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rdimitrov merged 1 commit into from
Apr 13, 2026
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Add skills system architecture documentation #4758

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30 changes: 30 additions & 0 deletions docs/arch/02-core-concepts.md
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Expand Up @@ -430,6 +430,35 @@ ToolHive can automatically configure clients to use MCP servers:

**Related concepts:** Workload, Group

### Skill

A **skill** is an Agent Skill -- a markdown-based instruction set (SKILL.md) that extends an AI coding assistant's capabilities. Skills are not MCP servers; they provide knowledge and conventions rather than callable tools.

**Key characteristics:**
- Defined by a `SKILL.md` file with YAML frontmatter
- Distributed as OCI artifacts (tar.gz layers)
- Can also be installed directly from git repositories
- Scoped to user (global) or project (local)
- Support multi-client installation (Claude Code, Cursor, etc.)

**Lifecycle:**
1. **Discover** - Browse skills from registry catalog
2. **Build** - Package local SKILL.md into OCI artifact
3. **Publish** - Push OCI artifact to remote registry
4. **Install** - Pull from registry/git and extract to client skill directory
5. **Uninstall** - Remove files and metadata

**Implementation:**
- Service: `pkg/skills/skillsvc/skillsvc.go`
- Types: `pkg/skills/types.go`
- Storage: `pkg/storage/sqlite/skill_store.go`
- CLI: `cmd/thv/app/skill*.go`
- API: `pkg/api/v1/skills.go`

**For architecture details**, see [Skills System](12-skills-system.md).

**Related concepts:** Registry, Group, Client

## Verbs (Actions)

### Deploy
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -769,6 +798,7 @@ Registry
| **Session** | State tracking for MCP connections |
| **Runtime** | Abstraction over container systems |
| **Client** | Application that uses MCP servers |
| **Skill** | Agent Skill (SKILL.md) extending AI assistant capabilities |
| **Deploy** | Create and start a workload |
| **Proxy** (verb) | Forward traffic with middleware |
| **Attach** | Connect to container stdin/stdout |
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1 change: 1 addition & 0 deletions docs/arch/06-registry-system.md
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Expand Up @@ -987,6 +987,7 @@ kubectl get configmap company-registry-storage -o jsonpath='{.data.registry\.jso
- [Deployment Modes](01-deployment-modes.md) - Registry usage per mode
- [Groups](07-groups.md) - Groups in registry
- [Operator Architecture](09-operator-architecture.md) - MCPRegistry CRD
- [Skills System](12-skills-system.md) - Skills discovery and distribution via registry

### External Documentation
- [ToolHive User Documentation](https://docs.stacklok.com/toolhive/) - User-facing guides
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1 change: 1 addition & 0 deletions docs/arch/07-groups.md
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Expand Up @@ -140,3 +140,4 @@ Groups may serve as the foundation for additional features:
- [Registry System](06-registry-system.md) - Groups in registry
- [Workloads Lifecycle](08-workloads-lifecycle.md) - Group operations
- [Virtual MCP Server Architecture](10-virtual-mcp-architecture.md) - Group-based aggregation
- [Skills System](12-skills-system.md) - Skills organized in groups
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