HOL Guard
HOL Guard protects local AI harnesses before tools run. Use this skill when the user wants AI antivirus behavior, local approval review, Codex protection, Claude Code protection, MCP safety checks, skill/package verification, or release gates from hol-guard and plugin-scanner.
Hard Rules
- Never read
.envfiles. - Never bypass Guard approvals.
- Do not mark a workspace protected until a Guard command proves status.
- Prefer reversible Guard commands over direct harness config edits.
- Do not mutate user-level harness config unless the
hol-guardcommand owns that mutation. - Treat scanner failures as real until inspected.
- Preserve existing user changes and inspect
git status --shortbefore edits in a repo.
Install Check
First check whether the CLI exists:
command -v hol-guard
command -v plugin-scanner
If missing and the user asked for setup, prefer:
pipx install hol-guard
Fallback only when pipx is unavailable:
python3 -m pip install --user hol-guard
After install:
hol-guard status
hol-guard detect --json
Protect A Local Harness
Use this flow for Codex, Claude Code, Copilot CLI, Cursor, Gemini, Hermes, OpenClaw, OpenCode, or Antigravity.
hol-guard bootstrap
hol-guard install <harness>
hol-guard run <harness> --dry-run
hol-guard run <harness>
hol-guard status
Harness names:
codexclaude-codecopilotcursorgeminihermesopenclawopencodeantigravity
Harness aliases:
claudemaps toclaude-codegemini-climaps togeminiopen-codemaps toopencodeopen-clawmaps toopenclawcopilot-climaps tocopilot
Use harness-specific bootstrap when available:
hol-guard hermes bootstrap
Claude Code
Use this when the workspace has .claude/settings.local.json, .claude/agents, Claude hooks, .mcp.json, or Claude-managed tool approval surfaces.
hol-guard install claude-code
hol-guard run claude-code --dry-run
hol-guard run claude-code
hol-guard doctor claude-code --json
Claude Code is a first-class Guard target. Prefer Guard-owned Claude hooks over direct manual edits to Claude config.
Codex
Use this when the workspace has Codex config, .codex/hooks.json, Codex MCP servers, or Codex App/CLI tool flows.
hol-guard install codex
hol-guard run codex --dry-run
hol-guard run codex
hol-guard doctor codex --json
Codex supports Guard-owned PreToolUse Bash hooks and same-chat MCP elicitation where available.
Other Harnesses
Use the same Guard flow for:
- Copilot CLI:
hol-guard install copilot - Cursor:
hol-guard install cursor - Gemini CLI:
hol-guard install gemini - Hermes:
hol-guard hermes bootstrap - OpenClaw:
hol-guard install openclaw - OpenCode:
hol-guard install opencode - Antigravity:
hol-guard install antigravity
Approval Work
If Guard blocks or queues work:
hol-guard approvals
hol-guard approvals open
hol-guard receipts
hol-guard diff <harness>
For terminal-only resolution:
hol-guard approvals approve <request-id>
hol-guard approvals deny <request-id>
Only approve after reading the risk reason and understanding the requested scope.
Evidence Work
Use evidence commands when user needs proof, audit trail, or handoff artifacts:
hol-guard receipts
hol-guard inventory
hol-guard abom --format json
hol-guard events
hol-guard explain <artifact-id>
For cloud sync, keep it optional and user-directed:
hol-guard connect
hol-guard connect status
hol-guard connect repair
hol-guard sync
Scan A Plugin Or Skill Package
Use scanner mode for Codex plugins, Claude Code project surfaces, .agents marketplaces, skills, MCP server configs, and release gates.
plugin-scanner lint .
plugin-scanner verify .
If scanning a specific package:
plugin-scanner lint <path>
plugin-scanner verify <path>
If the target is a Codex marketplace root with .agents/plugins/marketplace.json, scan the repo root so local plugin entries can be discovered.
Scanner target guidance:
- Codex plugin: scan the repo root or plugin folder containing
.codex-plugin/plugin.json. - Codex marketplace: scan the repo root containing
.agents/plugins/marketplace.json. - Claude Code project: scan the workspace root containing
.claude/,.mcp.json, hooks, or agent folders. - MCP server package: scan the package root containing server config and package metadata.
- Skill package: scan the folder containing
SKILL.md. - Mixed agent workspace: scan the repo root so local plugin, skill, MCP, and harness config surfaces are discovered together.
Common Debug Commands
hol-guard doctor
hol-guard doctor <harness> --json
hol-guard detect --json
hol-guard settings show
hol-guard explain install-connect
plugin-scanner verify . --json
Response Pattern
When using Guard, report:
- What command ran.
- What Guard found.
- What remains blocked or risky.
- What proof exists.
- Exact next command if user must act.
Do not claim protection, approval, or release readiness without command output proving it.
Local Helper
This plugin includes:
bash scripts/hol-guard-plugin status
bash scripts/hol-guard-plugin harnesses
bash scripts/hol-guard-plugin protect claude-code
bash scripts/hol-guard-plugin protect <harness>
bash scripts/hol-guard-plugin scan-system claude <path>
bash scripts/hol-guard-plugin scan-system codex <path>
bash scripts/hol-guard-plugin scan <path>
bash scripts/hol-guard-plugin evidence
Use the helper only when running from this plugin repository. Otherwise call hol-guard and plugin-scanner directly.