Agent skill · software engineering · erichowens
code-necromancer
Systematic framework for resurrecting and modernizing legacy codebases through archaeology, resurrection, and rejuvenation phases. Activate on "legacy code", "inherited codebase", "no documentation",
Why this skill is useful
Adds a comprehensive framework with specific scripts and processes for analyzing, reviving, and modernizing legacy codebases that the AI wouldn't generate on its own.
What it needs
Requires gh, grep, npm, pip installed locally. About 3k tokens when loaded. Last updated 2026-07-14. 180 stars on the source repository.
What this skill does
Code Necromancer Tagline: Raise dead codebases from the grave Systematic framework for understanding, resurrecting, and modernizing legacy codebases. When to Activate ✅ Use when: Inheriting a codebase with 5+ repos and no documentation Resurrecting a product dormant for 2+ years Joining a company with significant technical debt and tribal knowledge loss Performing due diligence on acquired codebases Modernizing legacy systems without breaking existing functionality ❌ NOT for: Greenfield projects (start fresh instead) Well-documented active codebases Simple bug fixes in maintained systems The Three Phases Phase 1: ARCHAEOLOGY Objective: Create a complete map before touching anything. Output Description -------- ------------- repo-inventory.json All repos with metadata, languages, activity dependency-graph.mmd Inter-repo and external dependencies architecture-diagram.mmd Visual system topology tech-stack-matrix.md Language/framework versions per repo maturity-assessment.md Code quality, test coverage, docs quality missing-pieces.md Gaps, orphaned repos, broken integrations Process: Inventory → Deep Scan → Cross-Reference → Visualize → Assess → See references/archaeology-guide.md for detailed techniques. Phase 2: RESURRECTION Objective: Get the system running in development. Output Description -------- ------------- dependency-audit.md Outdated packages, vulnerabilities, breaking changes environment-variables.md All required env vars with defaults secrets-needed.md API keys, certs, OAuth credentials infrastructure-status.md Cloud resources, what exists vs deleted resurrection-blockers.md Critical issues preventing launch integration-tests/ Tests verifying components work and communicate Process: Audit Dependencies → Map Environment → Check Infrastructure → Write Tests → Document Blockers → See references/integration-test-patterns.md for resurrection test patterns. Phase 3: REJUVENATION Objective: Modernize while maintaining feature parity. …
How to use it
Reference it in AdaL, Claude Code, Cursor or any coding agent — nothing to install:
@skills erichowens/code-necromancer