Shared Skills: One Source, Two Distributed Copies
“Installed” did not establish a working connection
I asked AI to install an existing calendar skill and check its connection. Reading the skill revealed a dependency on the gog CLI, rather than the MCP connection initially expected.
The executable was installed, but the first authentication check found no stored tokens. Having both the skill file and the executable did not establish access to the calendar.
That made it useful to separate the checks:
| Item | Question it answers |
|---|---|
| Skill file | Are the instructions available for AI to read? |
| Executable | Is the tool required by those instructions installed? |
| Authentication | Is access to the target service set up? |
| Actual task | Does the requested operation complete? |
Passing one stage did not establish the next. The first connection check showed an installed tool without confirmed authentication.
A separate skill for use across AI tools
In the same conversation, I also asked for skills to be usable across multiple AI tools. The skill organized into a shared source and distributed copies was an agent-creation skill, separate from the calendar skill.
These were two different pieces of work. The calendar case checked dependencies and authentication. The agent-creation case distributed shared instructions. Distribution did not resolve the calendar authentication issue.
AI reported placing the shared source under Ruler management and applying it to locations read by Codex and Claude. It included reference documents and assets, then checked the resulting files in both locations.
The structure consisted of one source and two distributed copies. Keeping the source distinct from those copies mattered: independent edits in each tool’s location could otherwise leave no clear version to maintain.
What still needed execution checks
The report established creation of the shared source and placement of the files and supporting material in both locations. It did not include a comparison in which Codex and Claude performed the same task and demonstrated that each followed the intended rules.
The presence of files in two locations therefore did not establish correct behavior in both tools. Just as the calendar check separated file availability from service access, shared distribution required a separate check of whether the instructions were actually used.
I requested installation, a connection check, and reuse across AI tools. AI inspected dependencies and authentication and organized the source and distribution locations. The remaining step was to run a real task in each tool and check that it read the instructions and referenced material.
This account uses records from April 4, 2026. It describes the historical distribution work, not a current installation procedure. No authentication or tool settings were changed for this article.