@rules/worktree-lifecycle.md @references/source-survey.md
Git Worktree Skill
Make isolated branch workspaces cheap, visible, and safe.
- Create and manage Git worktrees under the project convention:
.hypercore/git-worktree/<folder_name>. - Support parallel feature work, agent sessions, reviews, hotfixes, and experiments without branch-switching churn.
- Keep worktree operations safe by asking for missing task intent before creation, checking status before removal, resolving the current linked worktree when no path is given, using explicit paths, and validating Git’s worktree registry.
<routing_rule>
Use git-worktree when the user wants to:
- create a worktree, workspace, branch folder, or isolated checkout
- run multiple coding agents or tasks in parallel without file conflicts
- list, open, switch to, remove, prune, repair, lock, or unlock worktrees
- delete the current linked worktree when the user is already inside it and says things like "remove/delete this worktree" or "delete worktree"
- standardize worktree folders under
.hypercore/git-worktree/<folder_name> - review or test a branch/PR/issue in a separate local directory
Do not use git-worktree when:
- the user only asks for normal branch creation or checkout in the current folder
- the user asks for history rewriting, rebase strategy, or commit grouping without a worktree operation
- the requested isolation must be a container, VM, or separate clone rather than a Git worktree
</routing_rule>
<activation_examples>
Positive requests:
- "Create a worktree for
feature/authand open Codex there." - "Create this branch as a worktree under
.hypercore/git-worktree." - "Spin up three isolated worktrees for parallel agents."
- "Create a new worktree and move me into it."
- "List my active git worktrees and remove the stale ones safely."
- "I'm already in this worktree; delete this worktree safely."
- "I am already inside this worktree; delete the worktree safely."
- "Set up PR #42 for review in a separate worktree."
Negative requests:
- "Create a new branch here and checkout it." Use normal Git branch workflow.
- "Explain what Git worktree means." Answer directly unless an actionable worktree operation is requested.
- "Make a Docker dev environment for each branch." Use a container/dev-env workflow instead.
Boundary request:
- "Set up an isolated workspace for this risky refactor." Use this skill if Git branch isolation is enough; escalate to a container/VM workflow only if runtime, database, port, or dependency isolation is required.
</activation_examples>
<trigger_conditions>
| User intent | Activate |
|---|---|
| Create a branch-specific working directory | yes |
| Parallel AI agent/coding sessions on one repo | yes |
| List or open existing worktrees | yes |
| Remove, prune, lock, unlock, repair, or move worktrees | yes |
| Delete the current linked worktree from inside that worktree | yes |
| Configure project default worktree root | yes |
Plain git checkout or branch-only operations | no |
| General Git tutorial with no operation | no |
</trigger_conditions>
- Canonical root:
<repo-root>/.hypercore/git-worktree/. - Canonical path:
<repo-root>/.hypercore/git-worktree/<folder_name>. - Default
<folder_name>: ask what work will happen in the worktree when the user has not already supplied a clear task, then derive a concise sanitized slug from that answer. - If the user already supplied a branch, PR, issue, or task name, derive
<folder_name>from that context without asking again. - After creating a worktree, move the active execution context into that folder: run follow-up shell commands with
workdir=<path>, open the requested editor/session there, and reportcd <path>for the user shell. - If removal is requested without a path and the active context is already inside a linked worktree, treat the current worktree root as the removal target, move out to a safe worktree before removal, and never remove the main worktree.
- Add or verify a local ignore/exclude for
.hypercore/git-worktree/before creating nested worktrees. - Prefer native
git worktreecommands over installing extra managers. - Prefer one task, branch, terminal session, and editor window per worktree.
<supported_operations>
- Create a worktree from a new branch, existing local branch, remote branch, PR ref, issue task, or commit.
- Enter/open a worktree in the shell, editor, tmux session, or agent CLI when available.
- List worktrees with branch, path, dirty/clean status, lock/prunable annotations, and next action.
- Remove completed worktrees after verifying committed or intentionally discarded changes.
- Remove the current linked worktree even when the request is made from inside it, by resolving the current top-level path first and executing
git worktree removefrom another safe worktree. - Prune stale metadata with a dry run first.
- Repair moved worktrees and lock long-lived worktrees when accidental pruning would be harmful.
</supported_operations>
Phase 1. Inspect repository and intent
- Confirm the current directory is inside a Git repository.
- Resolve the repository root with
git rev-parse --show-toplevel. - Read existing worktrees with
git worktree list --porcelain. - Identify the requested operation: create, open, list, remove, prune, repair, lock, or unlock.
- For removal with no explicit path, if the current directory is inside a linked worktree, select the current worktree root as the target; if it is the main worktree, stop and ask for a specific target instead of deleting the repository root.
- Derive branch name, folder name, and base reference from user wording or current branch.
- If creating and the task/folder intent is missing or too vague, ask one concise question before creation: "What work will happen in this worktree?"
Phase 2. Apply the project path convention
Use .hypercore/git-worktree/<folder_name> as the default target path unless the user explicitly provides another path. Choose <folder_name> from the stated work intent, not from an arbitrary timestamp.
Before creating the worktree:
- create the parent directory if needed
- derive and sanitize
<folder_name>from the stated work intent before path construction - verify the target path does not already contain unrelated files
- ensure
.hypercore/git-worktree/is ignored or locally excluded so the main worktree does not treat nested worktrees as normal untracked content - avoid reusing a branch already checked out by another worktree unless the operation is only to open/list it
Phase 3. Execute the worktree operation
Follow @rules/worktree-lifecycle.md for command patterns, safety checks, and cleanup rules.
Creation preference:
- Existing local branch:
git worktree add <path> <branch>. - Existing remote branch: create a tracking/local branch if needed, then add the worktree.
- New task branch:
git worktree add -b <branch> <path> <base-ref>. - Detached inspection: use
--detachonly when the user is reviewing a commit and does not intend to commit changes.
Current-worktree removal preference:
- When the user says to delete/remove the worktree while already inside a linked worktree, infer the target from
git rev-parse --show-toplevel. - Confirm it is not the main worktree by comparing
git rev-parse --git-dirandgit rev-parse --git-common-dirand by readinggit worktree list --porcelain. - Check status from the target path, save the target path, move execution to the main/safe worktree, then run
git worktree remove <target-path>. - Use
--forceonly when the user explicitly requested force/discard semantics or has confirmed dirty changes are disposable.
Phase 4. Move into the new worktree and verify
After a create operation:
- immediately switch subsequent agent commands to the new worktree path
- if a shell command must demonstrate entry, run
pwdfrom that path or execute commands withgit -C <path>/ toolworkdir=<path> - if an editor, tmux session, or agent was requested, launch it with the new worktree path as its working directory
- report the exact
cd <path>command because a subprocesscdcannot persistently change the user's parent shell
After any operation, report:
- worktree path
- branch or commit checked out
- whether the worktree is clean or dirty
- command to enter/open it, and whether the active agent context has been moved there
- any setup still needed inside that folder, such as dependency install, environment copy, unique ports, or agent prompt handoff
For removal/cleanup, report what was removed and what remains in git worktree list.
Create a new feature worktree and move into it
If the user only says "create a worktree" and no task is clear, ask first:
What work will happen in this worktree?Then derive the folder name from the answer:
repo_root="$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)"
branch="feature/auth-session"
folder="auth-session"
path="$repo_root/.hypercore/git-worktree/$folder"
exclude_file="$(git rev-parse --git-path info/exclude)"
mkdir -p "$(dirname "$path")" "$(dirname "$exclude_file")"
grep -qxF ".hypercore/git-worktree/" "$exclude_file" 2>/dev/null || printf '\n.hypercore/git-worktree/\n' >> "$exclude_file"
git fetch --all --prune
git worktree add -b "$branch" "$path" HEAD
cd "$path"
pwdList worktrees for review
git worktree list --porcelain
git worktree list --verboseSafe cleanup
git -C "$path" status --short
git worktree remove "$path"
git worktree prune --dry-run
git worktree pruneDelete the current linked worktree from inside it
When the user is already inside a linked worktree and says "delete this worktree" / "delete worktree", resolve the target before moving out:
target_path="$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)"
git_dir="$(git rev-parse --git-dir)"
common_dir="$(git rev-parse --git-common-dir)"
main_path="$(git worktree list --porcelain | awk 'NR==1 && /^worktree / {print substr($0, 10)}')"
# Refuse if this is the main worktree or no safe main worktree is available.
if [ "$(cd "$git_dir" && pwd -P)" = "$(cd "$common_dir" && pwd -P)" ] || [ -z "$main_path" ] || [ "$main_path" = "$target_path" ]; then
echo "Refusing to remove this path as a linked worktree: $target_path" >&2
exit 1
fi
git -C "$target_path" status --short --branch
cd "$main_path"
git worktree remove "$target_path"
git worktree list --porcelainTrigger checks:
- Positive examples above clearly activate this skill.
- Negative examples route away from this skill.
- Boundary examples choose Git worktrees only when branch-level isolation is sufficient.
Operation checks:
git rev-parse --show-toplevelsucceeds before path construction.- create operations have a clear work intent; if missing, one concise question is asked before choosing
<folder_name>. <folder_name>is derived from the stated work intent and sanitized before path construction..hypercore/git-worktree/is ignored or locally excluded before nested worktree creation.git worktree list --porcelainis read before mutating existing worktrees.- removal checks
git -C <path> status --shortfirst unless the user explicitly asks for force removal. - current-worktree deletion resolves the current top-level path first, refuses the main worktree, moves to another safe worktree, and removes the saved target path rather than running removal from inside the target.
- cleanup runs
git worktree prune --dry-runbeforegit worktree prune. - after creation, subsequent commands use the new worktree as their working directory or report why they cannot.
Resource placement checks:
- Core workflow stays in
SKILL.md. - Detailed command policy stays in
rules/worktree-lifecycle.md. - External research and pattern rationale stay in
references/source-survey.md.