How to Run the Tests for reverse-skill: Complete PowerShell Test Suite Guide

Execute skills/scripts/test-p0-friction.ps1 from the repository root using PowerShell 5.1+ (Windows) or PowerShell 7 (cross-platform) to run the full test suite for reverse-skill.

The reverse-skill repository by zhaoxuya520 ships a self-contained, end-to-end test harness written entirely in PowerShell. Whether you are validating local changes or verifying CI pipeline integrity, this guide walks you through how to run the tests for reverse-skill with precision.

Prerequisites for Running reverse-skill Tests

Before executing any test scripts, ensure your environment meets the following requirements:

• PowerShell 5.1 or later on Windows, or PowerShell 7 on Linux/macOS
• External utilities referenced by the skill set—such as nmap and nuclei—should be available on your $PATH
• No special environment variables are required; scripts automatically create temporary directories under $env:TEMP

The test harness tolerates missing tools. If an external utility is absent, only the relevant checks are skipped rather than failing the entire suite.

Main Test Entry Point: test-p0-friction.ps1

The primary test driver is located at skills/scripts/test-p0-friction.ps1. This script orchestrates a comprehensive sequence of end-to-end checks covering core reverse-skill workflows.

How to Execute the Full Test Suite

# From the repository root

powershell -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File skills/scripts/test-p0-friction.ps1

This command creates a temporary scratch folder, runs all validation steps, and prints [OK] or [FAIL] messages for each check. The script returns a non-zero exit code if any failures occur.

What test-p0-friction.ps1 Validates

Test Component	Purpose	Source Location
Smoke test	Runs smoke.ps1 and confirms routing and verification stages complete cleanly	Lines 29-38
Case-init (granted)	Creates a ready-to-act case with AuthGranted and validates scope.md generation	Lines 39-60
Bare case-init	Runs case-init.ps1 without auth to ensure defaults remain pending	Lines 63-71
Append-evidence	Exercises append-evidence.ps1 and verifies evidence file creation	Lines 73-96
Recon-pipeline sanity	Confirms key notes (Origin/Referer, network hints) exist in pentest-tools/references/recon-pipeline.md	Lines 99-107
Routing coherence	Runs verify-routing-coherence.ps1 and expects exit code 0	Lines 14-19
Chinese routing samples	Tests master-route.ps1 with Chinese-language hints for correct skill selection	Lines 20-30
Case-guard	Validates case-guard.ps1 exit codes: 0 for ready, 2 for pending, 0 with -Force	Lines 33-41
Lab case with AuthGranted	Ensures lab-only cases retain granted status and correct network mode	Lines 43-65
Junk AuthStatus handling	Verifies stray AuthStatus does not override prior AuthGranted	Lines 66-83
Special-char evidence	Checks that -RawExcerptFile transports arbitrary Unicode safely	Lines 85-100

Each verification step in test-p0-friction.ps1 corresponds to a critical operational path in the reverse-skill system.

Secondary Test: Workflow Title Safety

For CI pipeline validation, use skills/scripts/test-workflow-title-safety.ps1 to inspect the GitHub Actions workflow at .github/workflows/auto-merge-journal.yml.

Execute the Workflow Safety Check

powershell -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File skills/scripts/test-workflow-title-safety.ps1

This script confirms that PR numbers and titles are handled as plain data, preventing shell injection vulnerabilities when you modify CI workflows.

Quick Validation Examples

Run Specific Components

# Quick smoke test only

powershell -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File .\skills\scripts\smoke.ps1 -LogDir .\tmp\smoke-logs

# Validate routing coherence in isolation

powershell -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File .\skills\scripts\verify-routing-coherence.ps1

Interpret Test Output

• [OK] — The component behaved as expected
• [FAIL] — Listed in the final summary; investigate the specific check
• Exit code 1 — One or more failures occurred

Key Test Files in reverse-skill

File Path	Role
skills/scripts/test-p0-friction.ps1	Main end-to-end test harness
skills/scripts/smoke.ps1	Minimal sanity check for routing and verification
skills/scripts/case-init.ps1	Case folder creation and scope.md generation
skills/scripts/append-evidence.ps1	Evidence markdown file addition
skills/scripts/verify-routing-coherence.ps1	Skill-routing matrix validation against skills/routing.md
skills/scripts/master-route.ps1	Natural-language hint to skill mapping
skills/scripts/test-workflow-title-safety.ps1	CI workflow PR title handling verification

Summary

• The reverse-skill test suite is PowerShell-based and requires no complex setup beyond PowerShell itself
• test-p0-friction.ps1 is the comprehensive entry point covering 11 distinct validation areas
• test-workflow-title-safety.ps1 provides CI-specific security checks
• Temporary test artifacts are automatically managed under $env:TEMP
• Missing external tools result in skipped checks rather than hard failures

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I run reverse-skill tests on Linux or macOS?

Yes. Install PowerShell 7 (pwsh) and execute the same commands. The scripts are cross-platform compatible, though some external utilities like nmap may have different installation paths. The test harness gracefully skips checks for missing binaries.

Why does my test fail with execution policy errors?

PowerShell's default execution policy may block script execution. The -ExecutionPolicy Bypass flag in the documented commands overrides this restriction for the current session without changing system-wide settings.

How do I debug a failing test in test-p0-friction.ps1?

Open skills/scripts/test-p0-friction.ps1 and locate the [FAIL] message in the output. Each test section includes descriptive comments matching the table above. Run individual component scripts—such as smoke.ps1 or case-init.ps1—in isolation to narrow the issue.

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