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Berd Monitor

Organization
block
berd-monitor

Run a long-lived command outside the current Berd turn and wake the owning session with actionable stdout. Use for builds, tests, reviews, deployments, polling, watchers, and other external waits.

Overview

Publisherblock
Repositoryberd
Skill nameberd-monitor
Stars
978
Forks
128
Bundled files
Instructions only
LicenseApache-2.0
Links
  • Markdown instructions

    A SKILL.md file the model loads on demand, so it only costs tokens when a request actually matches.

  • Works with any LLM

    AI skills are plain Markdown, not provider-specific code, so this works with GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, or a local model.

  • Self-contained

    Everything the model needs lives in the instructions — no extra files to sync.

  • Open source

    Published by block on GitHub. Read the source before you install it.

Installation

Install the Berd Monitor AI skill in TypingMind to use it with any LLM, or drop it into another agent that reads SKILL.md.

1

Install in TypingMind

TypingMind installs a skill straight from its GitHub folder — it reads SKILL.md, bundles the resource files, and stores the result locally.

  1. Open the app and go to Plugins → Skills.
  2. Choose "Install from GitHub".
  3. Paste the skill folder URL below and confirm.
    https://github.com/block/berd/tree/main/distro/skills/berd-monitor
  4. Enable the skill in any chat where you want it available.
Plugins → Skills → Add skill → From GitHub URL, then paste the folder URL and press Continue.
2

Install in another agent

Any agent that reads the Agent Skills format can use this skill — copy the folder into that agent's skills directory.

Claude Code — .claude/skills
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/block/berd.git /tmp/berd
mkdir -p .claude/skills
cp -r /tmp/berd/distro/skills/berd-monitor .claude/skills/berd-monitor
Restart Claude Code after copying so it picks up the new skill.

Use it in TypingMind

Enable Berd Monitor in any TypingMind chat and the model takes it from there. Its name and description sit in the system prompt, and the moment a request matches, the model loads the full instructions itself — you never invoke it by hand, and it costs no tokens until it is actually used.

The model loads Berd Monitor on its own as soon as a request matches it.

Works with any AI model

AI skills are plain Markdown instructions rather than provider-specific code, so Berd Monitor is not tied to the model it was written for. Install it once in TypingMind and use it with GPT-5, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Mistral, Llama, or a local model you run yourself — all on your own API keys.

  • Loaded only when it is needed

    The system prompt carries just the name and description. The instructions are fetched on the first matching request, so an idle skill costs nothing.

  • Switch models mid-chat

    Because the skill is instructions rather than code, changing model does not break it — the next model reads the same SKILL.md.

Skill instructions

This is the SKILL.md content the model loads. Read it before installing — a skill is instructions your model will follow.

Berd Monitor

Use berd-monitor when a command may outlive the current turn. It detaches the producer from Berd and the agent harness, buffers output across delivery failures, and sends complete stdout lines to the exact originating session.

Run short, bounded commands normally. Do not hold a turn open with sleep, polling, log tailing, or a foreground timeout.

Start

bash
berd-monitor run \
  --state-key <stable-key> \
  --label '<concise source name>' \
  --instructions '<short event-handling guidance>' \
  -- <producer-command> [args...]

AGENT_SESSION_ID selects the current session. Use --session-id only for another positively identified session; never infer a session from the working directory. The command prints the detached monitor PID. After checking the monitor's watcher.log under the printed state directory when diagnosis is needed, continue other work or end the turn—never wait on the detached PID.

The producer's stdout is the event API:

  • emit concise, newline-terminated milestones and flush promptly;
  • put verbose output and diagnostics in durable logs or stderr;
  • avoid NUL bytes and emit a final summary when practical.

Default --if-running steer adds an event to an active run or starts a new turn. Use --if-running queue only when the active run must not be steered. Pending events retry without being dropped, and a trailing partial line is delivered when the producer exits.

Delivered messages are visibly labeled as coming from berd-monitor. Stop a monitor with:

bash
berd-monitor stop --state-key <stable-key>

Frequently asked questions

What does the Berd Monitor AI skill do?

Run a long-lived command outside the current Berd turn and wake the owning session with actionable stdout. Use for builds, tests, reviews, deployments, polling, watchers, and other external waits.

Why use Berd Monitor on TypingMind?

Because you install it once and use it with any model. Berd Monitor is plain Markdown rather than provider-specific code, so the same skill runs on GPT-5, Claude, Gemini, Grok, or a local model — and you can switch model mid-chat without it breaking. TypingMind runs on your own API keys, so you pay providers directly instead of a per-seat subscription, and your skills and chats stay in your own storage.

How do I install Berd Monitor in TypingMind?

Open Plugins → Skills → Install from GitHub in TypingMind and paste https://github.com/block/berd/tree/main/distro/skills/berd-monitor. TypingMind reads its SKILL.md and installs it as a skill you can enable per chat.

Which AI models can use Berd Monitor?

Any model you connect in TypingMind. AI skills are plain Markdown instructions rather than provider-specific code, so GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, and local models can all load this skill when a request matches it.

How many AI models can I use with Berd Monitor?

As many as you like. As long as a model supports skills, you can use Berd Monitor with it — GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Mistral, Llama and more — all on TypingMind with your own API keys.

Is the Berd Monitor AI skill free?

Yes. It is published on GitHub by block under the Apache-2.0 license. You only pay your own AI provider for the tokens you use.

What are AI skills?

An AI skill is a reusable instruction bundle that teaches an AI model how to do one specific task. It follows the open Agent Skills format: a SKILL.md file with a name and description, plus any scripts, templates or reference files the model may need. The model reads the instructions only when your request matches the skill, so an installed skill costs nothing until it is used.

How are AI skills different from plugins or MCP servers?

A plugin or MCP server gives a model new tools to call — code that runs somewhere and returns a result. An AI skill gives the model knowledge and process instead: how to approach a task, which steps to follow, what good output looks like. Skills are plain Markdown, so they need no server, no API key and no runtime, and they work with any model.

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