Claude Desktop

The Claude Desktop app has three modes that touch Open Knowledge differently.

• Code tab is Claude Code. Set it up via the Claude Code page.
• Chat and Cowork read skills from a separate, isolated list. Use the install command below for those.

Installed from the macOS DMG

A consent dialog runs the first time the app launches. It detects every MCP-capable editor on your machine, preselects all of them, and writes user-level MCP entries when you click Add — or writes nothing when you click Skip. To re-trigger it, delete ~/.ok/mcp-status.json and relaunch.

The DMG path covers MCP wiring but doesn't install the skill that Chat and Cowork need. Run the command below for that.

Install the skill (Chat + Cowork)

npx @inkeep/open-knowledge install-skill

This builds openknowledge.skill, saves it to ~/Downloads/, and opens the Claude Desktop app. Upload it manually with five clicks: Customize → Skills → + → Create skill → Upload skill, then pick the file from Downloads.

The skill turns on automatically. Use it in any Chat or Cowork session.

If Customize → Skills isn't visible, enable it in Settings → Capabilities → Code execution and file creation.

Flags

• --out <path> — write the .skill file somewhere other than ~/Downloads/
• --no-open — build the file without launching Claude Desktop
• --force — rebuild even if the skill is already up to date

Verify

In a fresh Chat or Cowork session:

Use the open-knowledge skill to summarize what's in this workspace.

Claude should recognize the skill and use Open Knowledge's tools.

Cowork: skill won't fire after install

Claude Cowork has an open bug where custom skills register in the UI but don't mount in the session VM. Symptom: the skill shows enabled but Cowork tells you it isn't available.

Workaround:

1. Customize → Skills, find open-knowledge, delete it.
2. Run npx @inkeep/open-knowledge install-skill again.
3. Re-upload (the same 5-click sequence).
4. Start a fresh Cowork session.

Team and Enterprise

Org owners can publish the skill once instead of asking every user to install it:

npx @inkeep/open-knowledge install-skill --no-open --out ./openknowledge.skill

Upload via Organization settings → Skills → + Add. Every member sees it in Chat and Cowork.