How Reverse-Skill Manages Cross-Platform Scripts: Windows, Linux, and Kali Routing

Reverse-Skill isolates platform-specific logic into dedicated shell scripts, using PowerShell .ps1 files for Windows and Bash .sh files for Linux/macOS and Kali, with a master-route dispatcher handling OS detection and task delegation.

The open-source reverse-skill repository implements a polyglot scripting architecture that allows security professionals to run identical task hints across heterogeneous environments. Rather than forcing a single language abstraction, the project natively embraces each platform's preferred shell—PowerShell on Windows and Bash on Unix-like systems—while maintaining unified routing logic. This approach ensures that reverse-skill scripts leverage native tooling without cross-shell compatibility layers.

Platform-Specific Script Architecture

Windows PowerShell Implementation (.ps1)

The Windows implementation resides in skills/scripts/ and uses the .ps1 extension exclusively. The entry point skills/scripts/master-route.ps1 parses command-line arguments and imports helper functions from skills/scripts/lib/HostRuntime.ps1 to detect the runtime environment. Individual task scripts such as case-init.ps1, bootstrap-reverse.ps1, and test-routing.ps1 execute using native PowerShell cmdlets and Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI).

Linux and macOS Bash Implementation (.sh)

For Unix-like systems, reverse-skill provides Bash equivalents in the same skills/scripts/ directory with .sh extensions. The skills/scripts/master-route.sh script mirrors the PowerShell routing logic but uses POSIX-compliant shell commands. Supporting scripts including case-init.sh, bootstrap-reverse.sh, and test-routing.sh utilize standard GNU coreutils and procfs for system introspection.

Kali Linux Specialization

Kali Linux receives separate treatment under kali/scripts/ to accommodate penetration testing workflows. The kali/scripts/bootstrap-reverse.sh file serves as the specialized entry point, accompanied by utilities like refresh-tool-index.sh and quick-setup.sh. This segregation allows reverse-skill to handle Kali's unique package repositories and pre-installed security toolchains without polluting the generic Linux script paths.

The Master-Route Routing Logic

The routing mechanism centers on platform detection and task delegation. On Windows, HostRuntime.ps1 defines helper functions that query the operating system version and PowerShell execution environment. The Bash implementation employs similar environment variable checks within master-route.sh to distinguish Linux from macOS.

When a user invokes a task hint, the master-route script validates the platform runtime and forwards the hint to the appropriate handler. This abstraction layer ensures that adding support for new operating systems requires only a new script file and a minimal update to the routing logic, without modifying individual task implementations.

Directory Structure and File Organization

The repository organizes scripts by platform to eliminate path confusion:

• Windows: skills/scripts/*.ps1 (master-route.ps1, case-init.ps1, bootstrap-reverse.ps1, test-routing.ps1)
• Linux/macOS: skills/scripts/*.sh (master-route.sh, case-init.sh, bootstrap-reverse.sh, test-routing.sh)
• Kali: kali/scripts/*.sh (bootstrap-reverse.sh, refresh-tool-index.sh, quick-setup.sh)

The AGENTS.md file documents this hierarchy and enumerates precise invocation commands for each platform, ensuring users execute the correct interpreter with appropriate execution policies.

Executing Tasks by Platform

Running Tasks on Windows

Execute tasks using PowerShell with explicit execution policy bypass to accommodate unsigned scripts:

powershell -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File skills/scripts/master-route.ps1 -Hint "enumerate processes"

The -Hint parameter accepts the task identifier and routes to the appropriate handler script.

Running Tasks on Linux or macOS

Invoke the Bash master-route with the --hint flag (note the double-dash syntax differing from PowerShell):

bash skills/scripts/master-route.sh --hint "enumerate processes"

Kali-Specific Bootstrapping

For Kali environments, use the dedicated bootstrap script that initializes the tool index:

bash kali/scripts/bootstrap-reverse.sh

Summary

• Reverse-Skill manages cross-platform complexity by isolating implementations into native shell scripts rather than using abstraction frameworks.
• Windows uses PowerShell (.ps1) with HostRuntime.ps1 providing OS detection helpers.
• Linux and macOS use Bash (.sh) with equivalent routing in master-route.sh.
• Kali Linux maintains a separate kali/scripts/ directory for specialized penetration testing workflows.
• The master-route pattern centralizes platform detection while delegating to platform-specific handlers.
• All routing commands and parameters are documented in AGENTS.md.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does reverse-skill determine which script to run on my operating system?

The master-route script detects your platform using runtime checks—HostRuntime.ps1 functions on Windows and environment variable queries in Bash on Linux/macOS. Once detected, it forwards your task hint to the appropriate platform-specific script without requiring manual platform flags from the user.

Can I run reverse-skill scripts on Windows without changing execution policies?

No. The Windows implementation requires bypassing the default execution policy because the scripts are not signed. The documented command powershell -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File skills/scripts/master-route.ps1 explicitly allows local unsigned scripts to run for the current session only.

Why does Kali Linux have separate scripts instead of using the generic Linux versions?

Kali Linux maintains distinct package repositories, pre-installed security toolchains, and filesystem conventions that differ from standard Debian distributions. The kali/scripts/ directory contains specialized bootstrapping logic in files like bootstrap-reverse.sh and refresh-tool-index.sh that interact specifically with Kali's tool index and offensive security configurations, avoiding conflicts with generic Linux deployments.

Where is the cross-platform routing logic documented?

The AGENTS.md file at the repository root serves as the authoritative reference for the routing scheme. It specifies exact command syntax, parameter names (-Hint vs --hint), and execution requirements for Windows, Linux, macOS, and Kali platforms.

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