AI skill for themes and modules
Install the archr-launcher-dev skill so Claude Code or another coding assistant can build, test and publish archr-launcher themes and modules.
archr-launcher-dev is a skill for coding assistants. It packs the theme and module references of archr-launcher into a form an assistant reads on its own: the theme.toml keys and their limits, the module manifest, the JSON-RPC protocol, permissions, the sandbox, the Theme store and Module store rules, and a checklist to run before publishing. With it installed, you can ask for a theme or a module in plain words and the assistant works from the launcher's real rules instead of guessing.
The skill follows the Agent Skills format, a folder with a SKILL.md, so it works in Claude Code and in other tools that read that format. Source and releases: archr-linux/archr-skills.
What the skill contains
| File | Content |
|---|---|
SKILL.md | The workflow (create, test on a PC, test on the device, publish) and the rules the assistant must keep |
references/themes.md | Every theme.toml key, views, frames, sounds, the PC capture test, the Theme store rules |
references/modules.md | module.toml, API 2 protocol, permissions, sandbox, lifecycle, the Module store rules |
references/checklist.md | What to verify before publishing a theme or a module |
assets/ | A minimal theme and a minimal module that pass the launcher's checks |
scripts/precheck.py | A static check of a theme or module folder (Python 3.11 or newer) |
It covers module API 2, the current one. The detailed pages are still Create themes and Create modules; when the launcher changes, its own docs/temas.md and docs/modulos.md are the reference.
Install in Claude Code
Add the marketplace
Inside Claude Code:
/plugin marketplace add archr-linux/archr-skillsInstall the plugin
/plugin install archr@archr-skillsRestart Claude Code
The skill loads by itself when you ask for an ArchR theme or module. You can also call it directly with /archr:archr-launcher-dev.
The same from a shell:
claude plugin marketplace add archr-linux/archr-skills
claude plugin install archr@archr-skillsTo update to a newer release:
claude plugin marketplace update archr-skills
claude plugin update archr@archr-skillsInstall by hand
Copy the skill folder into your personal skills folder:
git clone https://github.com/archr-linux/archr-skills
mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills
cp -r archr-skills/archr-launcher-dev ~/.claude/skills/To use it in one project only, copy the folder to .claude/skills/ inside that project. Other assistants that support Agent Skills read the same folder from their own skills directory; their documentation gives the path.
What to ask for
Describe the result you want and where it should end up. Some examples:
- "Make an ArchR theme called Sunset: orange on deep purple, square corners, the games list on the right and the cover on the left. Names in English, Portuguese, Spanish and Russian."
- "Add a second view to my theme where the systems screen shows large tiles, and render captures of both views."
- "Write an archr-launcher module with a Start menu tile that shows free space on the ROMs partition and a settings page to choose the unit."
- "My module is refused with 'not an unmodified Lucide icon'. Find out why."
- "Get my theme repository ready for the Theme store and make the first release."
For a theme, the assistant renders the launcher's real screens on your computer with the capture test from Testing your theme and looks at them. For a module, it runs archr-launcher --check-module and sends JSON messages to the module by hand. Both need a clone of the launcher repository and the SDL2 development libraries; see the skill's references for the exact commands.
Limits
The skill does not replace a test on the handheld. A capture on a PC and a passing --check-module do not prove that a theme reads well on the 3.5" screen, that a module runs inside the sandbox, or that it keeps working after a game. Copy the result to the device over SSH and try it before publishing.
The skill cannot give a module the Reviewed by ArchR badge. Only the ArchR maintainer grants it, after reading the exact package published in the release; a new release loses the badge until it is reviewed again. To ask for a review, open an issue at archr-linux/archr-modules with the link to the release.
The assistant can still get things wrong. Read what it writes, and check that every key it uses appears in Create themes or Create modules: the launcher ignores unknown keys without an error.