# How to Sync Changes Between the Canonical Skill and Its Cursor Mirror in i-have-adhd > Learn how to sync changes between the canonical skill and its Cursor mirror in i-have-adhd using the provided bash script. Keep your skill definitions updated effortlessly. - Repository: [Ayoub Ghriss/i-have-adhd](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd) - Tags: how-to-guide - Published: 2026-09-13 --- **The `ayghri/i-have-adhd` repository uses a dedicated bash script at [`scripts/sync-cursor.sh`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/scripts/sync-cursor.sh) to copy the **canonical skill** definition from [`skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md) to the **Cursor mirror** at [`.cursor/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/.cursor/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md), ensuring both files remain identical before committing.** The `i-have-adhd` project provides an open-source skill that structures LLM output to be more actionable for readers with ADHD. To support both general runtime environments and the Cursor editor, the project maintains two copies of the skill definition, requiring a specific procedure to sync changes between the canonical skill and its Cursor mirror to prevent configuration drift. ## Understanding the Dual-File Architecture The repository employs a **source-of-truth** pattern with two distinct file locations: - **Canonical skill** – [`skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md) contains the definitive rule set and serves as the single source of truth for all skill logic. - **Cursor mirror** – [`.cursor/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/.cursor/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md) exists solely for Cursor editor compatibility and must remain byte-for-byte identical to the canonical version. The [`scripts/sync-cursor.sh`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/scripts/sync-cursor.sh) utility bridges these locations. Running this script is mandatory after any modification to the canonical file to ensure the Cursor-specific path reflects the latest changes. ## Step-by-Step Sync Procedures ### Modify the Canonical Source Always edit [`skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md) to add new rules, update existing guidelines, or refactor sections. Never modify the `.cursor` mirror directly, as the sync script will overwrite those changes. ### Execute the Sync Script From the repository root, run the provided helper script: ```bash ./scripts/sync-cursor.sh ``` The script performs three critical operations: 1. Defines the **CANONICAL** and **MIRROR** path variables. 2. Creates the mirror directory structure using `mkdir -p` if it does not exist. 3. Copies the canonical file to the mirror location using `cp`. Upon success, the terminal outputs: ``` Synced skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md to .cursor/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md ``` ### Commit Both Files After synchronization, stage and commit both files together to maintain repository consistency: ```bash git add skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md .cursor/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md git commit -m "Update skill rules and sync Cursor mirror" ``` ## Technical Breakdown of the Sync Script The [`scripts/sync-cursor.sh`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/scripts/sync-cursor.sh) implementation uses strict bash error handling and predictable path resolution: ```bash #!/usr/bin/env bash set -euo pipefail CANONICAL="skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md" MIRROR=".cursor/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md" mkdir -p "$(dirname "$MIRROR")" cp "$CANONICAL" "$MIRROR" echo "Synced $CANONICAL to $MIRROR" ``` Key implementation details include: - **`set -euo pipefail`** – Ensures the script exits immediately on error, undefined variables, or pipeline failures. - **`mkdir -p "$(dirname "$MIRROR")"`** – Safely creates the nested `.cursor/skills/i-have-adhd/` directory structure without error if it already exists. - **`cp "$CANONICAL" "$MIRROR"`** – Performs a standard copy that preserves file metadata by default. ## Manual Sync Alternative If you prefer not to use the helper script, replicate its behavior manually from the repository root: ```bash mkdir -p .cursor/skills/i-have-adhd cp skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md .cursor/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md ``` This achieves the same result as [`./scripts/sync-cursor.sh`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/./scripts/sync-cursor.sh) but requires manually ensuring the directory exists before copying. ## Summary - Always edit the **canonical skill** at [`skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md) exclusively; treat the `.cursor` path as read-only. - Execute [`./scripts/sync-cursor.sh`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/./scripts/sync-cursor.sh) from the repository root after every canonical change to propagate updates. - The script automatically creates the mirror directory and copies the file using `cp`. - Commit both [`skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md) and [`.cursor/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/.cursor/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md) together to maintain history integrity. - Running the sync script is required before committing any changes that affect the skill definition. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What happens if I edit the Cursor mirror directly? Any modifications to [`.cursor/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/.cursor/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md) will be permanently overwritten the next time [`./scripts/sync-cursor.sh`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/./scripts/sync-cursor.sh) executes, causing lost work. The script always copies from the canonical source to the mirror, not bidirectionally. ### Can I run the sync script from a subdirectory? No. The script uses relative paths ([`skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md) and [`.cursor/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/.cursor/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md)), so you must execute it from the repository root to ensure correct file resolution. ### Does the sync script preserve file metadata? Yes. The standard `cp` command without flags preserves timestamps and permissions by default on most Unix-like systems, ensuring the mirror file metadata matches the canonical source. ### Is the sync script required before every commit? Yes. Any pull request that modifies the skill definition must include both the updated canonical file and the synchronized mirror file. The project maintainers require this dual-file update to ensure Cursor users receive identical rule sets.