---

name: repo-development description: "Modify the SkyPilot repository safely with structure, style, tests, API compatibility, protobuf, dashboard, and PR guidance." disable-model-invocation: true metadata: disco-role: operating license: Apache 2.0

SkyPilot Repo Development

Use this sub-skill when the user wants to change SkyPilot source code, tests, docs, packaging/dependency files, API server schemas, protobufs, dashboard code, CI config, or contribution/PR workflows. This is for maintainer work in a SkyPilot checkout, not for end-user cluster, job, service, storage, or SDK usage.

Start Here

1. Read references/development-guide.md for the repository map, coding conventions, focused validation strategy, protobuf/dashboard workflows, API compatibility rules, critical paths, and PR handoff checklist.
2. Read references/troubleshooting.md when formatter versions, protobuf generation, API compatibility, dashboard builds, import-time behavior, smoke tests, or Buildkite status checks fail.
3. Run scripts/repo_sanity.py with --repo-root . to inspect a checkout and print recommended commands for changed files. It reports only by default; it does not format, run broad tests, start API servers, contact clouds, or mutate the checkout.
4. Add --check-import only when a read-only import sky probe is safe in the current environment.

Owns

• Source-editing workflow for sky/, tests/, docs/source/, examples/, llm/, charts/, sky/dashboard/, sky/schemas/proto/, packaging files, CI files, and maintainer scripts.
• Coding conventions: Google Python style, import placement, typing-only imports, LazyImport, TODO/FIXME attribution, exception usage, dependency pin rationale, and generated-file boundaries.
• Formatting/linting/test selection: format.sh, development tool versions, pytest unit targets, smoke test safety, dashboard lint/build/test commands, protobuf regeneration, and PR Tested: sections.
• API compatibility for client/server changes: API_VERSION, MIN_COMPATIBLE_API_VERSION, @versions.minimal_api_version(...), payload defaults, remote API version branching, serialization compatibility, and backward compatibility tests.
• Critical maintainer paths: managed jobs recovery, API server performance/robustness, CLI/SDK UX, cloud/backend provisioning, and generated protobuf/dashboard coupling.

Route Elsewhere

• Task YAML authoring or parser-only validation: ../task-yaml/SKILL.md.
• Interactive cluster commands, status/logs, launch/exec/stop/down behavior: ../cluster-operations/SKILL.md.
• Managed job launch, queue, recovery, logs, cancellation, and pools: ../managed-jobs/SKILL.md.
• SkyServe service YAMLs, updates, replicas, autoscaling, and serving logs: ../serving/SKILL.md.
• Cloud credentials, Kubernetes/Slurm/SSH, storage, volumes, GPU catalogs, and provider-specific triage: ../infrastructure-storage/SKILL.md.
• Python SDK/API server usage without source edits: ../sdk-api-server/SKILL.md.

Operating Principles

• Start from the files changed, then select the smallest meaningful formatter/test/build commands; broaden only when risk or reviewers need it.
• Never run cloud-launching smoke tests, destructive cleanup, Helm upgrades, or credentialed provider checks unless the user explicitly asks and understands cost/resource effects.
• Treat sky/schemas/generated/ as generated output; edit .proto sources and regenerate instead of hand-editing generated files.
• Restart the API server after source changes before manual API-server validation; rebuild dashboard assets first when dashboard source changed.
• For PR summaries, include a concrete Tested: section with commands actually run, skipped expensive checks, and any manual verification notes.