---

name: openpilot description: "Guides development, route/log analysis, car-porting, runtime services, simulator, and visual-debug workflows for comma.ai openpilot." disable-model-invocation: true metadata: disco-role: operating license: MIT

openpilot Repo Skill

Use this operating skill when a task involves the comma.ai openpilot repository, package, developer tooling, route logs, car ports, controls, runtime services, simulator, or visualization/debug tools. openpilot is an open source driver-assistance/robotics system with Python, C/C++, Cython, Cap'n Proto, SCons, uv, and several submodule packages such as opendbc and msgq.

Read references/repo-provenance.md before treating this skill as current for a checkout. Read references/troubleshooting.md first when installs, imports, native extensions, submodules, or hardware assumptions fail.

First decisions

1. Is the task about editing or validating the repo? Use development-and-testing.
2. Is the task about route IDs, rlogs/qlogs, message filtering, alerts, or LogReader? Use route-log-analysis.
3. Is the task about a car port, fingerprint, DBC/opendbc interface, controller behavior, process replay, or maneuver report? Use car-ports-and-controls.
4. Is the task about cereal/msgq, Params, manager processes, loggerd/uploader/deleter, service timing, or hardware abstraction? Use core-services-and-runtime.
5. Is the task about replay, Cabana, PlotJuggler/JotPluggler, simulator, joystick, UI, camera streams, or CTF-style tool exploration? Use simulator-and-visual-tools.

Safe baseline setup for a target checkout

In a target openpilot checkout, prefer the repository's uv/SCons workflow and Python 3.12 line:

# Inspect before mutating anything
python3 --version
git submodule status

# Typical developer setup from a fresh checkout
uv sync --frozen --extra tools --extra testing
scons -u openpilot/common/libparams_c.so msgq_repo/msgq/ipc_pyx.so msgq_repo/msgq/visionipc/visionipc_pyx.so

Use the bundled scripts/openpilot_skill_doctor.py or the development sub-skill's scripts/openpilot_dev_check.py to inspect a checkout without running mutable setup commands.

Important constraints

• openpilot metadata requires Python >=3.12.3,<3.13.
• Empty submodule directories are a common cause of install/import failure. Required submodules include msgq_repo, opendbc_repo, panda, rednose_repo, teleoprtc_repo, and tinygrad_repo.
• Many imports need native outputs from SCons, especially openpilot/common/libparams_c.so, msgq_repo/msgq/ipc_pyx.so, and msgq_repo/msgq/visionipc/visionipc_pyx.so.
• A CPU developer host can validate package imports, route/log parsing, unit-test collection, car docs, and many controller tests. It cannot validate in-car safety, Panda USB, AGNOS, camera/encoder power, GUI, simulator, or authenticated remote-route behavior by itself.
• Treat live car/device commands, joystick control, op switch, updater/start/stop flows, and Params writes as state-mutating. Do not run them unless the user explicitly asks and prerequisites are clear.

Sub-skill map

Need	Read
Setup, build, lint, tests, docs, CI-like checks	development-and-testing/SKILL.md
Route/segment formats, LogReader, qlog/rlog summaries, filtering	route-log-analysis/SKILL.md
Car porting, fingerprints, controls, process replay, maneuvers	car-ports-and-controls/SKILL.md
cereal/msgq, Params, manager, loggerd, service diagnostics	core-services-and-runtime/SKILL.md
Replay, Cabana, PlotJuggler, simulator, joystick, UI flags	simulator-and-visual-tools/SKILL.md

Repo-level references and scripts

• references/repo-provenance.md records the source snapshot and refresh baseline.
• references/repo-routing-metadata.json is structured router metadata for managed imports.
• references/troubleshooting.md covers cross-cutting failures and escalation rules.
• scripts/openpilot_skill_doctor.py checks a target checkout's structure and import/build prerequisites without mutating it.

Verification posture

CPU import/build preparation was verified for the selected developer workflows. Hardware, remote-route network, GUI, and simulator capabilities are documented as optional or unverified unless the user provides the required device, route access, display, or dependency stack.