---
name: Nano Doctor
slug: nano-doctor
category: DevOps
description: Nano Doctor checks a local nanostack install for dependency, permission, telemetry, and worker reachability issues. Use it when you need to diagnose whether the install is healthy or needs `--fix` or a reinstall.
github: "https://github.com/garagon/nanostack/tree/main/doctor"
language: Shell
stars: 204
forks: 15
install: "npx degit https://github.com/garagon/nanostack/tree/main/doctor ~/.claude/skills/doctor"
installs_to: ~/.claude/skills/doctor
source_path: doctor/SKILL.md
collection_size: 18
category_size: 973
collection_url: "https://dirskills.com/collections/garagon/nanostack"
added: 2026-09-05T05:29:35.056Z
last_synced: 2026-09-05T05:29:35.056Z
canonical_url: "https://dirskills.com/skills/nano-doctor"
---

# Nano Doctor

Nano Doctor checks a local nanostack install for dependency, permission, telemetry, and worker reachability issues. Use it when you need to diagnose whether the install is healthy or needs `--fix` or a reinstall.

**Install:**

```bash
npx degit https://github.com/garagon/nanostack/tree/main/doctor ~/.claude/skills/doctor
```

## README

# /nano-doctor — Install Health Check

You diagnose the local nanostack install. Ten checks across dependencies, install integrity, the user-scoped home directory, telemetry config, the pre-V5 detection path, and Worker reachability. Output names the category, the check, and a one-line detail. No decorative prose.

This is a diagnostic skill, not a fix-everything skill. Mechanical issues (file permissions, missing `chmod +x`) repair with `--fix`. Anything that needs human judgment stays as a warning or failure.

## Telemetry preamble

Defensive telemetry init. No-op if telemetry is disabled via `NANOSTACK_NO_TELEMETRY=1`, `~/.nanostack/.telemetry-disabled`, or if the helpers are removed.

```bash
_P="$HOME/.claude/skills/nanostack/bin/lib/skill-preamble.sh"
[ -f "$_P" ] && . "$_P" nano-doctor
unset _P
```

## Process

Run the health check script, then summarize what the user actually needs to do:

```bash
~/.claude/skills/nanostack/bin/nano-doctor.sh
```

Optional flags:

- `--json` — machine-readable output. Use when invoked by another tool or when piping to `jq`. The envelope includes `fix_available` (boolean), `fix_command` (the suggested command or `null`), and `session_profile` (`"guided"`, `"professional"`, or `null` when no session exists in the current project). These three fields let calling skills decide whether to surface a one-line repair prompt or a full warning report.
- `--offline` — skip Worker reachability. Use in air-gapped environments or during CI.
- `--fix` — repair mechanical issues. Currently covers: `chmod 700` on `~/.nanostack/`, `chmod +x` on the sender, and adding the missing PreToolUse hooks for Bash and Write/Edit/MultiEdit to the local `.claude/settings.json`. Always backs up the file first as `.claude/settings.json.YYYYMMDD-HHMMSS.bak`. Never touches your existing permission entries; only adds hooks alongside them.

## Interpreting the output

The script prints one line per check, grouped by category. Status values:

- `ok  ` — passed, nothing to do.
- `warn` — minor issue. Telemetry may report `unknown`, permissions may be too open, Worker may be unreachable. None of these block `/think`, `/nano`, etc.
- `FAIL` — critical issue. A missing dependency or missing skill file. Usage is impaired.

The `host` category reports the protection level for every detected agent CLI (Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, OpenCode, Gemini). Each row reads a host's declared capability from `adapters/<host>.json` and cross-checks against this install. When the declaration says `enforced` but the local hook is missing, the row warns about the drift and points at `/nano-doctor --fix`. When a host's adapter declares `instructions_only`, the row passes with a note that the workflow is guided rather than enforced on that host. See `reference/host-adapter-schema.md` for the full vocabulary.

Exit codes:

| Exit | Meaning |
|------|---------|
| 0 | Everything checks out |
| 1 | Warnings only, skill still works |
| 2 | Critical, needs repair before use |

## When to recommend `--fix`

If the report shows warnings for `home permissions`, `sender_executable`, `bash_guard`, or `write_guard`, re-run with `--fix`. The `--fix` mode handles those four mechanically and leaves a backup. For any other warning or failure (missing VERSION, broad `Bash(rm:*)`, broken telemetry tier), surface the detail to the user and let them decide. Do NOT try to fix missing dependencies or rewrite permission lists automatically.

## When to recommend a reinstall

If the skill_dir check fails, the install itself is missing or corrupted. Tell the user:

```sh
npx create-nanostack
```

That reinstalls and preserves the existing `~/.nanostack/` (telemetry config, installation-id, past opt-in choice).

## Profile-aware output

Read `session_profile` from the JSON envelope (or default to `professional` if no session exists). Branch the user-facing summary by profile:

**Guided profile (also: local mode, no git, non-technical user).** Do not dump the raw report and do not lead with "hooks/settings JSON". Follow `reference/plain-language-contract.md`. Translate the outcome into the four-block skeleton:

<!-- guided-output:start -->
```
Resultado: Nanostack esta sano y listo para acompañarte.

Como verlo:
1. No hace falta hacer nada. Cuando empieces tu proximo trabajo, te aviso si algo necesita atencion.

Que revise:
- Las herramientas que necesita estan instaladas.
- Los permisos del directorio personal son correctos.
- Las protecciones automaticas estan activas.

Pendiente:
- No revise si hay actualizaciones nuevas (corre /nano-update si queres).
```
<!-- guided-output:end -->

When the report has warnings, replace the result line with: "Encontre algunos avisos menores. ¿Queres que los repare?" and offer `--fix` only if `fix_available` is true. When it has failures: "Hay un problema con la instalacion. Lo mas probable es que necesites reinstalar con `npx create-nanostack`. ¿Queres que te guie?"

Never read the internal category names ("install", "detection") to a Guided user. Those are for the report, not for the conversation.

**Professional profile.** Print the full report. Lead with the failed/warned rows, name the missing hook or permission directly, and surface `fix_command` verbatim when `fix_available` is true. Example: `write_guard: warn — check-write.sh missing from .claude/settings.json. Fix: nano-doctor.sh --fix`.

## Telemetry finalize

Before returning control:

```bash
_F="$HOME/.claude/skills/nanostack/bin/lib/skill-finalize.sh"
[ -f "$_F" ] && . "$_F" nano-doctor success
unset _F
```

Outcome stays `success` even if the diagnosis found issues; the skill itself ran, the install is what has the problem. Pass `error` only if the script failed to execute (missing, not readable, etc.).

## Gotchas

- **Do not run `--fix` without reporting what it will change.** The user should see the warnings before they are repaired, not after. Default to read-only; `--fix` is opt-in.
- **Do not treat warn as fail.** A missing VERSION file is not a broken install; it just means events report `unknown`.
- **Do not interpret the output for the user when it is clean.** If exit is 0 and there are no warnings, say "healthy" and stop. No need to recite the ten lines.