How to Use the Reverse-Skill Command-Line Interface (CLI): A Complete Powershell Routing Guide

The reverse-skill CLI is a lightweight PowerShell wrapper that routes task hints to specialized security skill modules via master-route.ps1, automatically dispatching to the appropriate SKILL.md documentation and helper scripts.

The reverse-skill repository provides a markdown-driven command-line interface for security practitioners working across reverse-engineering, penetration testing, and attack-chain workflows. This guide walks through the complete reverse-skill CLI setup, routing mechanism, and daily usage patterns based on the actual implementation in zhaoxuya520/reverse-skill.

Core CLI Architecture

The reverse-skill CLI follows a three-stage routing pattern that keeps the interface minimal while supporting extensible skill modules.

Primary Components

Component	Purpose	Source Location
master-route.ps1	Entry point that parses hints and dispatches to skill modules	skills/scripts/master-route.ps1
routing.md	Human-readable routing table mapping hints to skill directories	skills/routing.md
SKILL.md files	Detailed workflow documentation for each security domain	Various */SKILL.md paths
bootstrap-reverse.ps1	First-run environment initialization	skills/scripts/bootstrap-reverse.ps1
Utility scripts	Task-specific helpers (APK rebuilding, radare2 reconnaissance, etc.)	skills/**/scripts/*.sh

How the Router Works

When you invoke master-route.ps1 -Hint "<task>", the reverse-skill CLI executes this flow:

1. Parse Hint — Extracts the hint string from the -Hint parameter.
2. Lookup Routing Table — Scans skills/routing.md for a matching row.
3. Dispatch — Changes to the identified skill folder and opens its SKILL.md or executes associated scripts.

Because the system is purely markdown-driven, adding new capabilities requires only a new routing.md entry and corresponding SKILL.md folder — no code changes to the router itself.

Initial Setup: Bootstrap the Reverse-Skill CLI

Before using the CLI, initialize your environment with the bootstrap script.

# Run once: creates .env placeholders and generates tool-index.md

.\skills\scripts\bootstrap-reverse.ps1

The bootstrap script establishes the foundation that master-route.ps1 depends on for subsequent operations.

After adding new tools to your system, refresh the tool index:

# Optional: rescans repository for executable tools

.\skills\scripts\refresh-tool-index.sh

Daily Usage: Routing Tasks with master-route.ps1

The master-route.ps1 script is the primary reverse-skill CLI interface. Pass a hint that matches an entry in skills/routing.md.

Common CLI Invocations

# Android APK reverse-engineering

.\skills\scripts\master-route.ps1 -Hint "apk reverse"

# Windows thick-client analysis

.\skills\scripts\master-route.ps1 -Hint "thick client"

# Web application penetration testing

.\skills\scripts\master-route.ps1 -Hint "web pentest"

# IoT firmware analysis

.\skills\scripts\master-route.ps1 -Hint "iot firmware"

The hint string must exist in skills/routing.md. The router performs fuzzy matching against human-readable phrases rather than requiring exact directory names.

Direct Script Execution for Fine-Grained Control

For tasks requiring specific parameters, call utility scripts directly instead of routing through master-route.ps1.

# Rebuild, re-sign, and install an Android APK

.\skills\apk-reverse\scripts\rebuild-sign-install.sh C:\path\to\target.apk

# Run automated radare2 reconnaissance

.\skills\apk-reverse\scripts\r2-recon.sh C:\path\to\target.apk

Direct script calls bypass the routing table and are useful when:

• You need precise control over script arguments
• The task is repetitive and you've memorized the path
• You're integrating reverse-skill into automation pipelines

Extending the CLI: Adding New Skill Modules

The reverse-skill CLI architecture enables zero-code extensions:

1. Create a new directory: skills/<new-skill>/
2. Add SKILL.md with complete workflow documentation
3. Place helper scripts in skills/<new-skill>/scripts/
4. Add a routing entry to skills/routing.md:

| "new skill hint" | new-skill/ | Brief description |

The next master-route.ps1 invocation will automatically recognize the new capability.

Key Files Reference

File	Role
skills/scripts/master-route.ps1	Main CLI dispatcher with -Hint parameter handling
skills/scripts/bootstrap-reverse.ps1	Environment setup and initial tool indexing
skills/scripts/refresh-tool-index.sh	Updates tool-index.md with newly discovered tools
skills/routing.md	Central routing table mapping hints to module paths
skills/apk-reverse/SKILL.md	Android reverse-engineering workflow documentation
skills/thick-client/SKILL.md	Desktop application analysis procedures
docs/ARCHITECTURE.md	High-level system design documentation

Summary

• Install once with bootstrap-reverse.ps1 to prepare the reverse-skill CLI environment.
• Route tasks via master-route.ps1 -Hint "<phrase>" for guided access to SKILL.md documentation.
• Bypass routing with direct script calls when you need specific parameter control.
• Extend naturally by adding markdown entries to routing.md — no router modifications required.
• Maintain currency by running refresh-tool-index.sh after tool installations.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know what hints are available in the reverse-skill CLI?

Open skills/routing.md in any text editor. This file contains a markdown table mapping all supported hint phrases to their corresponding skill directories. The hints are designed to be human-readable descriptions like "apk reverse" or "windows pwn" rather than cryptic command flags.

Can I use the reverse-skill CLI on Linux or macOS?

The core router master-route.ps1 requires PowerShell, which is available cross-platform through PowerShell Core. However, many utility scripts in skills/**/scripts/ are written as .sh files for POSIX compatibility. Run bootstrap-reverse.ps1 with pwsh on Linux/macOS to verify full functionality.

What happens if my hint doesn't match anything in routing.md?

master-route.ps1 will fail gracefully with a message indicating no match was found. The script performs case-insensitive substring matching, so partial hints often succeed. If your hint fails, consult skills/routing.md for the exact phrasing used in the routing table.

Is there a way to list all available tools without opening individual SKILL.md files?

Yes. After running bootstrap-reverse.ps1, examine skill/tool-index.md which contains an auto-generated inventory of all discovered executables. Run refresh-tool-index.sh anytime to update this index when you install new tools.

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