Install MTHDS method packages

Install method packages from GitHub or local directories using the mthds-agent CLI.

Process

Step 0 — CLI Check (mandatory, do this FIRST)

Run mthds-agent --version. The minimum required version is 0.1.2 (declared in this skill's front matter as min_mthds_version).

• If the command is not found: STOP. Do not proceed. Tell the user:

The mthds-agent CLI is required but not installed. Install it with:

npm install -g mthds

Then re-run this skill.

• If the version is below 0.1.2: STOP. Do not proceed. Tell the user:

This skill requires mthds-agent version 0.1.2 or higher (found X.Y.Z). Upgrade with:

npm install -g mthds@latest

Then re-run this skill.

• If the version is 0.1.2 or higher: proceed to the next step.

Do not attempt manual installation. The CLI handles resolution, file placement, shim generation, and runtime setup.

No backend setup needed: This skill works without configuring inference backends or API keys. You can start building/validating methods right away. Backend configuration is only needed to run methods with live inference — use /pipelex-setup when you're ready.

Step 1: Identify the Source

Determine where the method package lives:

Source	Syntax	Example
GitHub (short)	org/repo	mthds-ai/contract-analysis
GitHub (full URL)	https://github.com/org/repo	https://github.com/mthds-ai/contract-analysis
Local directory	--local <path>	--local ./my-methods/

If the user provides a GitHub URL or org/repo string, use it as the address argument. If they point to a local directory, use --local.

Step 2: Choose Install Parameters

Flag	Required	Values	Description
--agent	Yes	claude-code, cursor, codex	AI agent to install for
--location	Yes	local, global	local = project .claude/methods/, global = ~/.claude/methods/
--method <name>	No	method name	Install only one method from a multi-method package
--skills	No	—	Also install the MTHDS skills plugin
--no-runner	No	—	Skip automatic Pipelex runtime installation

Defaults:

• Use --agent claude-code (since this skill runs inside Claude Code)
• Use --location local unless the user explicitly asks for global install

Step 3: Run the Install

From GitHub:

mthds-agent install <org/repo> --agent claude-code --location local

From a local directory:

mthds-agent install --local <path> --agent claude-code --location local

Install a specific method from a multi-method package:

mthds-agent install <org/repo> --agent claude-code --location local --method <name>

Install with skills plugin:

mthds-agent install <org/repo> --agent claude-code --location local --skills

Step 4: Present Results

On success, the CLI returns JSON:

{
  "success": true,
  "installed_methods": ["method-name"],
  "location": "local",
  "target_dir": "/path/to/.claude/methods",
  "installed_skills": [],
  "shim_dir": "~/.mthds/bin",
  "shims_generated": ["method-name"]
}

Present to the user:

• Which methods were installed and where (target_dir)
• If CLI shims were generated, note the shim directory and advise adding ~/.mthds/bin to PATH if not already present
• If skills were installed, mention they are now available

Step 5: Handle Errors

When encountering errors, re-run with --log-level debug for additional context:

mthds-agent --log-level debug install <org/repo> --agent claude-code --location local

Common errors:

Error	Cause	Fix
--agent is required	Missing --agent flag	Add --agent claude-code
--location is required	Missing --location flag	Add --location local or --location global
Unknown agent	Invalid agent ID	Use one of: claude-code, cursor, codex
Failed to resolve methods	GitHub repo not found or no methods in repo	Verify the address and that the repo contains METHODS.toml
Method "X" not found	--method filter doesn't match any method in the package	Check available method names in the package
Failed to install pipelex runtime	Runtime install failed (network, permissions)	Retry, or use --no-runner to skip runtime install

For all error types and recovery strategies, see Error Handling Reference.

Reference

• Error Handling — read when CLI returns an error to determine recovery
• MTHDS Agent Guide — read for CLI command syntax or output format details