How to Install reverse-skill Locally: A Step-by-Step Setup Guide

Clone the repository and run the platform-specific refresh-tool-index script to detect installed tools and auto-bootstrap missing dependencies.

The reverse-skill repository is a modular skill router that orchestrates reverse-engineering, pentesting, and CTF workflows. This guide covers how to install reverse-skill locally on Windows, Linux, macOS, and Kali Linux according to the official source code in zhaoxuya520/reverse-skill.

Prerequisites

Before installing reverse-skill locally, ensure you have:

• Git installed to clone the repository
• PowerShell (Windows) or Bash (Linux/macOS) for execution
• Administrator/root privileges may be required for installing external tools

The skill router auto-detects and can bootstrap additional dependencies like Java, Python, Node.js, IDA, Ghidra, Frida, and more.

Step 1: Clone the Repository

Start by cloning the official repository to your local machine:

git clone https://github.com/zhaoxuya520/reverse-skill.git
cd reverse-skill

This creates the full directory structure including skills/, kali/, docs/, and field-journal/ directories as defined in the project architecture.

Step 2: Refresh the Tool Index

The tool index is the core discovery mechanism. Run the appropriate script for your operating system to scan for installed utilities and generate skills/tool-index.md:

Windows (PowerShell)

powershell -File skills/scripts/refresh-tool-index.ps1

Linux or macOS (Bash)

bash skills/scripts/refresh-tool-index.sh

Kali Linux (Recommended Script)

bash kali/scripts/refresh-tool-index.sh

These scripts are located at:

• skills/scripts/refresh-tool-index.ps1 — Windows scanner
• skills/scripts/refresh-tool-index.sh — Linux/macOS scanner
• kali/scripts/refresh-tool-index.sh — Kali-optimized scanner

The refresh-tool-index scripts may automatically invoke bootstrap-reverse helpers to download missing tools from GitHub releases, pipx, npm, winget, or package managers.

Step 3: Verify Tool Detection

After generating the tool index, confirm essential runtimes are available:

java -version
python3 --version
node -v
npm -v
npx -v
jadx --version || true
apktool --version || true
frida --version || true
r2 -v || true
ghidraRun 2>/dev/null || true

Re-run the refresh script to update detection after installing any new tools:

bash skills/scripts/refresh-tool-index.sh

Step 4: Bootstrap Missing External Tools (Optional)

If any tools report "not found," use the platform-specific bootstrap scripts or manual installation:

Bootstrap Specific Capabilities (Kali Example)

bash kali/scripts/bootstrap-reverse.sh jadx apktool frida

Manual Installation References

Tool	Installation Source
JADX	GitHub release (extract to ~/tools/)
Frida	pipx install frida-tools
Radare2	Build from source or package manager

Refer to docs/platforms/linux.md for the complete Linux tool-installation matrix.

Step 5: Start Using reverse-skill

With the tool index populated, invoke skills directly or through the master router:

Windows — Master Routing

powershell -File skills/scripts/master-route.ps1 -Hint "apk analysis"

Linux — Bootstrap and Run

# Install dependencies for a specific workflow

bash skills/scripts/bootstrap-reverse.sh jadx apktool frida

# Execute a sub-skill directly

./skills/ida-reverse/scripts/start.ps1

The router checks skills/tool-index.md, bootstraps missing components, executes the selected workflow, and generates reports via skills/docs-generator/.

Understanding the Architecture

The reverse-skill installation prepares three logical layers:

Layer	Purpose	Key Files
Routing	Entry point and decision logic	skills/SKILL.md, skills/routing.md, skills/MASTER-ROUTING.md
Bootstrap & Discovery	Tool detection and auto-installation	skills/scripts/refresh-tool-index.*, skills/scripts/bootstrap-reverse.*
Execution & Reporting	Skill execution and documentation	skills/docs-generator/, skills/diagram-generator/, field-journal/

Summary

• Clone zhaoxuya520/reverse-skill from GitHub
• Run the platform-appropriate refresh-tool-index script (.ps1 for Windows, .sh for Linux/macOS/Kali)
• Verify tool detection with standard --version commands
• Bootstrap missing tools manually or via bootstrap-reverse.sh
• Execute skills through master-route.ps1 or direct sub-skill invocation

Frequently Asked Questions

Does reverse-skill work on macOS?

Yes. Use bash skills/scripts/refresh-tool-index.sh to detect tools on macOS. The Linux bootstrap scripts generally work on macOS with minor adjustments for package managers (Homebrew instead of apt).

What if a tool fails to auto-install?

The refresh-tool-index scripts only scan and report; they do not force installations. Run bash skills/scripts/bootstrap-reverse.sh <tool1> <tool2> to explicitly install missing tools, or follow the manual installation matrix in docs/platforms/linux.md.

Where is the tool index stored?

The generated index is written to skills/tool-index.md (human-readable) and skills/tool-index.json (machine-readable). These files are consumed by SKILL.md and the routing system to determine available capabilities.

Can I use reverse-skill without installing all tools?

Yes. The modular design lets you install reverse-skill locally and operate with only the tools needed for your specific workflow. The routing layer will skip or flag unavailable capabilities rather than fail.

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