# How to Install ai-berkshire Skills on Windows Using .bat Scripts

> Install ai-berkshire skills on Windows easily with .bat scripts. Generate artifacts from Markdown and deploy them to AI assistant directories quickly.

- Repository: [Xbt Lin/ai-berkshire](https://github.com/xbtlin/ai-berkshire)
- Tags: how-to-guide
- Published: 2026-07-11

---

**You can install ai-berkshire skills on Windows by running one of three batch scripts—`install-codex-skills.bat`, `install-codex-prompts.bat`, or `install-claude-commands.bat`—which generate skill artifacts from source Markdown and deploy them to the appropriate AI assistant directories.**

The ai-berkshire repository maintains a curated collection of AI assistant skills defined in canonical Markdown files under `skills/`. To install ai-berkshire skills on Windows efficiently, the project ships native batch scripts in the `scripts/` directory that handle dependency resolution, artifact generation, and deployment automatically without requiring manual file copying.

## The Three Installation Scripts

The repository provides three specialized batch files located in `scripts/`, each targeting a specific AI assistant integration. All scripts share a common pattern for repository root detection, environment variable resolution, and Python interpreter selection.

### Install Codex Skills

The `install-codex-skills.bat` script (lines 1-35) deploys generated Codex skill packages to the local Codex installation. It performs the following operations:

1. **Root Detection**: Uses `for %%I in ("%~dp0..") do set "ROOT=%%~fI"` to determine the repository root regardless of where the script is executed from.
2. **Destination Resolution**: Checks for the `CODEX_HOME` environment variable, falling back to `%USERPROFILE%\.codex\skills` if undefined.
3. **Python Launcher Detection**: Tests for `py -3` via `where py`; if unavailable, defaults to `python`.
4. **Artifact Generation**: Executes [`scripts/sync-codex-skills.py`](https://github.com/xbtlin/ai-berkshire/blob/main/scripts/sync-codex-skills.py) to regenerate the `codex-skills/` directory from the canonical `skills/*.md` sources.
5. **Recursive Copy**: Uses `xcopy "%%~fD" "%DEST%\%%~nxD\" /E /I /Y` to copy each skill folder recursively, preserving subdirectories and overwriting existing files.

```bat
cd path\to\ai-berkshire
.\scripts\install-codex-skills.bat

```

After completion, restart Codex to load the new skills from `%USERPROFILE%\.codex\skills`.

### Install Codex Prompts

The `install-codex-prompts.bat` script (lines 1-30) handles slash-command prompt installation using logic similar to the skills installer, but targets the prompts directory instead. It runs [`scripts/sync-codex-prompts.py`](https://github.com/xbtlin/ai-berkshire/blob/main/scripts/sync-codex-prompts.py) to generate the `codex-prompts/` artifacts before copying them.

```bat
.\scripts\install-codex-prompts.bat

```

This copies all Markdown prompt files to `%USERPROFILE%\.codex\prompts` (or `%CODEX_HOME%\prompts`), replacing existing files with `/Y` confirmation.

### Install Claude Code Commands

The `install-claude-commands.bat` script (lines 1-19) provides a simpler deployment mechanism for Claude Code. It copies the canonical `skills/*.md` files directly to the Claude commands directory without requiring a Python synchronization step.

```bat
.\scripts\install-claude-commands.bat

```

The script respects the `CLAUDE_COMMANDS_DIR` environment variable, defaulting to `%USERPROFILE%\.claude\commands` if undefined.

## Understanding the Installation Process

Each batch file implements a consistent four-stage pipeline to ensure reliable deployment across different Windows environments.

### Root Detection

All scripts calculate the repository root using batch parameter expansion:

```bat
for %%I in ("%~dp0..") do set "ROOT=%%~fI"

```

This ensures the scripts function correctly regardless of the current working directory, as `%~dp0` resolves to the script's directory, and `..` moves up one level to the repository root.

### Destination Resolution

The scripts respect user-defined environment variables while providing sensible defaults:

- **Codex components**: Check `CODEX_HOME` before defaulting to `%USERPROFILE%\.codex\`
- **Claude components**: Check `CLAUDE_COMMANDS_DIR` before defaulting to `%USERPROFILE%\.claude\commands`

This allows system administrators to deploy skills to non-standard locations or shared network drives.

### Python Interpreter Selection

To accommodate Windows systems with multiple Python versions, the scripts implement a priority-based selector:

```bat
where py >nul 2>&1
if %ERRORLEVEL% EQU 0 (
    set PY=py -3
) else (
    set PY=python
)

```

This prefers the `py` launcher when available (ensuring Python 3 is used) and falls back to the generic `python` command otherwise.

### Synchronization and Copy Operations

The Codex installers rely on Python synchronization scripts to generate deployable artifacts from the source Markdown:

- **[`scripts/sync-codex-skills.py`](https://github.com/xbtlin/ai-berkshire/blob/main/scripts/sync-codex-skills.py)**: Parses `skills/*.md` and creates structured skill packages in `codex-skills/`
- **[`scripts/sync-codex-prompts.py`](https://github.com/xbtlin/ai-berkshire/blob/main/scripts/sync-codex-prompts.py)**: Generates slash-command compatible prompts in `codex-prompts/`

These scripts run before file operations to ensure the copied artifacts reflect the latest source definitions.

## Summary

- **Run `install-codex-skills.bat`** to deploy Codex skill packages to `%USERPROFILE%\.codex\skills` (or `%CODEX_HOME%\skills`).
- **Run `install-codex-prompts.bat`** to deploy slash-command prompts to the Codex prompts directory.
- **Run `install-claude-commands.bat`** to deploy Claude Code commands to `%USERPROFILE%\.claude\commands` (or `%CLAUDE_COMMANDS_DIR%`).
- All scripts automatically detect the repository root, select the appropriate Python interpreter, and regenerate artifacts from source before copying.
- Restart your AI assistant after installation to load the newly deployed skills.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Do I need Python installed to run these batch scripts?

Yes, the `install-codex-skills.bat` and `install-codex-prompts.bat` scripts require Python because they invoke [`sync-codex-skills.py`](https://github.com/xbtlin/ai-berkshire/blob/main/sync-codex-skills.py) and [`sync-codex-prompts.py`](https://github.com/xbtlin/ai-berkshire/blob/main/sync-codex-prompts.py) to generate the deployment artifacts from the canonical Markdown sources. However, `install-claude-commands.bat` does not require Python as it copies the Markdown files directly without preprocessing.

### Can I install the skills to a custom directory?

Yes. Set the `CODEX_HOME` environment variable before running the Codex installation scripts, or set `CLAUDE_COMMANDS_DIR` before running the Claude installation script. The batch files check for these variables before defaulting to the standard locations in `%USERPROFILE%`.

### What is the difference between Codex skills and Codex prompts?

**Codex skills** are complete skill packages (folders containing structured definitions) that provide complex, multi-step capabilities to the Codex agent. **Codex prompts** are single Markdown files containing slash-command definitions that trigger specific behaviors. The skills installer uses `xcopy` for recursive directory copying, while the prompts installer uses `copy` for individual files.

### Why must I restart the AI assistant after running the scripts?

The batch files copy files to the assistant's configuration directories, but the assistants (Codex or Claude) typically cache their skill and command registries in memory during the session. A restart forces the assistant to re-scan the directories and load the new capabilities. The scripts print a reminder to restart upon successful completion.