microsoft-SkillOpt/docs/reference/cli.md

CLI Reference

Version note. This reference tracks main. PyPI 0.2.0 does not yet include the generic research openai_compatible backend, Sleep handoff, Sleep support for non-Azure OpenAI-compatible endpoints, the Sleep --preferences flag, the research cursor_exec target harness, or Cursor source/backend/plugin support, Pi source/backend support, or VS Code Copilot transcript harvesting; use a source install from main for those features until the next release.

Training

python scripts/train.py --config <config.yaml> [overrides...]
# Installed equivalent:
skillopt-train --config <config.yaml> [overrides...]

Arguments

Argument	Description
--config	Path to YAML config file (required)
--cfg-options key=value [...]	Override structured config parameters

Examples

# Basic training
python scripts/train.py \
  --config configs/searchqa/default.yaml \
  --out_root outputs/searchqa_run

# With overrides
python scripts/train.py \
  --config configs/searchqa/default.yaml \
  --cfg-options optimizer.learning_rate=16 optimizer.lr_scheduler=linear

# With custom initial skill
python scripts/train.py \
  --config configs/searchqa/default.yaml \
  --cfg-options env.skill_init=skills/my_seed.md

Evaluation

python scripts/eval_only.py --config <config.yaml> --skill <skill.md>
# Installed equivalent:
skillopt-eval --config <config.yaml> --skill <skill.md>

Arguments

Argument	Description
--config	Path to YAML config file (required)
--skill	Path to skill document to evaluate (required)
--split	train, valid_seen, valid_unseen, or all (default)
--cfg-options	One or more section.key=value overrides

Examples

# Evaluate best skill on test set
python scripts/eval_only.py \
  --config configs/searchqa/default.yaml \
  --skill outputs/searchqa_run/best_skill.md \
  --split valid_unseen

# Evaluate on validation set
python scripts/eval_only.py \
  --config configs/searchqa/default.yaml \
  --skill outputs/searchqa_run/best_skill.md \
  --split valid_seen

--skill consumes the artifact produced by training. Unless --out_root is set for evaluation, eval_only.py creates a separate timestamped outputs/eval_<env>_<model>_<timestamp>/ directory and writes eval_summary.json there; it does not modify the training run directory.

For the generic OpenAI-compatible research backend, select the role backends explicitly:

python scripts/train.py \
  --config configs/searchqa/default.yaml \
  --cfg-options \
    model.optimizer_backend=openai_compatible \
    model.target_backend=openai_compatible \
    model.optimizer=deepseek-chat \
    model.target=deepseek-chat

To benchmark an installed, authenticated Cursor Agent through an environment that supports exec targets:

python scripts/eval_only.py \
  --config configs/searchqa/default.yaml \
  --skill skills/my_skill.md \
  --cfg-options \
    model.optimizer_backend=openai_chat \
    model.target_backend=cursor_exec \
    model.target=composer-2.5

cursor_exec runs the target only; the optimizer remains separately configured. Read-only rollouts use Cursor Ask mode. Rollouts that request file edits use --force inside the benchmark workspace, with Cursor sandboxing enabled. The harness refuses file-edit rollouts when the Cursor sandbox is disabled. Read-only Ask-mode rollouts may explicitly disable it. Override the executable or sandbox through model.cursor_exec_path and model.cursor_exec_sandbox.

SkillOpt-Sleep

skillopt-sleep <action> [options]
# Equivalent from a source checkout:
python -m skillopt_sleep <action> [options]

Actions are run, dry-run, status, adopt, harvest, schedule, and unschedule. Common options include:

Argument	Description
--project PATH	Project used for transcript scope, targets, state, and staging (default: current directory)
--scope invoked|all	Harvest this project or all projects
--source claude|codex|copilot|cursor|pi|auto	Transcript source; auto keeps Codex-then-Claude precedence and does not select Copilot, Cursor, or Pi
--backend mock|claude|codex|copilot|cursor|pi|handoff|azure_openai	Replay/optimizer backend
--model NAME	Backend-specific model override
--cursor-home PATH	Override ~/.cursor for Cursor transcript harvesting
--pi-home PATH	Parent directory containing Pi's agent/sessions tree (default: ~/.pi)
--vscode-workspace-storage PATH	Override VS Code's User/workspaceStorage root for Copilot transcript harvesting
--cursor-path PATH	Path to the installed Cursor Agent CLI
--pi-path PATH	Path to the installed Pi coding-agent CLI
--preferences TEXT	House rules supplied to reflection
--lookback-hours N	Initial transcript lookback; 0 scans all history
--max-sessions N / --max-tasks N	Bound the harvested workload
--target-skill-path PATH	Explicit skill document to stage/adopt
--tasks-file PATH	Replay a reviewed task JSON file instead of harvesting
--edit-budget N	Maximum bounded edits for the night
--progress / --json	Progress or machine-readable output
--auto-adopt	Apply an accepted staged proposal automatically

The mock and handoff backends make no network calls. A real backend sends mining, replay, judging, and reflection prompts derived from harvested transcripts and tasks to its selected provider. Review that provider's data-retention and privacy policy before processing sensitive sessions.

VS Code GitHub Copilot Chat source

--source copilot reads local VS Code GitHub Copilot Chat session logs from the platform's stable and Insiders User/workspaceStorage locations, plus the portable location when VSCODE_PORTABLE is available. Use --vscode-workspace-storage PATH for a nonstandard root. Each workspace must have a readable adjacent workspace.json mapping to a local project; unmapped windows are skipped so project scoping cannot silently mix unrelated sessions. --source auto does not select Copilot.

The harvester retains user-entered prompts, visible assistant Markdown, and tool names from requests confirmed as GitHub Copilot Chat. It excludes system-initiated notifications, reasoning, tool inputs and outputs, rendered context, and account/model metadata. Known secret-shaped strings are redacted as defense in depth, but review harvested tasks before sending them to a model provider. Transcript harvesting is independent of --backend copilot, which invokes the GitHub Copilot CLI for model calls.

The managed schedule command does not persist --source or --vscode-workspace-storage. Before scheduling this source, set "transcript_source": "copilot" and, when needed, "vscode_workspace_storage": "/absolute/path/to/workspaceStorage" in ~/.skillopt-sleep/config.json.

Pi source and backend

--source pi reads local session JSONL files below ~/.pi/agent/sessions; use --pi-home PATH to select the parent directory that contains agent/sessions. This local source does not require the Pi CLI or provider authentication. It retains user/assistant text, tool names, and lexical feedback found in user text, while excluding thinking, tool arguments, tool outputs, images, and unrelated metadata. The absolute project cwd from the session header is retained for scope filtering and may appear in miner prompts sent to a real backend and its provider. Known secret-shaped strings in retained message text are redacted as defense in depth, not as a guarantee. Pi is an explicit source: --source auto retains Codex-then-Claude precedence and does not select it.

Transcript source and model backend are independent. --backend pi launches a locally installed, authenticated Pi CLI and makes real provider calls for mining, replay, judging, and reflection. Use --pi-path PATH to select its executable and --model NAME to override its configured model:

skillopt-sleep run --project "$(pwd)" \
  --source pi --backend pi --pi-path /absolute/path/to/pi \
  --model provider/model --max-sessions 5 --max-tasks 3 --progress

For these calls, SkillOpt disables Pi tools, skills, context files, extensions, prompt templates, themes, and session writes. Pi authentication and model configuration remain available. It also enables Pi's offline startup mode, so configured npm/git packages are not installed or updated and model catalogs are not refreshed; the selected model provider is still contacted for generation. These controls should not be treated as permanent or complete isolation. The provider selected in Pi receives the transcript-derived prompts.

The managed schedule command preserves the backend but not --source, --pi-home, --pi-path, or --model. Before scheduling Pi, put transcript_source, pi_home, pi_path, and model in ~/.skillopt-sleep/config.json; use an absolute pi_path and verify authentication for the scheduled account.

Cursor source and backend

--source cursor reads local Cursor JSONL transcripts from ~/.cursor/projects/<workspace>/agent-transcripts/*/*.jsonl. Invoked scope uses Cursor's recorded workspace path, including when --project is a nested directory, and falls back to the sanitized storage name when metadata is not available. --scope all scans every workspace below cursor_home. The harvester retains user/assistant text, explicit turn errors, and tool names, while excluding tool arguments, tool outputs, and non-message records. It redacts known secret patterns and filters SkillOpt-generated replay sessions, but redaction is not a guarantee that outbound prompts contain no sensitive data.

--backend cursor launches an installed, authenticated cursor-agent, sends prompts over stdin, and parses its JSON result. SkillOpt reads the target skill and includes its text in replay prompts; it does not invoke that file as a native Cursor skill. Ordinary mining, replay, judging, and reflection calls use read-only Ask mode in a new empty temporary workspace. Project file reads, file writes, and MCP tools are denied. --project does not change that execution workspace.

Cursor tool-aware replay is temporarily disabled pending live Cursor permission-boundary validation. A task with a tool_called check fails nonzero before Agent mode starts and does not stage, adopt, cache, persist state, or advance the harvest checkpoint. Use another backend for such tasks. The current Cursor backend therefore does not provide end-to-end validation for skills that need repository inspection, real CLIs, browsers, running services, or file changes.

There is no implemented fresh-worktree Cursor replay. If a report says replay: mock, that is the prompt-replay label and does not mean the mock model backend was selected. Both run and dry-run perform real-backend provider calls; dry-run suppresses staging, adoption, and persisted state changes, not spend. Session and task limits do not impose hard provider-call, token, time, or monetary budgets. Cursor and its selected model provider can receive the prompt content.

Cursor-specific settings are available through the CLI, config, and environment:

Purpose	CLI	~/.skillopt-sleep/config.json	Environment
Transcript home	--cursor-home PATH	"cursor_home": "/path/to/.cursor"	none
Agent executable	--cursor-path PATH	"cursor_path": "/path/to/cursor-agent"	SKILLOPT_SLEEP_CURSOR_PATH
Model	--model NAME	"model": "NAME"	SKILLOPT_SLEEP_CURSOR_MODEL

Use cursor-agent --list-models to inspect model identifiers available to the authenticated account. When cost depends on a model variant, confirm the billed variant in Cursor's usage reporting rather than relying only on its display name.

Target the learned project skill explicitly so accepted updates are visible to Cursor without modifying the plugin's own skillopt-sleep workflow skill:

skillopt-sleep run --project "$(pwd)" \
  --source cursor --backend cursor \
  --target-skill-path .cursor/skills/skillopt-sleep-learned/SKILL.md \
  --max-sessions 5 --max-tasks 3 --progress

The first harvest uses a 72-hour lookback unless --lookback-hours is set. A value of 0 considers all available history while still respecting --max-sessions. A stateful run, including a run that mines no tasks, records a new harvest checkpoint; subsequent runs use that checkpoint rather than the initial lookback. Use harvest or dry-run to verify counts before the first stateful run.

The managed schedule command persists the project, backend, time, and optional auto-adopt setting only. It does not copy source, Cursor paths, model, or target skill flags into the scheduled command. Put transcript_source, cursor_home, cursor_path, model, and target_skill_path in the user config before scheduling Cursor. Keep target_skill_path project-relative as .cursor/skills/skillopt-sleep-learned/SKILL.md, prefer an absolute cursor_path, and verify authentication for the scheduled account because cron and Task Scheduler may have a minimal environment.

Backend-specific setup for compatible endpoints is documented in OpenAI-compatible endpoints for SkillOpt-Sleep.

WebUI

python -m skillopt_webui.app [--port PORT] [--share]

Argument	Default	Description
--port	7860	Port number
--host	0.0.0.0	Server bind address
--share	false	Create public Gradio link

The default host binds every network interface. Use --host 127.0.0.1 when the dashboard should be reachable only from the local machine.