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Claude Code skill

HyperHerd ships a Claude Code skill called hyperherd-config that teaches Claude how to author and edit hyperherd.yaml files. Open a Claude Code session and ask "set up a sweep over learning rate and three optimizers" — Claude uses the skill's checklist + patterns to produce a config that follows HyperHerd conventions.

The autonomous monitor (herd monitor) ships its own playbook bundled inside the hyperherd Python package; it doesn't use the skill system.

Install

herd install-skill

That installs the skill into ~/.claude/skills/hyperherd-config/. Open a new Claude Code session anywhere and it's available.

Flag Description
--scope user (default) Writes to ~/.claude/skills/hyperherd-config/. Available in every Claude Code session.
--scope project Writes to ./.claude/skills/hyperherd-config/ in the current directory. Commit it and collaborators in this repo get the skill.
--name <skill> Install only the named skill. Currently only hyperherd-config ships, so this flag is mostly future-proofing.
-f, --force Overwrite an existing install. Use this after upgrading HyperHerd to pick up skill updates.

Re-installing after a HyperHerd upgrade

The skill is shipped as package data inside the hyperherd Python package. After upgrading HyperHerd, run herd install-skill --force to pick up any updates.

What the skill does

The skill is a structured prompt that:

  1. Walks Claude through the sweep shape decision (full grid / partial grid / one-at-a-time) and the implications for default fields.
  2. Documents the parameter schema (discrete vs continuous, abbrev, labels, log scale).
  3. Provides patterns for the four condition forms (exclude, force, set, when matchers).
  4. Gives launcher templates for common environments.
  5. Points Claude at the Sweep config reference for any field it's unsure about.

It is intentionally a checklist + patterns, not a substitute for the docs. For non-trivial configs Claude is instructed to read the full reference first.

Source

The canonical skill source lives in the HyperHerd repo at hyperherd/skills/hyperherd-config/SKILL.md. The repo's own .claude/skills/hyperherd-config/SKILL.md is a symlink to it, so working in a checkout of the HyperHerd repo Just Works without running install-skill.