GitHub Kernel

What is it?

The GitHub Kernel is the foundational skill that defines the "laws of physics" for all other GitHub capability skills. It provides the central source of truth for:

• Tool selection strategy (Escalation Ladder).
• Safety boundaries and non-negotiable rules.
• Conventions for interactions with the GitHub platform.
• Mapping of abstract capabilities to concrete MCP tools.

Success Criteria

• Foundational rules are applied across all other GitHub skills.
• The Tool Escalation Ladder is followed consistently.
• Safety rules for destructive operations are respected.
• Interaction conventions (naming, commits) are maintained.

Why use it?

• Consistent tool selection: Follows the Escalation Ladder to choose the right tool (MCP → CLI → API)
• Safety by design: Enforces confirmation for destructive operations
• Standardized conventions: Ensures consistent branch naming, commit messages, and PR titles
• Single source of truth: Provides shared definitions for all GitHub skills
• Reduced errors: Prevents common mistakes through clear safety boundaries

When to use this skill

• Consult this skill for foundational knowledge when initializing a GitHub-related session.
• Refer to this skill whenever you are unsure about which tool to use (MCP vs. CLI vs. API).
• Consult this skill to check if an action is considered "safe" or requires user confirmation.

What this skill can do

• Explain the Tool Escalation Ladder.
• Define Safety Rules for destructive operations.
• Map capabilities to specific MCP Tools.
• Establish consistent conventions for branch naming, commit messages, and PR titles (see CONVENTIONAL_COMMITS.md).

What this skill will NOT do

• Execute any GitHub actions. This skill is purely informational.
• Create issues or PRs.
• Modify repository state.
• Interact with the API directly.

How to use this skill

This skill is a passive reference.

1. Read the reference documents to understand the operating parameters.
2. Apply the rules when executing other skills like github-issues or github-pr-flow.

Tool usage rules

All GitHub skills must adhere to the Escalation Ladder:

1. Primary: Use GitHub MCP Tools (fast, safe, context-aware).
2. Fallback: Use gh CLI (if MCP is missing/broken).
3. Last Resort: Use REST API (only for edge cases like metadata fields).

See TOOL_ESCALATION.md for detailed logic.

Examples

Determining Tool Safety

"I need to delete a file. Is this safe?" Check SAFETY_RULES.md -> Destructive operation -> Requires explicit confirmation.

Selecting the Right Tool

"I need to comment on an issue." Check MCP_TOOL_MAP.md -> add_issue_comment is available -> Use MCP.

Limitations

• No programmatic enforcement: Rules are guidelines; agents must voluntarily adhere to them
• No workflow logic: Does not contain specific procedures for complex tasks (use specialized skills like github-releases)
• No execution capability: This is a purely informational skill that does not perform any GitHub actions
• Requires manual application: Agents must actively consult and apply these rules