#Using Tessl as a package manager

Tessl manages agent context the way npm or pip manages code dependencies. Skills, rules, and docs are versioned packages you install into a project, update when new versions ship, and publish for others to consume. This tutorial covers the basics of using Tessl: the day-to-day package-manager flows you reach for most.

#Find and install a skill

Search the registry for skills and plugins. Tessl search is intelligent: instead of matching literal keywords, it interprets the meaning of your query and evaluates it against each result's name, description, and source, then ranks them by how closely they fit what you described. So you can search in plain language by what a skill does, as well as by its package name:

tessl search "react testing"

You can also browse the registry UI, open a skill, and copy its install command straight from the page.

Many commands take a workspace name. Run tessl workspace list first to see the workspaces you have access to, then use one of those names wherever a command shows the <workspace> placeholder.

Install a skill or plugin by its registry name, a GitHub repo, or a local path:

tessl install <workspace>/<skillname>  # from the registry
tessl install github:acme/skills       # from a GitHub repo
tessl install file:./local-plugin      # from a local directory

By default Tessl installs into the current project and records the dependency in your tessl.json manifest. Pass --global to install into ~/.tessl for every project, and --skill to pick specific skills from a multi-skill source. Without --agent, Tessl installs for every coding agent it detects in the project; pass --agent to target a specific one instead.

#Keep installed skills up to date

See which installed dependencies have newer versions:

tessl outdated

This lists each dependency with its current, compatible-update, and latest version. Apply the updates:

tessl update

tessl update selects the compatible updates and lets you choose which to apply. A new major version that could break compatibility is held back until you pass --force. Pass --yes to apply all compatible updates without prompting. Remove a dependency you no longer want with tessl uninstall <workspace>/<skillname>.

#Publish your own skill

If you have a SKILL.md that is not yet a package, turn it into one:

tessl skill import ./path-to-skill --workspace <workspace>

This writes a .tessl-plugin/plugin.json manifest under the skill directory. If you omit --workspace, the manifest is written with the workspace set to "local" and you will need to update .tessl-plugin/plugin.json to replace "local" with your workspace name before you can publish.

Publish the skill to your workspace:

tessl skill publish ./path-to-skill --workspace <workspace>

The first publish starts at version 0.1.0. On later publishes, pass --bump patch, --bump minor, or --bump major to increment the version. Use --dry-run to validate what would be published without publishing.

#Choose public or private

A skill is published privately by default: it goes to its workspace, where only members can find and install it. If you expect to see it in the public registry and do not, this is usually why. Add --public to publish it for anyone to install:

tessl skill publish ./path-to-skill --workspace <workspace> --public

Workspaces are how Tessl scopes who can see and install a package. List the workspaces you belong to with tessl workspace list. A skill's full name includes its workspace, for example <workspace>/<skillname>, so workspace names are visible to anyone who can see the package.

#Develop a plugin locally

A plugin is a bundle of skills, rules, commands, and hooks described by a .tessl-plugin/plugin.json manifest. You can install one straight from a local directory and iterate on it before publishing.

First add the local plugin to your project:

tessl install file:./my-plugin

Then run install in watch mode, which re-syncs every local source in your manifest whenever its files change:

tessl install --watch-local

Leave it running while you edit ./my-plugin. Each save reinstalls the updated plugin into your project, so you can test changes against a real codebase before you publish. When it is ready, publish the whole bundle with tessl plugin publish:

tessl plugin publish ./my-plugin --workspace <workspace>

Like tessl skill publish, it accepts --bump patch|minor|major to increment the version and --dry-run to validate without publishing.

#Where to go next

• Creating skills and Creating plugins to go deeper on authoring.
• Distributing via registry to share with your team or publicly.
• Protecting yourself from insecure skills to review what you install for security.