# Utility Scripts Provided with Claude-Red: Installation, Manifest Generation, and Legacy Conversion > Explore Claude-Red utility scripts: install.sh for easy setup, build_manifest.py for JSON manifests, and convert_skills.py for legacy format conversion. Streamline your Claude-Red deployment. - Repository: [SnailSploit | Kai Aizen/Claude-Red](https://github.com/SnailSploit/Claude-Red) - Tags: how-to-guide - Published: 2026-09-14 --- **Claude-Red provides three self-contained utility scripts—[`install.sh`](https://github.com/SnailSploit/Claude-Red/blob/main/install.sh), [`tools/build_manifest.py`](https://github.com/SnailSploit/Claude-Red/blob/main/tools/build_manifest.py), and [`convert_skills.py`](https://github.com/SnailSploit/Claude-Red/blob/main/convert_skills.py)—that automate skill deployment, generate machine-readable JSON manifests, and convert legacy Markdown formats to the current Claude-compatible standard.** The [SnailSploit/Claude-Red](https://github.com/SnailSploit/Claude-Red) repository includes a dedicated toolchain to streamline the management of its extensive skill collection. These **utility scripts provided with Claude-Red** are written in Bash and Python 3, require no external credentials or network access, and enable offline installation, indexing, and format migration. ## The Three Core Utility Scripts Claude-Red ships with command-line utilities located in the repository root. Each tool serves a distinct purpose in the skill lifecycle: - **[`install.sh`](https://github.com/SnailSploit/Claude-Red/blob/main/install.sh)** – A Bash script that copies the `Skills/` directory (or specific categories) into your local Claude skills folder, handling dry-run previews and rsync fallback. - **[`tools/build_manifest.py`](https://github.com/SnailSploit/Claude-Red/blob/main/tools/build_manifest.py)** – A Python 3 utility that walks the `Skills/` tree, parses [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/SnailSploit/Claude-Red/blob/main/SKILL.md) front-matter, and produces a compact JSON manifest. - **[`convert_skills.py`](https://github.com/SnailSploit/Claude-Red/blob/main/convert_skills.py)** – A Python 3 converter that parses legacy Markdown skill files, extracts metadata, and writes reformatted [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/SnailSploit/Claude-Red/blob/main/SKILL.md) files with proper YAML front-matter and optional ZIP packaging. ## install.sh: Automated Skill Installation Located at the repository root, [`install.sh`](https://github.com/SnailSploit/Claude-Red/blob/main/install.sh) handles discovery, filtering, and deployment of skill categories to your local environment. ### Discovery and Target Handling The script scans the `Skills/` directory to identify sub-folders (categories) and counts [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/SnailSploit/Claude-Red/blob/main/SKILL.md) files. By default, it targets `~/.claude/skills/claude-red`, but accepts a custom destination via `--target `. You can restrict the operation to a single category using `--category `. ### Safety Modes and Copy Methods [`install.sh`](https://github.com/SnailSploit/Claude-Red/blob/main/install.sh) provides multiple safety and verbosity options: - **`--dry-run`** – Prints the files that would be copied without making changes. - **`--list`** – Shows available categories without installing anything. - **Interactive prompts** – Enabled by default for confirmation before copying. For file operations, the script prefers `rsync` for progress output, falling back to `cp -r` if `rsync` is not installed. ## tools/build_manifest.py: JSON Manifest Generation The [`tools/build_manifest.py`](https://github.com/SnailSploit/Claude-Red/blob/main/tools/build_manifest.py) script creates a machine-readable index of the entire skill library by parsing metadata from each skill definition. ### Tree Traversal and Front-Matter Parsing The utility iterates over every category folder under `Skills/`, locates each [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/SnailSploit/Claude-Red/blob/main/SKILL.md) file, and extracts the YAML front-matter fields such as `name`, `description`, and other metadata. This parsing builds a comprehensive view of the repository structure without executing any skill code. ### Manifest Structure and Output The generated [`claude-skills.json`](https://github.com/SnailSploit/Claude-Red/blob/main/claude-skills.json) file contains three primary sections: - **Repository metadata** – Top-level information about the Claude-Red collection. - **Categories dictionary** – A mapping of category names to lists of skill names. - **Flat skill entries** – An array of objects detailing the file path, description, and metadata for each skill. This JSON file enables downstream tooling to programmatically discover and filter available skills. ## convert_skills.py: Legacy Format Migration For users migrating from earlier Claude-Red versions, [`convert_skills.py`](https://github.com/SnailSploit/Claude-Red/blob/main/convert_skills.py) transforms outdated Markdown structures into the current [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/SnailSploit/Claude-Red/blob/main/SKILL.md) specification. ### Stateful Parsing and Normalization The script recursively discovers legacy [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/SnailSploit/Claude-Red/blob/main/SKILL.md) or [`skill.md`](https://github.com/SnailSploit/Claude-Red/blob/main/skill.md) files under a source directory and applies stateful parsing to recognize specific sections: - `## Metadata` - `## Description` - `## Trigger Phrases` - `## Instructions for Claude` It extracts this content into a structured `meta` dictionary, derives URL-safe slugs from folder names for the `name` field, and assembles proper YAML front-matter blocks containing `name`, `description`, `trigger_phrases`, `folder`, and `source` keys. ### ZIP Packaging for Claude Console After writing the reformatted [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/SnailSploit/Claude-Red/blob/main/SKILL.md) to a new `skills-converted/` directory hierarchy, the script optionally bundles each skill folder into a `.zip` archive ready for direct upload to the Claude Console. ## Practical Usage Examples Run these commands from the repository root to utilize the utility scripts: ```bash # Install all skills to the default Claude location (interactive) ./install.sh # Install only the "web" category to a custom directory ./install.sh --target /opt/claude/skills --category web # Preview what would be copied for the "wireless" category ./install.sh --category wireless --dry-run # Generate the JSON manifest for downstream tooling python3 tools/build_manifest.py # Convert legacy skills and create ZIP archives for upload python3 convert_skills.py ``` ## Summary The **utility scripts provided with Claude-Red** form a complete deployment and migration toolchain: - **[`install.sh`](https://github.com/SnailSploit/Claude-Red/blob/main/install.sh)** deploys skills from the `Skills/` directory to `~/.claude/skills/claude-red` with support for category filtering, dry-run verification, and rsync efficiency. - **[`tools/build_manifest.py`](https://github.com/SnailSploit/Claude-Red/blob/main/tools/build_manifest.py)** generates [`claude-skills.json`](https://github.com/SnailSploit/Claude-Red/blob/main/claude-skills.json) by parsing YAML front-matter across the entire skill tree, creating both categorical mappings and flat indexes. - **[`convert_skills.py`](https://github.com/SnailSploit/Claude-Red/blob/main/convert_skills.py)** migrates legacy Markdown formats to modern [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/SnailSploit/Claude-Red/blob/main/SKILL.md) files with standardized YAML headers and packages them into ZIP files for the Claude Console. Each script operates without external services or secret credentials, making them safe for offline environments. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Where are the Claude-Red utility scripts located in the repository? [`install.sh`](https://github.com/SnailSploit/Claude-Red/blob/main/install.sh) and [`convert_skills.py`](https://github.com/SnailSploit/Claude-Red/blob/main/convert_skills.py) reside in the repository root, while [`build_manifest.py`](https://github.com/SnailSploit/Claude-Red/blob/main/build_manifest.py) is located under [`tools/build_manifest.py`](https://github.com/SnailSploit/Claude-Red/blob/main/tools/build_manifest.py). All three are self-contained and executable from the command line. ### Does [`install.sh`](https://github.com/SnailSploit/Claude-Red/blob/main/install.sh) support previewing changes before copying files? Yes. Run `./install.sh --dry-run` to see exactly which files would be copied to your target directory without making any changes. This works with or without the `--category` flag to filter specific skill sets. ### What specific metadata does [`build_manifest.py`](https://github.com/SnailSploit/Claude-Red/blob/main/build_manifest.py) extract from skill files? The script parses the YAML front-matter of each [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/SnailSploit/Claude-Red/blob/main/SKILL.md) file to extract the `name`, `description`, and additional metadata fields, then structures them into a JSON manifest containing both a hierarchical category view and a flat list of all skills. ### How does [`convert_skills.py`](https://github.com/SnailSploit/Claude-Red/blob/main/convert_skills.py) handle legacy skill names? The converter normalizes skill names by deriving them from the source folder names, sanitizing them into URL-safe slugs. It then writes these normalized names into the YAML front-matter of the newly generated [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/SnailSploit/Claude-Red/blob/main/SKILL.md) files within the `skills-converted/` output directory.