---
name: openviking
description: "Activate when the user asks about any repository listed in the system prompt under 'OpenViking — Indexed Code Repositories', or when they ask about an external library, framework, or project that may have been indexed. Also activate when the user wants to add, remove, or manage repos. Always search the local codebase first before using this skill."
license: MIT
compatibility: opencode
---

# OpenViking Code Repository Search

**IMPORTANT: All `ov` commands are terminal (shell) commands — run them via the `bash` tool. Execute directly — no pre-checks, no test commands. Handle errors when they occur.**

## How OpenViking Organizes Data

OpenViking stores content in a virtual filesystem under the `viking://` namespace. Each URI maps to a file or directory, e.g. `viking://resources/fastapi/routing.py`. Each directory has AI-generated summaries (`abstract` / `overview`). **The key principle: narrow the URI scope to improve retrieval efficiency.** Instead of searching all repos, lock to a specific repo or subdirectory — this reduces noise and speeds up results significantly.

## Search Commands

Choose the right command based on what you're looking for:

| Command | Use when | Example |
|---------|----------|---------|
| `ov search` | Semantic search — use for concept/intent based queries | "dependency injection", "how auth works" |
| `ov grep` | You know the **exact keyword or symbol** | function name, class name, error string |
| `ov glob` | You want to **enumerate files** by pattern | all `*.py` files, all test files |

```bash
# Semantic search
ov search "dependency injection" --uri viking://resources/fastapi --limit 10
ov search "how tokens are refreshed" --uri viking://resources/fastapi/fastapi/security
ov search "JWT authentication" --limit 10          # across all repos
ov search "error handling" --limit 5 --threshold 0.7  # filter low-relevance results

# Keyword search — exact match or regex
ov grep "verify_token" --uri viking://resources/fastapi
ov grep "class.*Session" --uri viking://resources/requests/requests

# File enumeration — by name pattern (always specify --uri to scope the search)
ov glob "**/*.py" --uri viking://resources/fastapi
ov glob "**/test_*.py" --uri viking://resources/fastapi/tests
ov glob "**/*.py" --uri viking://resources/   # across all repos
```

**Narrowing scope:** once you identify a relevant directory, pass it as `--uri` to restrict subsequent searches to that subtree — this is faster and more precise than searching the whole repo.

**Query formulation:** write specific, contextual queries rather than single keywords.
```bash
ov search "API"                                                       # too vague
ov search "REST API authentication with JWT tokens"                   # better
ov search "JWT token refresh flow" --uri viking://resources/backend   # best
```

## Read Content

```bash
# Directories: AI-generated summaries
ov abstract viking://resources/fastapi/fastapi/dependencies/   # one-line summary
ov overview viking://resources/fastapi/fastapi/dependencies/   # detailed breakdown

# Files: raw content
ov read viking://resources/fastapi/fastapi/dependencies/utils.py
ov read viking://resources/fastapi/fastapi/dependencies/utils.py --offset 100 --limit 50
```

`abstract` / `overview` only work on directories. `read` only works on files.

## Browse

```bash
ov ls viking://resources/                        # list all indexed repos
ov ls viking://resources/fastapi                 # list repo top-level contents
ov ls viking://resources/fastapi --simple        # paths only, no metadata
ov ls viking://resources/fastapi --recursive     # list all files recursively
ov tree viking://resources/fastapi               # full directory tree (default: 3 levels deep)
ov tree viking://resources/fastapi -L 2          # limit depth to 2 levels
ov tree viking://resources/fastapi -l 200        # truncate abstract column to 200 chars
ov tree viking://resources/fastapi -L 2 -l 200   # combined: 2 levels deep, 200-char summaries
```

`-L` controls how many levels deep the tree expands. `-l` controls the length of the AI-generated summary per directory. Use `ov tree -L 2 -l 200` as a good starting point to understand a repo's structure before diving in.

## Add a Repository

```bash
ov add-resource https://github.com/owner/repo --to viking://resources/repo --timeout 300
```

`--timeout` is required (seconds). Use 300 (5 min) for small repos, increase for larger ones.

After submitting, run `ov observer queue` once and report status to user. Indexing runs in background — do not poll or wait.

| Repo Size | Files | Est. Time |
|-----------|-------|-----------|
| Small | < 100 | 2–5 min |
| Medium | 100–500 | 5–20 min |
| Large | 500+ | 20–60+ min |

## Remove a Repository

```bash
ov rm viking://resources/fastapi --recursive
```

This permanently deletes the repo and all its indexed content. Confirm with the user before running.

## Error Handling

**`command not found: ov`** → Tell user: `pip install openviking --upgrade`. Stop.

**`url is required` / `CLI_CONFIG` error** → Auto-create config and retry:
```bash
mkdir -p ~/.openviking && echo '{"url": "http://localhost:1933"}' > ~/.openviking/ovcli.conf
```

**`CONNECTION_ERROR` / failed to connect:**
- `~/.openviking/ov.conf` **exists** → auto-start server, wait until healthy, retry:
  ```bash
  openviking-server > /tmp/openviking.log 2>&1 &
  for i in $(seq 1 10); do ov health 2>/dev/null && break; sleep 3; done
  ```
- **Does not exist** → Tell user to configure `~/.openviking/ov.conf` first. Stop.

## More Help

For other issues or command details, run:

```bash
ov help
ov <command> --help   # e.g. ov search --help
```