How to Manage Multiple Language Locales with the `AGENT_REACH_LANG` Environment Variable in Agent Reach

Agent Reach uses the AGENT_REACH_LANG environment variable to determine whether to install English (SKILL_en.md) or default (SKILL.md) skill documentation during the CLI installation process.

Agent Reach is an open-source framework for deploying agent skills across multiple platforms like Claude, OpenClaw, and generic agents. By configuring the AGENT_REACH_LANG environment variable, you control which language version of the skill documentation gets copied when running the install command.

Locale Detection Logic in agent_reach/cli.py

The localization system lives in the _skill_resource_name helper function within agent_reach/cli.py. This function evaluates environment variables to determine which markdown file to install.

Environment Variable Hierarchy

The code checks for locale values in the following priority order:

1. AGENT_REACH_LANG — The primary override specific to Agent Reach
2. LC_ALL — Standard system locale setting
3. LC_MESSAGES — System messages locale
4. LANG — Default system language

English Locale Identification

The private helper _is_english_locale performs case-insensitive detection by trimming whitespace and converting the candidate string to lowercase. Any value that starts with "en" or "english" is classified as an English locale.

Skill File Selection Process

Once the system evaluates the locale chain, it selects the appropriate skill documentation:

• English detected: Installs SKILL_en.md and its references/ subdirectory
• Non-English or unset: Installs the default SKILL.md and its references/ subdirectory

These files are copied into platform-specific directories such as .agents, .openclaw, or .claude depending on the target agent platform.

Practical Configuration Examples

Control language selection by setting the environment variable before running the install command:

# Use default (non-English) skill documentation

unset AGENT_REACH_LANG
python -m agent_reach.cli install

# Force English version using standard locale format

export AGENT_REACH_LANG=en_US.UTF-8
python -m agent_reach.cli install

# Any English variant works (case-insensitive)

export AGENT_REACH_LANG=english-UK
python -m agent_reach.cli install

# Non-English locales fall back to default

export AGENT_REACH_LANG=zh_CN
python -m agent_reach.cli install

Extending Support for Additional Languages

Currently, only English receives special handling separate from the default. To add support for additional languages—such as Chinese (zh) or Japanese (ja)—you would need to:

1. Create correspondingly named markdown files (e.g., SKILL_zh.md) in the agent_reach/skill/ directory
2. Extend the _is_english_locale check or add equivalent locale detection logic in agent_reach/cli.py

Only the skill documentation is locale-aware; all other CLI output remains in English regardless of the AGENT_REACH_LANG setting.

Summary

• Agent Reach checks AGENT_REACH_LANG first, then falls back to standard locale variables (LC_ALL, LC_MESSAGES, LANG)
• The _is_english_locale helper in agent_reach/cli.py identifies English locales by checking for prefixes "en" or "english"
• English locales trigger installation of SKILL_en.md; all others use SKILL.md
• Only skill documentation respects the locale setting; CLI messages remain in English

Frequently Asked Questions

Does AGENT_REACH_LANG affect CLI output language?

No. The AGENT_REACH_LANG variable only controls which skill documentation file is copied during installation. All command-line interface messages, logs, and error output remain in English regardless of this setting.

What happens if I set AGENT_REACH_LANG to a non-English locale like fr_FR?

The system treats any non-English locale as the default case. When set to fr_FR or any other value that does not start with "en" or "english", the CLI installs SKILL.md rather than SKILL_en.md. Currently, there is no specific French skill file in the repository.

Can I use LC_ALL instead of AGENT_REACH_LANG to set the language?

Yes. If AGENT_REACH_LANG is not set, the code checks LC_ALL, then LC_MESSAGES, and finally LANG in that priority order. You can use any of these standard Unix locale variables to trigger English skill documentation installation, provided their values start with "en" or "english".

Where are the locale-specific skill files located?

The markdown files are stored in the agent_reach/skill/ directory. The default file is SKILL.md, while the English variant is SKILL_en.md. Both files have corresponding references/ subdirectories that get copied alongside the main documentation during installation into the target platform directory.

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    "instagit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "instagit@latest"]
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}