How to Install and Use Curriculum Skills in Claude or Cursor from ai-engineering-from-scratch

Run the installer script scripts/install_skills.py to copy SKILL.md artifacts into ~/.claude/skills/ or ~/.cursor/skills/, then activate them via slash commands like /find-your-level.

The ai-engineering-from-scratch repository by rohitg00 ships portable curriculum skills (SKILL.md artifacts) that integrate directly into Claude, Cursor, and other AI agents. These skills provide interactive learning workflows, assessment quizzes, and specialized tools that appear as native slash commands once installed. This guide covers the complete installation process, directory structure, and usage patterns based on the actual source implementation.

What Are Curriculum Skills?

Curriculum skills are markdown-based skill definitions stored in phases/**/outputs/*-skill-*.md files throughout the repository. Each artifact contains YAML front-matter (name, description, version, tags) followed by the SKILL.md body that defines the agent's behavior.

When installed, these files land in agent-specific skill directories where Claude and Cursor automatically discover them. The agent exposes each skill as a slash command derived from the skill's name field, making complex curriculum interactions available through simple commands like /check-understanding 14 or /find-your-level.

Installation Guide

Prerequisites

You need Python 3.x and the repository source code. Clone the repository to access the installer:

git clone https://github.com/rohitg00/ai-engineering-from-scratch.git
cd ai-engineering-from-scratch

Choosing the Target Directory

Different agents scan different default locations for skill files:

Agent	Default Skill Directory
Claude	~/.claude/skills/
Cursor	~/.cursor/skills/
OpenClaw	~/.config/openclaw/skills/

Create the appropriate directory if it does not exist.

Running the Installer Script

The scripts/install_skills.py file handles discovery, filtering, and placement of skill artifacts. You can invoke it directly or use the npx wrapper command generated by the web UI (as seen in site/lesson.html lines 3078-3081).

Install all skills:

npx skills add rohitg00/ai-engineering-from-scratch \
  --target $HOME/.claude/skills

Install a specific skill:

npx skills add rohitg00/ai-engineering-from-scratch \
  --skill find-your-level \
  --target $HOME/.cursor/skills

Direct Python invocation (equivalent):

python3 scripts/install_skills.py \
  $HOME/.claude/skills \
  --skill find-your-level \
  --layout skills

The script accepts several filtering options:

• --type {skill,prompt,agent,all} – Filter by artifact type (default: skill)
• --phase N – Install only skills from a specific curriculum phase
• --tag TAG – Filter by metadata tags (e.g., safety)
• --layout {flat,by-phase,skills} – Choose directory structure; use skills for Claude/Cursor compatibility
• --dry-run – Preview changes without writing files
• --force – Overwrite existing skill files

Verifying the Installation

Confirm the skill files are correctly placed by inspecting the target directory:

ls -la $HOME/.claude/skills/
cat $HOME/.claude/skills/find-your-level/SKILL.md | head -n 10

The installer also writes a manifest.json to the target root. Query it to see installed skills:

jq '.artifacts[] | {name, version}' $HOME/.claude/skills/manifest.json

Using Skills in Claude and Cursor

Available Slash Commands

Once installed, skills automatically register as slash commands. Common commands from the ai-engineering-from-scratch curriculum include:

Command	Source File	Function
/find-your-level	phases/01-fundamentals/outputs/find-your-level-skill.md	Starts a 10-question placement quiz mapping you to the appropriate learning phase
/check-understanding <phase>	Various phase outputs	Runs assessment quizzes for specific phase numbers (e.g., /check-understanding 14)

The skill logic executes within the agent's environment, respecting permission modes and budget constraints defined in each SKILL.md's front-matter.

Practical Workflow Example

1. Open Claude or Cursor in a new session
2. Type /find-your-level and press Enter
3. The agent loads the skill from ~/.claude/skills/find-your-level/SKILL.md and initiates the interactive quiz
4. Respond to prompts; the skill may invoke external tools (like curl or git) through constrained agent capabilities

Advanced Installation Options

Filtering by Phase or Tag

Install only phase 19 capstone skills for a focused environment:

python3 scripts/install_skills.py \
  $HOME/.cursor/skills \
  --phase 19 \
  --layout skills

Install safety-critical skills using tag filtering:

python3 scripts/install_skills.py \
  $HOME/.claude/skills \
  --tag safety \
  --type skill

Layout Strategies

The --layout flag controls how files are organized:

• flat – All SKILL.md files in the root target directory (renamed by skill)
• by-phase – Organized by curriculum phase number
• skills – Creates <skill-name>/SKILL.md structure (required by Claude/Cursor)

According to scripts/install_skills.py lines 61-65, the skills layout creates the directory structure ~/.claude/skills/<skill-name>/SKILL.md that agents expect.

Summary

• Curriculum skills are SKILL.md artifacts stored in phases/**/outputs/ that provide interactive learning capabilities
• Install them using scripts/install_skills.py or npx skills add rohitg00/ai-engineering-from-scratch --target ~/.claude/skills/
• Target directories must match your agent: ~/.claude/skills/ for Claude, ~/.cursor/skills/ for Cursor
• Activate skills via slash commands (/find-your-level, /check-understanding 14) once files are in place
• Verify installations by checking manifest.json and the presence of <skill-name>/SKILL.md files

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does the installer script place the skill files?

The installer copies SKILL.md artifacts to <target>/<skill-name>/SKILL.md when using the --layout skills option. As implemented in scripts/install_skills.py, this mirrors the expected structure for Claude (~/.claude/skills/) and Cursor (~/.cursor/skills/) discovery.

Can I install skills without using npx?

Yes. Run the Python script directly: python3 scripts/install_skills.py <target-dir> --skill <name>. The npx skills add command shown in the web UI (site/lesson.html lines 3078-3081) is simply a wrapper that invokes this script with appropriate arguments.

How do I know which slash commands are available after installation?

Check the manifest.json file in your target directory. It lists all installed artifacts with their metadata. Alternatively, start typing / in Claude or Cursor to see the auto-completed list of available skills loaded from the skill directory.

Do I need to restart Claude or Cursor after installing skills?

Most agents pick up new skills automatically when they scan the skill directory. If a newly installed command does not appear immediately, try typing /refresh (if supported) or restart the agent session. The AGENTS.md file in the repository root explains the discovery mechanism in detail.

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