Agent skill · software engineering · nvidia
doca-firefly
Use this skill when the user is operating the DOCA Firefly Service container on BlueField — picking the four PTP configuration axes (role / profile / domain / interface), wiring the BlueField PHC + host follower + consumer workload pairing, deciding whether PTP-grade time is even needed (vs. chrony / NTP), or debugging a Firefly deployment where PTP isn't syncing or the host clock isn't following. Trigger even when the user does not explicitly mention "DOCA Firefly" or "PTP" — typical implicit phrasings include "container green but PTP never advances past LISTENING", "Firefly says synced but the host clock still drifts", "sync acquired but offset is tens of microseconds", "my Rivermax SMPTE workload needs PTP", or "is chrony good enough". Refuse and route elsewhere for installing DOCA, host-side chrony / ptp4l config bodies, PTP topology / boundary-clock design, building DOCA apps that read the disciplined PHC, or other DOCA services (DMS, Flow-Inspector, HBN) — those belong to other skills.
Why this skill is useful
Adds executable configuration scripts and specific commands for managing PTP settings in the DOCA Firefly environment that aren't available in public documentation.
What it needs
Requires docker installed locally. About 10k tokens when loaded. Last updated 2026-08-07. 2,816 stars on the source repository.
What this skill does
DOCA Firefly Service Examples “Container green but PTP never advances past LISTENING.” — this is in scope. Check role / profile / domain / interface before changing host chrony. “Firefly says synced but the host clock still drifts.” — wire the BlueField PHC follower; Firefly does not replace host-side chrony / ptp4l bodies. Instructions Follow Loading order below. Open the tasks companion for configure / sync / debug. Open the capabilities companion for PTP axes. Do not open every companion file. Subsystem inventory. DOCA Firefly is NOT just "a PTP daemon." The shipped docafirefly.yaml exposes six PTP-stack subsystems via environment variables, each with its own STATE, CONFIGFILE, and (where relevant) INTERFACE / DEVICE knobs (the count is six because the PTP Monitor subsystem ships an internal phc2sys monitor client that is distinct from the standalone PHC2SYS subsystem — both ship in the same container image): 1. PTP (PTPSTATE, PTPINTERFACE, PTPCONFIGFILE) — the ptp4l daemon (or master, depending on profile) that drives the BlueField PHC. 2. PTP Monitor (MONITORSTATE, MONITORCONFIGFILE, MONITORCLIENTTYPE, MONITORCLIENTPHC2SYSINTERFACE, MONITORCLIENTCONNECTIONTIMEOUT) — the monitor server + client surface; the internal phc2sys monitor client (MONITORCLIENTTYPE=phc2sys) is a real subsystem inside Firefly, not just a host-side concern. 3. PHC2SYS (PHC2SYSSTATE, PHC2SYSARGS, PHC2SYSCONFIGFILE) — the container-internal phc2sys instance (not host-only). 4. PPS (PPSSTATE, PPSDEVICE) — the Pulse-Per-Second output (with the additional enablewhilerunning and donothing states beyond plain enable/disable). 5. SyncE (SYNCESTATE, SYNCEINTERFACE, SYNCECONFIGFILE) — Synchronous Ethernet frequency distribution; orthogonal to PTP. 6. Firefly Servo (SERVOSTATE, SERVOCONFIGFILE) — the proprietary Firefly servo loop (alternative to the upstream linuxptp servo). …
How to use it
Reference it in AdaL, Claude Code, Cursor or any coding agent — nothing to install:
@skills nvidia/doca-firefly