# Feature Request: Auto-apply skills (rtk, caveman) Two related UX improvements that would make day-to-day usage much smoother. --- ## 1. Auto-apply `rtk` and `caveman` skills **Context** There are two very useful built-in skills that the user has to remember to invoke manually: - **`rtk`** — RTK CLI wrapper that produces compact, token-efficient shell output (cuts ~75% of `ls`, `tree`, `grep`, `git`, `npm`, `cargo`, `docker`, `kubectl`, `find`, etc.). Currently triggered only when the user thinks to route a command through it. - **`caveman`** — Ultra-compressed communication mode (lite / full / ultra / wenyan variants). Currently triggered only by explicit phrases like "caveman mode" / "use caveman" or slash command. Both are high-signal triggers that are easy to forget, and both significantly reduce token / time cost when applied. **Proposed behavior** 1. **Context-aware auto-apply for `rtk`** — When the model is about to run a shell command and the command matches the RTK-supported surface (file listing, search, git inspection, package manager reads, log greps, JSON inspection, env reads, dependency trees, container/k8s reads, etc.), auto-route through `rtk` (or its non-interactive equivalent) instead of the raw command. Show a one-line note in the response, e.g. `↳ rtk ls (auto-applied)`. Provide a way for the user to opt out per-command or globally. 2. **Signal-aware auto-apply for `caveman`** — Detect when the user is asking for brevity, hitting token-budget pressure, or sending prompts that match the existing trigger phrases, and switch the response style automatically. Show a one-line toggle indicator so the user knows the mode is active, with a single command to disable mid-session. **Why** - These two skills save a lot of tokens, but their value compounds only if they fire automatically. Forcing the user to remember to invoke them defeats the purpose. - The signals for both are already well-defined in the existing skill descriptions, so detection is cheap and low-risk. - Both should be opt-out-able per session so power users retain control. **Acceptance criteria** - A shell command that fits the RTK surface runs through `rtk` automatically, with a visible note. A `--no-rtk` per-command escape and a session-level `rtk: off` config both work. - Saying "be brief" / "less tokens" / "caveman" (or any pattern currently in the skill description) flips the response style automatically and shows an indicator. - No behavior change for users who never trigger these contexts.