# Supported AI Agents for the Caveman Installer: Complete Integration Guide

> Discover supported AI agents for the Caveman installer. Integrate over 30 AI coding agents like Copilot, Gemini, and Claude Code automatically with this comprehensive guide.

- Repository: [Julius Brussee/caveman](https://github.com/JuliusBrussee/caveman)
- Tags: complete-integration-guide
- Published: 2026-07-07

---

**Caveman supports over 30 AI coding agents including Claude Code, Gemini, Cursor, Codex, Cline, Copilot, and OpenClaw, automatically installing its token-compression skill into each agent's plugin directory via platform-specific scripts.**

The Caveman installer, hosted at JuliusBrussee/caveman, is a cross-platform skill deployment system that injects token-compression capabilities into popular AI coding assistants. Whether you use Claude Code, Gemini CLI, or Cursor, the installer detects your agents and configures the Caveman skill to shrink textual output while preserving code and error messages byte-for-byte.

## Supported AI Agents and Installation Methods

Caveman functions as a **skill/plugin** that attaches to AI coding agents to reduce token usage. The installer adapts its deployment method based on each agent's specific architecture.

### Claude Code

Install via the Claude plugin marketplace. According to the source code in [`INSTALL.md`](https://github.com/JuliusBrussee/caveman/blob/main/INSTALL.md), this activates automatically without requiring the `/caveman` command.

```bash
claude plugin marketplace add JuliusBrussee/caveman && claude plugin install caveman@caveman

```

### Gemini CLI

Functions as a Gemini extension. The installer copies the `caveman.skill` file to the appropriate Gemini extensions directory.

```bash
gemini extensions install https://github.com/JuliusBrussee/caveman

```

### Cursor, Windsurf, Cline, and Codex

These agents use the generic skills registry accessed via `npx`. The `-a` flag in [`bin/install.js`](https://github.com/JuliusBrussee/caveman/blob/main/bin/install.js) specifies the target agent.

```bash
npx skills add JuliusBrussee/caveman -a cursor

```

### OpenClaw

Requires a different approach. The [`bin/lib/openclaw.js`](https://github.com/JuliusBrussee/caveman/blob/main/bin/lib/openclaw.js) utility injects a marker block into the agent's workspace ([`SOUL.md`](https://github.com/JuliusBrussee/caveman/blob/main/SOUL.md)), enabling terse output from the first turn.

```bash
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/JuliusBrussee/caveman/main/install.sh | bash -s -- --only openclaw

```

### Other Supported Agents

The [`install.sh`](https://github.com/JuliusBrussee/caveman/blob/main/install.sh) and `install.ps1` scripts detect over 30 additional agents including Copilot, Windsurf, and various VS Code extensions. Each receives the `dist/caveman.skill` file in its respective plugin directory, with per-agent configuration read from [`bin/lib/settings.js`](https://github.com/JuliusBrussee/caveman/blob/main/bin/lib/settings.js).

## How the Installer Works

The installation process relies on three core components documented in the repository:

1. **Shell wrappers** – [`install.sh`](https://github.com/JuliusBrussee/caveman/blob/main/install.sh) (Unix) and `install.ps1` (Windows) download the repository and delegate to the JavaScript installer.
2. **Node.js core** – [`bin/install.js`](https://github.com/JuliusBrussee/caveman/blob/main/bin/install.js) parses CLI flags (`--only`, `-a`, `--uninstall`) and resolves each agent's installation path.
3. **Configuration layer** – [`bin/lib/settings.js`](https://github.com/JuliusBrussee/caveman/blob/main/bin/lib/settings.js) reads per-agent defaults (compression level, environment overrides) before copying files.

For OpenClaw specifically, [`bin/lib/openclaw.js`](https://github.com/JuliusBrussee/caveman/blob/main/bin/lib/openclaw.js) appends a marker block to [`SOUL.md`](https://github.com/JuliusBrussee/caveman/blob/main/SOUL.md) rather than installing a traditional plugin.

## Using Caveman Commands Across Agents

Once installed, agents recognize the `/caveman` command family defined in [`commands/caveman.md`](https://github.com/JuliusBrussee/caveman/blob/main/commands/caveman.md) and `commands/*.toml`.

Toggle compression levels during any session:

```text
/caveman lite
/caveman ultra
/caveman wenyan

```

View lifetime token savings:

```text
/caveman-stats

```

Permanently compress memory files (e.g., [`CLAUDE.md`](https://github.com/JuliusBrussee/caveman/blob/main/CLAUDE.md)) to reduce input tokens by approximately 46%:

```text
/caveman-compress CLAUDE.md

```

## Sub-Agents and Extensions

Beyond the main skill, Caveman includes **sub-agents** stored in [`agents/cavecrew-reviewer.md`](https://github.com/JuliusBrussee/caveman/blob/main/agents/cavecrew-reviewer.md) and related files. These "cavecrew" agents (reviewer, investigator, builder) inherit the same compression logic, allowing entire workflows to remain concise.

For Codex framework integration, [`.codex/hooks.json`](https://github.com/JuliusBrussee/caveman/blob/main/.codex/hooks.json) registers Caveman as a discoverable skill via `npx skills add`.

## Summary

- Caveman supports **30+ AI agents** including Claude Code, Gemini, Cursor, Codex, Cline, and OpenClaw.
- The installer uses [`install.sh`](https://github.com/JuliusBrussee/caveman/blob/main/install.sh) or `install.ps1` to detect agents and deploy `dist/caveman.skill` to the appropriate plugin directories.
- OpenClaw receives special treatment via [`bin/lib/openclaw.js`](https://github.com/JuliusBrussee/caveman/blob/main/bin/lib/openclaw.js), which injects a marker into [`SOUL.md`](https://github.com/JuliusBrussee/caveman/blob/main/SOUL.md).
- Compression levels (`lite`, `full`, `ultra`, `wenyan`) are managed by [`bin/lib/settings.js`](https://github.com/JuliusBrussee/caveman/blob/main/bin/lib/settings.js) and toggled via `/caveman` commands.
- Sub-agents in `agents/` extend the compression benefits to review and build workflows.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How many AI agents does Caveman support?

Caveman explicitly supports over 30 AI coding agents, with the [`install.sh`](https://github.com/JuliusBrussee/caveman/blob/main/install.sh) and `install.ps1` scripts capable of detecting and configuring the skill for Claude Code, Gemini, Cursor, Windsurf, Cline, Codex, Copilot, OpenClaw, and approximately 20 additional platforms listed in [`INSTALL.md`](https://github.com/JuliusBrussee/caveman/blob/main/INSTALL.md).

### Is the installation reversible?

Yes. The installer supports an `--uninstall` flag processed by [`bin/install.js`](https://github.com/JuliusBrussee/caveman/blob/main/bin/install.js) that removes the `caveman.skill` file from each detected agent's plugin directory and cleans up any marker blocks added to workspace files like [`SOUL.md`](https://github.com/JuliusBrussee/caveman/blob/main/SOUL.md).

### How does Caveman integrate with OpenClaw differently?

Unlike standard agents that load the skill as a plugin, OpenClaw integration uses [`bin/lib/openclaw.js`](https://github.com/JuliusBrussee/caveman/blob/main/bin/lib/openclaw.js) to append a marker block to [`SOUL.md`](https://github.com/JuliusBrussee/caveman/blob/main/SOUL.md) in the workspace. This marker instructs the agent to use terse output from the first conversation turn, eliminating the need for explicit `/caveman` activation.

### Can I use Caveman with custom AI agents?

While Caveman targets specific supported agents, the `caveman.skill` file in `dist/caveman.skill` is a plaintext prompt that can theoretically be loaded into any agent supporting custom instructions. The `npx skills add` command with the `-a` flag also allows targeting specific agent configurations if their plugin directories follow standard patterns.