ECC
ECC Features and Quickstart: Add Skills and Hooks to One Safe Agent Loop
A source-backed ECC quickstart for selecting skills, running hooks, inspecting memory, and testing AgentShield in a disposable repository.
What you will learn
- Run a bounded ECC task loop
- Inspect hook, MCP, and memory behavior
- Build a security and rollback baseline
Before you start
- Basic Git and command-line usage
- Comfort reading a project README
You can explain the project, run its documented first step, and decide what to verify before adopting it.
Key takeaways
- Start with one harness, one harmless task, and a pinned ECC revision.
- Inspect hooks, MCP, and memory as executable state with explicit permissions.
- Use AgentShield, manifests, and rollback to make the baseline repeatable.
Choose one harness and one task
ECC (Everything Claude Code) packages skills, specialist agents, commands, rules, hooks, memory, MCP entries, and client adapters. The fastest way to understand it is not to enable the entire catalog; choose the client you actually use and a harmless documentation task in a disposable repository.
Record the package or commit, host, shell, model, and repository permissions. The same skill name can have different lifecycle behavior across Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, OpenCode, Gemini, Zed, and Copilot, so the host is part of the test fixture.
Exercise skills, hooks, and memory separately
Run a planning command and inspect which skill or specialist agent is selected. Then execute one test command and observe lifecycle hooks before and after the tool call. Finally, inspect whether memory or instincts were written, what fields they contain, and where they persist.
Keep the first run read-only and deny network access unless the task requires it. Hooks and MCP servers are executable configuration; a prompt that looks like documentation can still cause a shell command, file write, or outbound request. Human approval should remain in the loop for destructive actions.
Use the security surface as a feature
Run the documented AgentShield scan against the disposable project and review findings for prompts, hooks, permissions, secrets, and agent files. GateGuard-style safeguards can block risky commands, but a team still needs a clear reason, an approval path, and a way to reproduce the blocked event.
Redact prompts, tokens, and source snippets before sharing logs. Keep a manifest of generated files and MCP endpoints so uninstall can remove every surface instead of leaving a hidden hook behind.
Turn the experiment into a repeatable baseline
Replay the same task after pinning an ECC upgrade. Compare selected skills, hook events, context size, memory writes, test outcomes, and network destinations. If a client adapter lacks a capability, mark it as advisory rather than assuming parity.
Finish by running the documented uninstall or cleanup flow, removing generated files, revoking temporary credentials, and verifying the host behaves normally. A successful quickstart leaves an evidence receipt and a rollback, not a permanently enabled black box.
Decision guide
| Criterion | Option A | Option B |
|---|---|---|
| Best when | You need predictable behavior and easy auditing | You need adaptive optimization and have reliable telemetry |
| Main risk | May leave performance on the table | Can become difficult to explain or debug |
Implementation steps
- 1
Create a disposable repository and choose one supported harness.
- 2
Run a planning/test task while recording skills, hooks, and memory writes.
- 3
Scan with AgentShield and review permissions, secrets, and endpoints.
- 4
Replay after an upgrade, then uninstall and verify a clean rollback.
Copy-ready example
npx ecc-universal setup
# inspect generated files before enabling production work
find . -path '*/.claude/*' -o -path '*/.codex/*'
# security review
npx -y ecc-agentshield scan --path .Frequently asked questions
Can I enable every ECC skill at once?
Prefer a selective subset first; smaller context and fewer permissions make behavior and review easier to understand.
What should I do when an adapter lacks a hook?
Mark the behavior as advisory, document the parity gap, and keep a human checklist until the host supports an equivalent event.
Sources
- ECC README (captured 2026-08-31)Source checked 2026-08-31
- ECC repositorySource checked 2026-08-31