Surgical Patch
Surgical Patch is an agent skill (a SKILL.md file) from JuliusBrussee/caveman. Fix bugs and small behavior changes at the narrowest responsible layer. It works with Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode and has 110,252 GitHub stars across a repository of 4 listed skills.
github.com/JuliusBrussee/caveman/skills/surgical-patch (opens in a new tab)
- Multi-skill repo
- Plugin marketplace
- Testing & QA
- Actively maintained
Add this skill
Claude
This repository is a Claude Code plugin marketplace. In Claude Code:
/plugin marketplace add JuliusBrussee/caveman
/plugin install caveman@cavemanIn the Claude apps, zip the surgical-patch folder and upload it under Customize > Skills > + > Upload a skill (code execution must be on).
ChatGPT / Codex
Codex reads skills from .agents/skills/ in a repo or ~/.agents/skills/ for every project:
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/JuliusBrussee/caveman.git
cp -r caveman/skills/surgical-patch .agents/skills/surgical-patch # repo; ~/.agents/skills for all projectsStandalone skills also load in the ChatGPT desktop app.
Cursor
Cursor loads skills from .cursor/skills/ (or ~/.cursor/skills/) and also reads .claude/skills/:
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/JuliusBrussee/caveman.git
cp -r caveman/skills/surgical-patch .cursor/skills/surgical-patch # project; ~/.cursor/skills for all projectsSource (checked Oct 7, 2026): code.claude.com/docs/en/skills (opens in a new tab), code.claude.com/docs/en/plugin-marketplaces (opens in a new tab), support.claude.com/en/articles/12512180-using-skills-in-claude (opens in a new tab), learn.chatgpt.com/docs/build-skills (opens in a new tab), cursor.com/docs/context/skills (opens in a new tab)
What this skill does
Fix bugs and small behavior changes at the narrowest responsible layer. Use when regression proof, preserved surrounding behavior, and task-relevant tests matter. Reproduce failure first when economical; otherwise capture strongest available evidence.
When it triggers
- Use when regression proof, preserved surrounding behavior, and task-relevant tests matter.
More skills in JuliusBrussee/caveman
4 skills are listed from this repository.
Similar skills
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What is the Surgical Patch skill?
Surgical Patch is an agent skill (a SKILL.md file) from JuliusBrussee/caveman. Fix bugs and small behavior changes at the narrowest responsible layer. It works with Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode and has 110,252 GitHub stars across a repository of 4 listed skills. Its SKILL.md lives at github.com/JuliusBrussee/caveman/skills/surgical-patch.
How do I install the Surgical Patch skill?
In Claude Code, run /plugin marketplace add JuliusBrussee/caveman and then /plugin install caveman@caveman. For Codex or Cursor, copy the surgical-patch folder into .agents/skills/ or .cursor/skills/.
Is the Surgical Patch skill free?
Yes. The repository is open source under the Apache-2.0 license.
Is Surgical Patch maintained?
The repository's most recent commit was on Oct 6, 2026. Its latest release is v3.1.0. appsgit only lists skills from repositories with a commit in the last six months.