Summary
Some skill files under .cyberstrike/skill/** have paths long enough to break git clone on Windows, which enforces a 260-character MAX_PATH by default. Users on Windows get Filename too long and cannot check the repo out.
Measurements (origin/main, 11,090 files)
| Repo-relative path length |
Affected skills |
| > 260 chars |
1 (breaks on any Windows clone — C:\ + 267 > 260) |
| > 240 |
4 |
| > 200 |
9 |
| > 180 |
24 |
| > 150 |
540 |
Longest path: 267 chars.
The practical danger threshold is well below 260, because the full path on checkout is <clone-dir>\<repo-relative-path> and the clone-dir prefix (e.g. C:\Users\<user>\...\CyberStrike\) already consumes ~40–60 chars. So repo-relative paths above ~200 fail in typical clone locations, and the count grows toward 540 for deeper clone directories.
Where the long paths are (paths > 150)
CIS_benchmarks/Cloud_Providers — 441 (largest source)NIST/SP800-171_rev3 — ~32CIS_benchmarks/Server_Software — 26NIST/SP800-53_rev5 — 19NIST/SP800-218_SSDF — 18NIST/CSF_v2.0 — 4
The long component is the leaf skill directory name, which uses the full human-readable control title (up to ~150 chars), on top of deep nesting.
Key fact that makes this safe to fix
Skills are identified by their frontmatter name and discovered by globbing SKILL.md (see packages/cyberstrike/src/skill/skill.ts — name is parsed from frontmatter; skill load <name> / skill search use the name). The directory name is just storage. So directories can be renamed/shortened without changing skill identity, search, or loading — as long as the SKILL.md frontmatter name is preserved.
Proposed shortening strategy
Target: keep every repo-relative path under ~120–150 chars, so the repo clones on Windows regardless of clone location.
- Abbreviate intermediate directory names (mechanical, whole-tree savings):
PW_produce-well-secured-software → PWSP800-218_SSDF → SSDF, SP800-171_rev3 → 800-17103.13_system-and-communications-protection → 03-13- shorten the
CIS_benchmarks/Cloud_Providers/... intermediate levels
- Cap the leaf skill directory name at a fixed max (e.g. 60–80 chars) via a deterministic slug built from the control ID + a truncated title, e.g.
Configure the Compilation, Interpreter, and Build Processes to Improve Executable Security → configure-build-processes (or PW-6-configure-build).
The full title stays in SKILL.md name/description frontmatter, so nothing is lost and search still works.
- Automate with a one-time script that
git mvs the affected directories using the deterministic slug; SKILL.md contents are untouched.
- Verify no code/docs reference skills by directory path (the loader uses the frontmatter name; confirm no path-based references remain).
Scope options:
- Minimum: shorten the 9 skills > 200 (the guaranteed breakers).
- Recommended: shorten everything > ~150 (≈540 skills, dominated by CIS Cloud Providers) so clones succeed from any Windows directory.
Stopgap for users (until the repo fix lands)
git config --global core.longpaths true (requires Windows long-path support / may need admin), or clone into a very short directory (e.g. C:\cs). Note: the single 267-char path exceeds 260 even at a drive root, so these workarounds are partial — the repo-side shortening is the real fix.
Impact
Windows users cannot reliably git clone the repository. Since a large share of the long paths are auto-generated benchmark skills (CIS Cloud Providers), a scripted rename can fix all of them at once.
Summary
Some skill files under
.cyberstrike/skill/**have paths long enough to breakgit cloneon Windows, which enforces a 260-characterMAX_PATHby default. Users on Windows getFilename too longand cannot check the repo out.Measurements (origin/main, 11,090 files)
C:\+ 267 > 260)Longest path: 267 chars.
The practical danger threshold is well below 260, because the full path on checkout is
<clone-dir>\<repo-relative-path>and the clone-dir prefix (e.g.C:\Users\<user>\...\CyberStrike\) already consumes ~40–60 chars. So repo-relative paths above ~200 fail in typical clone locations, and the count grows toward 540 for deeper clone directories.Where the long paths are (paths > 150)
CIS_benchmarks/Cloud_Providers— 441 (largest source)NIST/SP800-171_rev3— ~32CIS_benchmarks/Server_Software— 26NIST/SP800-53_rev5— 19NIST/SP800-218_SSDF— 18NIST/CSF_v2.0— 4The long component is the leaf skill directory name, which uses the full human-readable control title (up to ~150 chars), on top of deep nesting.
Key fact that makes this safe to fix
Skills are identified by their frontmatter
nameand discovered by globbingSKILL.md(seepackages/cyberstrike/src/skill/skill.ts—nameis parsed from frontmatter;skill load <name>/skill searchuse the name). The directory name is just storage. So directories can be renamed/shortened without changing skill identity, search, or loading — as long as the SKILL.md frontmatternameis preserved.Proposed shortening strategy
Target: keep every repo-relative path under ~120–150 chars, so the repo clones on Windows regardless of clone location.
PW_produce-well-secured-software→PWSP800-218_SSDF→SSDF,SP800-171_rev3→800-17103.13_system-and-communications-protection→03-13CIS_benchmarks/Cloud_Providers/...intermediate levelsConfigure the Compilation, Interpreter, and Build Processes to Improve Executable Security→configure-build-processes(orPW-6-configure-build).The full title stays in SKILL.md
name/descriptionfrontmatter, so nothing is lost and search still works.git mvs the affected directories using the deterministic slug; SKILL.md contents are untouched.Scope options:
Stopgap for users (until the repo fix lands)
git config --global core.longpaths true(requires Windows long-path support / may need admin), or clone into a very short directory (e.g.C:\cs). Note: the single 267-char path exceeds 260 even at a drive root, so these workarounds are partial — the repo-side shortening is the real fix.Impact
Windows users cannot reliably
git clonethe repository. Since a large share of the long paths are auto-generated benchmark skills (CIS Cloud Providers), a scripted rename can fix all of them at once.