Agent skill · software engineering · mvanhorn
pp-github-contents
Download any GitHub folder without cloning — plan it first, verify it after, re-sync only what changed. Trigger phrases: `download a folder from github`, `download this github directory`, `grab files from a repo without cloning`, `check if my local copy matches the repo`, `how big is that github folder`, `use github-contents`, `run github-contents`.
Why this skill is useful
Adds unique commands for planning, verifying, and syncing GitHub folder downloads that aren't available in standard tools.
What it needs
Requires github-contents-pp-cli installed locally. About 11k tokens when loaded. Last updated 2026-08-06. 1,890 stars on the source repository.
What this skill does
GitHub Contents — Printing Press CLI Prerequisites: Install the CLI This skill drives the github-contents-pp-cli binary. You must verify the CLI is installed before invoking any command from this skill. If it is missing, install it first: 1. Install via the Printing Press installer. It defaults binaries to $HOME/.local/bin on macOS/Linux and %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\PrintingPress\bin on Windows: 2. Verify: github-contents-pp-cli --version 3. Ensure the reported install directory is on $PATH for the agent/runtime that will invoke this skill. If the npx install fails (no Node, offline, etc.), fall back to a direct Go install (requires Go 1.26.6 or newer). This installs into $GOPATH/bin (default $HOME/go/bin), so add that directory to $PATH instead: If --version reports "command not found" after install, the runtime cannot see the binary directory on $PATH. Do not proceed with skill commands until verification succeeds. Addresses owner/repo/path#ref like degit, but streams big files past the 1 MB contents-API limit via the raw CDN, preserves folder structure, and gives every command --json for agents. The plan/verify/sync-dir loop — preview cost before downloading, prove local files match remote by git blob SHA, then fetch only the diff — exists in no other GitHub download tool. When to Use This CLI Reach for this CLI when a task needs files out of a GitHub repo without a full clone: downloading a subdirectory (docs, datasets, templates, book collections) with structure preserved, previewing what a download costs, verifying a local copy still matches upstream, or keeping a mirror current with minimal bandwidth. It works unauthenticated on public repos and uses at most a couple of API requests per operation. …
How to use it
Reference it in AdaL, Claude Code, Cursor or any coding agent — nothing to install:
@skills mvanhorn/github-contents