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Imported from aliatx2017/reasonix-hermes (.reasonix/skills/shell-quoting-ssh/SKILL.md). Install upstream with npx skills add aliatx2017/reasonix-hermes --skill shell-quoting-ssh. Copyright stays with the author.

Shell Quoting Patterns

Name: shell-quoting-ssh
Author: aliatx2017

When to Use

Running bash tool with complex commands containing quotes, variables, or special chars
Executing commands over SSH where quoting nests multiple times
Debugging shell quoting errors ("unexpected token", "command not found" where it should work)

Fundamental Rules

Single quotes — everything literal, no expansion. '$HOME' → literal $HOME
Double quotes — variables and $() expand. "$HOME" → /Users/alex
No quotes — word splitting + glob expansion. Almost never what you want.

Single Quote Nesting

You CANNOT nest single quotes directly. 'it's' fails. Workarounds:

# End single-quote, insert escaped quote, resume single-quote
echo 'it'"'"'s working'

# Or use double quotes (if no $variables to protect)
echo "it's working"

# Or use heredoc (best for multi-line)
cat <<'EOF'
it's working
EOF

SSH Quoting — Triple Nesting

SSH adds one level of quoting. Complex commands need careful nesting:

# WRONG — inner quotes break
ssh host "grep 'pattern' file"

# RIGHT — outer double, inner single
ssh host "grep 'pattern' file"

# HARD — command with both quote types
# Use heredoc to avoid nightmare quoting
ssh host <<'ENDSSH'
  grep "it's done" /var/log/*.log
ENDSSH

# OR base64-encode the command
CMD=$(echo 'grep "pattern" file' | base64)
ssh host "echo $CMD | base64 -d | bash"

Common Pitfalls

Pattern	Wrong	Right
Variable in single quotes	`'$HOME/path'`	`"$HOME/path"`
Nested single quotes	`'it's'`	`'it'"'"'s'`
Backticks in quotes	'`cmd`'	`"$(cmd)"`
Exclamation in double quotes	`"hello!"`	`'hello!'` or `"hello"\!"`

bash Tool Specific

The bash tool in Reasonix runs commands via a configured shell. Prefer heredocs for multi-line scripts:

cat <<'SCRIPT' > /tmp/script.sh
#!/bin/bash
# complex logic here
SCRIPT
bash /tmp/script.sh

Verification

After any SSH or complex bash command, verify the output is what you expect. A silent success with no output ≠ it worked.

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  "examples": [
    "Shell quoting patterns for SSH remote commands and bash tool invocations. Work on first try, not third. Covers single-quote nesting, heredoc alternatives, and common escaping pitfalls."
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  "instructions": "# Shell Quoting Patterns\n\n## When to Use\n\n- Running `bash` tool with complex commands containing quotes, variables, or special chars\n- Executing commands over SSH where quoting nests multiple times\n- Debugging shell quoting errors (\"unexpected token\", \"command not found\" where it should work)\n\n## Fundamental Rules\n\n1. **Single quotes** — everything literal, no expansion. `'$HOME'` → literal `$HOME`\n2. **Double quotes** — variables and `$()` expand. `\"$HOME\"` → `/Users/alex`\n3. **No quotes** — word splitting + glob expansion. Almost never what you want.\n\n## Single Quote Nesting\n\nYou CANNOT nest",
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Fetch it by URL: GET /api/v1/registry/aliatx2017-reasonix-hermes-shell-quoting-ssh/manifest?version=1.0.0

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