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Simplify Codebase Safely

Maps every dependency of a file, skill, or codebase, then removes only cuts that tests prove safe.

Source Download skill
Repository
danielmiessler/LifeOS
Stars
19,682
Licence
MIT
Files
4 files

What it does

Once installed, the agent handles requests to make a file, tool, skill, subsystem, or repo smaller and clearer. It first surveys the target read-only, finding everything that calls or references it (imports, hooks, settings, docs, tests). It then classifies each element as load-bearing, duplicate, dead, cruft, or over-abstracted, proposes ranked cuts for your approval, and only after approval applies them, checking before-and-after parity so nothing a dependent relies on breaks.

Great for

  • Developers with a bloated repo or tool who want cleanup without breakage risk
  • Maintainers who need evidence of what is actually unused before deleting
  • Teams that want an audit trail of each cut recorded in work folders

Skip it if

  • Always-on context files such as CLAUDE.md, which the skill routes to a different skill (Trim) (wrong tool for the job)
  • Cleaning up only the current diff or finding bugs, which other tools handle better (scope mismatch)
  • Projects without tests or probes, since parity cannot be proven and the skill's safety claim weakens (limited verification)

Try asking

  • “simplify LIFEOS/TOOLS/ReferenceCheck.ts”
  • “what can we delete in this subsystem?”
  • “this has gotten bloated, map it before we cut anything”
  • “remove duplication in this skill folder”
Step-by-step guide: how to use Simplify Codebase SafelyInstall, first run, examples, tips and FAQs

Install in 3 steps

  1. 1

    Download the skill

    The ZIP contains the 4 original files, the MIT licence and an attribution note.

    Simplify.zip
  2. 2

    Add it to your agent

    Claude Code (all projects)

    mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills && unzip Simplify.zip -d ~/.claude/skills/

    Claude Code / Agent SDK (this project only)

    mkdir -p .claude/skills && unzip Simplify.zip -d .claude/skills/

    Claude apps (web/desktop): Settings → Capabilities → Skills → Upload skill, and choose the ZIP.

  3. 3

    Ask for the task

    No special command needed — the agent reads the skill's description and loads it when your request matches. Try one of the prompts above.

Get better results

  • Provide the target's tests or baseline checks up front, since parity proof depends on them.
  • Approve proposed cuts by row number (for example, y but skip 4) rather than all at once.
  • Expect zero search hits to be insufficient: dynamic and string-based references need the skill's reference-check approach.

What's inside

  • Intents/Apply.md
  • Intents/Propose.md
  • Intents/Survey.md
  • SKILL.md

Redistributed unmodified from danielmiessler/LifeOS under the MIT licence. The assessment was drafted with AI from the skill's files on 2026-10-29. Skills can instruct your agent to run code — read SKILL.md and any scripts before installing.