Command reference

Every mdm command, subcommand, alias, and flag. For a narrative walkthrough of any command, follow the "Details" links to the dedicated guide pages.

Global flags

These persistent flags are available on every command:

Flag	Description
--verbose, -v	Print diagnostic steps to stderr
--help, -h	Show help for the command
--version	Print the mdm version (root command only)

Command tree

mdm
├── upgrade                                 # Self-update the binary (aliases: update-cli, self-update)
├── uninstall                               # Remove the binary (alias: remove-cli)
├── doctor                                  # Health-check installed skills & project markdown
├── completion [bash|zsh|fish|powershell]   # Generate shell completion
│   └── install                             # Write completion into your shell rc
├── skills                                  # Manage skills for AI agents
│   ├── add <package>                       # Install a skill (alias: a)
│   ├── remove [skills...]                  # Uninstall skills (aliases: rm, r)
│   ├── list                                # List installed skills (alias: ls)
│   ├── find [query]                        # Search skills.sh and install interactively (aliases: search, f, s)
│   ├── update [skills...]                  # Re-fetch from recorded source+ref (alias: check)
│   ├── audit [skills...]                   # Check for updates & security advisories
│   ├── init [name]                         # Scaffold a new SKILL.md
│   ├── install                             # Restore all skills from skills-lock.json
│   └── sync                                # Sync skills from node_modules
├── knowledge                               # [experimental] Manage OKF knowledge bundles
│   ├── add <source>                        # Install a bundle (alias: a)
│   ├── remove [bundles...]                 # Remove bundles (aliases: rm, r)
│   ├── list                                # List installed bundles (alias: ls)
│   ├── update [bundles...]                 # Re-fetch bundles
│   ├── validate [path]                     # Check OKF conformance & links
│   ├── init [name]                         # Scaffold a minimal bundle
│   └── install                             # Restore bundles from knowledge-lock.json
├── experimental                            # Manage experimental features
│   ├── list                                # Show features and status (alias: ls)
│   ├── enable <feature>                    # Persist an opt-in
│   └── disable <feature>                   # Remove a persisted opt-in
├── agents                                  # Manage the configured agent list
│   ├── list                                # Show configured agents (alias: ls)
│   ├── add [agents...]                     # Add agents (interactive with no args)
│   └── remove [agents...]                  # Remove agents & their unique files
└── rules                                   # Manage agent instruction files
    ├── link                                # Symlink instruction files to one AGENTS.md
    ├── status                              # Show which files exist/are symlinked/missing
    └── unlink                              # Remove symlinks, restore per-agent files

---

mdm skills

Manage skills — reusable markdown prompt libraries — for your AI agents.

skills add alias: a

Install a skill from GitHub, GitLab, a URL, or a local path.

mdm skills add <package>

<package> accepts GitHub shorthand (owner/repo), full GitHub/GitLab URLs, a git URL with a #ref, a local path, or a well-known alias (vercel, anthropic).

Flag	Description
--global, -g	Install globally (user-level, ~/.agents/skills/)
--project, -p	Force project-scope install
--agent, -a	Agents to install to (repeatable; * for all)
--skill, -s	Skill names to install (repeatable; * for all)
--list, -l	List available skills without installing
--yes, -y	Skip confirmation prompts
--copy	Copy files instead of symlinking
--all	Shorthand for --skill '*' --agent '*' -y
--full-depth	Search all subdirectories for skills
--skip-audit	Skip the security audit check for public skills
--fail-on-audit	Exit non-zero on security findings instead of prompting
--allow-hidden-chars	Allow markdown files with hidden Unicode characters

Details

skills remove aliases: rm, r

Uninstall one or more skills.

mdm skills remove [skills...]

Flag	Description
--global, -g	Remove from global scope
--agent, -a	Remove from specific agents (repeatable)
--skill, -s	Skill names to remove (repeatable)
--yes, -y	Skip confirmation prompts
--all	Shorthand for --skill '*' --agent '*' -y

Details

skills list alias: ls

List installed skills.

mdm skills list

Flag	Description
--global, -g	List global skills
--project, -p	List project skills
--json	Output as JSON

Details

skills find aliases: search, f, s

Search the skills.sh registry and install interactively.

mdm skills find [query]

Flag	Description
--json	Output results as JSON without installing
--source	List skills available at a remote source without installing

Details

skills update alias: check

Re-fetch skills from their recorded source and ref in the lock file.

mdm skills update [skills...]

Flag	Description
--global, -g	Update global skills only
--project, -p	Update project skills only
--yes, -y	Skip the scope prompt
--allow-hidden-chars	Allow markdown files with hidden Unicode characters

Details

skills audit

Check installed skills for available updates and OSV security advisories.

mdm skills audit [skills...]

Flag	Description
--global, -g	Audit global skills only
--project, -p	Audit project skills only
--json	Output as JSON
--source, -r	Pre-install audit: owner/repo or URL to audit before installing
--skill, -s	Skill name to audit (use with --source)

Details

skills init

Scaffold a new SKILL.md in the current directory.

mdm skills init [name]

Details

skills install

Restore all skills from skills-lock.json — ideal for CI and onboarding.

mdm skills install

Flag	Description
--yes, -y	Skip confirmation prompts
--allow-hidden-chars	Allow markdown files with hidden Unicode characters

Details

skills sync

Sync skills from node_modules into each agent's skill directories.

mdm skills sync

Flag	Description
--yes, -y	Skip confirmation prompts
--allow-hidden-chars	Allow markdown files with hidden Unicode characters

Details

---

mdm rules

Manage agent instruction files (CLAUDE.md, AGENTS.md, .cursorrules, and friends) by pointing them all at a single source of truth.

Command	Description
rules link	Symlink all agent instruction files to one AGENTS.md
rules status	Show which instruction files exist, are symlinked, or missing
rules unlink	Remove symlinks and restore per-agent instruction files

Flag (on link / status / unlink)	Description
--agent, -a	Limit to specific agents (repeatable)
--json	Output status as a JSON array (status)

Details

---

mdm agents

Manage the configured agent list used as default install targets. Works at both project and global scope.

Command	Description
agents list (ls)	Show configured agents for the current scope
agents add [agents...]	Add agents (interactive picker with no args)
agents remove [agents...]	Remove agents and their unique skill/instruction files

Flag	Applies to	Description
--global, -g	all	Operate on the global configured-agent list
--json	list	Output as JSON
--available	list	List all agents known to mdm, not just configured ones
--yes, -y	remove	Skip confirmation prompts

Details

---

mdm knowledge experimental

Manage Open Knowledge Format (OKF) bundles. Hidden until enabled — see experimental features.

Command	Description
knowledge add <source> (a)	Install a bundle into ./knowledge/ and record it
knowledge remove [bundles...] (rm, r)	Remove bundles and their lock entries
knowledge list (ls)	List installed bundles
knowledge update [bundles...]	Re-fetch bundles from their recorded source+ref
knowledge validate [path]	Check OKF conformance and link integrity
knowledge init [name]	Scaffold a minimal conformant bundle
knowledge install	Restore all bundles from knowledge-lock.json

Flag	Applies to	Description
--dir	add	Directory to install bundles into (relative to project root)
--bundle, -b	add	Bundle names to install (repeatable; * for all)
--yes, -y	remove	Skip confirmation prompts
--json	validate	Print the validation report as JSON
--allow-hidden-chars	add / update / install	Allow markdown files with hidden Unicode characters

Details

---

mdm experimental

Toggle experimental feature gates. Features can also be enabled via the MDM_EXPERIMENTAL environment variable (comma-separated names, or all).

Command	Description
experimental list (ls)	Show experimental features and their status
experimental enable <feature>	Persist an opt-in
experimental disable <feature>	Remove a persisted opt-in

Currently available features:

Feature	Description
knowledge	Manage OKF knowledge bundles (mdm knowledge)

Details

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mdm doctor

Check installed skills and project markdown for health issues — broken symlinks, hash mismatches, missing READMEs, and oversized markdown files.

mdm doctor

Flag	Description
--global, -g	Check global skills only
--project, -p	Check project skills only

Details

---

mdm upgrade aliases: update-cli, self-update

Download and replace the mdm binary from GitHub releases.

mdm upgrade

Flag	Description
--beta	Upgrade to the latest beta/prerelease version
--stable	Upgrade to the latest stable version (default)

Details

---

mdm uninstall alias: remove-cli

Remove the mdm binary from your system.

mdm uninstall

Flag	Description
--yes, -y	Skip the confirmation prompt

Details

---

mdm completion

Generate a shell completion script.

mdm completion [bash|zsh|fish|powershell]
mdm completion install     # write completion into your shell rc file