitsuhiko/minijinja --path-only
bash checkout.sh https://github.com/mitsuhiko/minijinja --path-only

The script will: 1. Parse the repo reference into host/org/repo. 2. Clone if missing. 3. Reuse existing checkout if present. 4. Fetch from `origin` when stale (default interval: 300s). 5. Attempt a fast-forward merge if the checkout is clean and has an upstream.

Update strategy

• Default behavior is **throttled refresh** (every 5 minutes) to avoid unnecessary network calls.
• Force immediate refresh with:

bash checkout.sh <repo> --force-update --path-only

Recommended workflow

1. Resolve repository path via `checkout.sh --path-only`. 2. Use that path for searching, reading, and analysis. 3. On later references to the same repo, call `checkout.sh` again; it will find and update the cached checkout.

If edits are needed

Prefer not to edit directly in the shared cache. Create a separate worktree or copy from the cached checkout for task-specific modifications.

Notes

• `owner/repo` defaults to `github.com`.