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github-kernel

foundational definitions for GitHub skills, safety rules, tool escalation, and security boundaries

personAuthor: jakexiaohubgithub
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What is it?

The GitHub Kernel is the foundational skill that defines the "laws of physics" for all other GitHub capability skills. It provides the central source of truth for:

  • Tool selection strategy (Escalation Ladder).
  • Safety boundaries and non-negotiable rules.
  • Conventions for interactions with the GitHub platform.
  • Mapping of abstract capabilities to concrete MCP tools.

Success Criteria

  • Foundational rules are applied across all other GitHub skills.
  • The Tool Escalation Ladder is followed consistently.
  • Safety rules for destructive operations are respected.
  • Interaction conventions (naming, commits) are maintained.

When to use this skill

  • Consult this skill for foundational knowledge when initializing a GitHub-related session.
  • Refer to this skill whenever you are unsure about which tool to use (MCP vs. CLI vs. API).
  • Consult this skill to check if an action is considered "safe" or requires user confirmation.

What this skill can do

What this skill will NOT do

  • Execute any GitHub actions. This skill is purely informational.
  • Create issues or PRs.
  • Modify repository state.
  • Interact with the API directly.

How to use this skill

This skill is a passive reference.

  1. Read the reference documents to understand the operating parameters.
  2. Apply the rules when executing other skills like github-issues or github-pr-flow.

Tool usage rules

All GitHub skills must adhere to the Escalation Ladder:

  1. Primary: Use GitHub MCP Tools (fast, safe, context-aware).
  2. Fallback: Use gh CLI (if MCP is missing/broken).
  3. Last Resort: Use REST API (only for edge cases like metadata fields).

See TOOL_ESCALATION.md for detailed logic.

Examples

Determining Tool Safety

"I need to delete a file. Is this safe?" Check SAFETY_RULES.md -> Destructive operation -> Requires explicit confirmation.

Selecting the Right Tool

"I need to comment on an issue." Check MCP_TOOL_MAP.md -> add_issue_comment is available -> Use MCP.

Limitations

  • Does not enforce rules programmatically; agents must voluntarily adhere to these guidelines.
  • Does not contain specific workflow logic for complex tasks (like "release management").