/upgrade
Update vault to the latest version of obsidian-claude-pkm. Creates backup, shows diffs, preserves your content. Use when a new version is available.
$ npx -y skills add ballred/obsidian-claude-pkm --skill upgrade --agent claude-codeHow it fires
How this skill gets triggered: by you, by Claude, or both.
- Fires itselfAuto-invocation. Claude auto-loads it when your prompt matches the work.Auto-invocation is when the right skill fires by itself at the right moment, driven by a FLOW.md router and a hook, instead of you invoking it by name. It is the difference between a skill being installed and a skill actually getting used.Read the full definition →
- You can call itInvoke it directly when you want it.
- Slash command
/upgrade
Context preview
The summary Claude sees to decide when to auto-load this skill.
Update vault to the latest version of obsidian-claude-pkm. Creates backup, shows diffs, preserves your content. Use when a new version is available.
SKILL.md
upgrade.SKILL.mdname: upgrade
description: Update vault to the latest version of obsidian-claude-pkm. Creates backup, shows diffs, preserves your content. Use when a new version is available.
allowed-tools: Read, Write, Edit, Glob, Grep, Bash
model: sonnet
user-invocable: true
Upgrade Skill
Updates your vault's system files to the latest version while preserving all your personal content.
Usage
/upgrade # Interactive upgrade with backup and diff review
/upgrade check # Preview what's changed without making modifications
What Gets Updated (System Files)
- `.claude/skills/*/SKILL.md` — Skill definitions
- `.claude/agents/*.md` — Agent configurations
- `.claude/hooks/*.sh` — Automation scripts
- `.claude/rules/*.md` — Convention rules
- `.claude/output-styles/*.md` — Output style definitions
- `.claude/settings.json` — Permissions and hook config
- `CLAUDE.md` — Root context file (merged carefully)
- `Templates/*.md` — Note templates
What Never Gets Touched (Your Content)
- `Daily Notes/**` — Your daily journal entries
- `Goals/**` — Your goal files and reviews
- `Projects/**` — Your project folders and CLAUDE.md files
- `Archives/**` — Your archived content
- `Inbox/**` — Your captured items
- `CLAUDE.local.md` — Your personal overrides
- `vault-config.json` — Your preferences
Upgrade Process
Step 1: Check for Updates
Read the current version from `CLAUDE.md` (look for "System Version:" line).
Compare with the upstream repo. If using git:
git fetch origin
git log HEAD..origin/main --oneline
If not a git repo or no remote, inform user they need to download the latest `vault-template/` manually.
Step 2: Create Backup
Before any changes, create a timestamped backup:
BACKUP_DIR=".backup/upgrade-$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S)"
mkdir -p "$BACKUP_DIR"
cp -r .claude "$BACKUP_DIR/"
cp CLAUDE.md "$BACKUP_DIR/"
cp -r Templates "$BACKUP_DIR/" 2>/dev/null
Tell the user: "Backup created at $BACKUP_DIR"
Step 3: Diff Review
For each system file that differs from upstream: 1. Show a summary of what changed (additions, removals, modifications) 2. Ask user to confirm: "Apply this update? (yes/skip/stop)" 3. If yes: apply the change 4. If skip: leave this file unchanged 5. If stop: halt the upgrade (backup remains, partial changes preserved)
Step 4: Apply Changes
For each confirmed file:
- Copy the new version from upstream
- For `CLAUDE.md`: merge carefully — preserve user customizations (Personal Mission, Current Focus sections) while updating system sections (Skills table, version number)
- For `settings.json`: merge — add new permissions/hooks, preserve existing customizations
Step 5: Post-Upgrade
1. Make hook scripts executable: `chmod +x .claude/hooks/*.sh` 2. Show summary of changes applied 3. Update version in CLAUDE.md 4. Suggest running `/onboard` to reload context
Check Mode (`/upgrade check`)
When invoked with "check": 1. Compare system files against upstream 2. List files that would be updated with brief change description 3. Show version numbers (current → available) 4. Do NOT make any changes 5. Suggest running `/upgrade` to apply
Output Format
## Upgrade Check
**Current version:** 3.0 (The Cascade)
**Available version:** 3.1
### Files to Update
| File | Change Summary |
|------|---------------|
| `.claude/skills/daily/SKILL.md` | Added cascade context surfacing |
| `.claude/agents/goal-aligner.md` | Added memory: project |
| `.claude/hooks/session-init.sh` | Added priority surfacing |
### New Files
- `.claude/skills/review/SKILL.md` — Smart review router
- `.claude/hooks/skill-discovery.sh` — Auto-list skills
### No Changes Needed
- `.claude/rules/` — Already up to date
Run `/upgrade` to apply these updates (backup will be created first).
Safety Features
- Complete backup before any modification
- File-by-file confirmation
- Can be stopped at any point
- User content folders are never touched
- `CLAUDE.local.md` personal overrides preserved
- Backup includes restoration instructions
Error Handling
- If no git remote: guide user to download latest vault-template manually
- If backup fails: abort entire upgrade
- If a file copy fails: report error, continue with next file
- Always leave vault in a usable state
Integration
Works with:
- `/onboard` — Reload context after upgrade
- Session init hook — Will reflect updated priorities
Read more
name: upgrade description: Update vault to the latest version of obsidian-claude-pkm. Creates backup, shows diffs, preserves your content. Use when a new version is available. allowed-tools: Read, Write, Edit, Glob, Grep, Bash model: sonnet user-invocable: true
Upgrade Skill
Updates your vault's system files to the latest version while preserving all your personal content.
Usage
/upgrade # Interactive upgrade with backup and diff review /upgrade check # Preview what's changed without making modifications
What Gets Updated (System Files)
- `.claude/skills/*/SKILL.md` — Skill definitions
- `.claude/agents/*.md` — Agent configurations
- `.claude/hooks/*.sh` — Automation scripts
- `.claude/rules/*.md` — Convention rules
- `.claude/output-styles/*.md` — Output style definitions
- `.claude/settings.json` — Permissions and hook config
- `CLAUDE.md` — Root context file (merged carefully)
- `Templates/*.md` — Note templates
What Never Gets Touched (Your Content)
- `Daily Notes/**` — Your daily journal entries
- `Goals/**` — Your goal files and reviews
- `Projects/**` — Your project folders and CLAUDE.md files
- `Archives/**` — Your archived content
- `Inbox/**` — Your captured items
- `CLAUDE.local.md` — Your personal overrides
- `vault-config.json` — Your preferences
Upgrade Process
Step 1: Check for Updates
Read the current version from `CLAUDE.md` (look for "System Version:" line).
Compare with the upstream repo. If using git:
git fetch origin git log HEAD..origin/main --oneline
If not a git repo or no remote, inform user they need to download the latest `vault-template/` manually.
Step 2: Create Backup
Before any changes, create a timestamped backup:
BACKUP_DIR=".backup/upgrade-$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S)" mkdir -p "$BACKUP_DIR" cp -r .claude "$BACKUP_DIR/" cp CLAUDE.md "$BACKUP_DIR/" cp -r Templates "$BACKUP_DIR/" 2>/dev/null
Tell the user: "Backup created at $BACKUP_DIR"
Step 3: Diff Review
For each system file that differs from upstream: 1. Show a summary of what changed (additions, removals, modifications) 2. Ask user to confirm: "Apply this update? (yes/skip/stop)" 3. If yes: apply the change 4. If skip: leave this file unchanged 5. If stop: halt the upgrade (backup remains, partial changes preserved)
Step 4: Apply Changes
For each confirmed file:
- Copy the new version from upstream
- For `CLAUDE.md`: merge carefully — preserve user customizations (Personal Mission, Current Focus sections) while updating system sections (Skills table, version number)
- For `settings.json`: merge — add new permissions/hooks, preserve existing customizations
Step 5: Post-Upgrade
1. Make hook scripts executable: `chmod +x .claude/hooks/*.sh` 2. Show summary of changes applied 3. Update version in CLAUDE.md 4. Suggest running `/onboard` to reload context
Check Mode (`/upgrade check`)
When invoked with "check": 1. Compare system files against upstream 2. List files that would be updated with brief change description 3. Show version numbers (current → available) 4. Do NOT make any changes 5. Suggest running `/upgrade` to apply
Output Format
## Upgrade Check **Current version:** 3.0 (The Cascade) **Available version:** 3.1 ### Files to Update | File | Change Summary | |------|---------------| | `.claude/skills/daily/SKILL.md` | Added cascade context surfacing | | `.claude/agents/goal-aligner.md` | Added memory: project | | `.claude/hooks/session-init.sh` | Added priority surfacing | ### New Files - `.claude/skills/review/SKILL.md` — Smart review router - `.claude/hooks/skill-discovery.sh` — Auto-list skills ### No Changes Needed - `.claude/rules/` — Already up to date Run `/upgrade` to apply these updates (backup will be created first).
Safety Features
- Complete backup before any modification
- File-by-file confirmation
- Can be stopped at any point
- User content folders are never touched
- `CLAUDE.local.md` personal overrides preserved
- Backup includes restoration instructions
Error Handling
- If no git remote: guide user to download latest vault-template manually
- If backup fails: abort entire upgrade
- If a file copy fails: report error, continue with next file
- Always leave vault in a usable state
Integration
Works with:
- `/onboard` — Reload context after upgrade
- Session init hook — Will reflect updated priorities
Not another PKM starter kit. This is an execution system that connects your 3-year vision to what you do today — and holds you accountable with AI. Every layer connects. /daily surfaces your ONE Big Thing from the weekly review. /weekly shows project progress.
Other skills on obsidian-claude-pkm.
- /adopt
Scaffold the PKM system onto an existing Obsidian vault. Scans your vault structure, maps folders interactively, and generates configuration — no template required.
Open skill - /check-links
Find broken wiki-links in the vault. Read-only analysis — scans for [[links]] and verifies target files exist. No writes, no dependencies.
Open skill - /daily
Create daily notes and manage morning, midday, and evening routines. Structure daily planning, task review, and end-of-day reflection. Use for daily productivity routines or when asked to create today's note.
Open skill - /goal-tracking
Track progress toward 3-year, yearly, monthly, and weekly goals. Calculate completion percentages, surface stalled goals, connect daily tasks to objectives. Use for goal reviews and progress tracking.
Open skill - /monthly
Monthly review and planning. Roll up weekly reviews, check quarterly milestones, set next month's focus. Use at end of month or start of new month.
Open skill - /obsidian-vault-ops
Read and write Obsidian vault files, manage wiki-links, process markdown with YAML frontmatter. Use when working with vault file operations, creating notes, or managing links.
Open skill

