Imported from thedixitjain/the-mega-skill-library (library/general-purpose/maintaining-modding-environments/SKILL.md). Install upstream with npx skills add thedixitjain/the-mega-skill-library --skill maintaining-modding-environments. Copyright stays with the author.

Maintaining Modding Environments

When to use

• The environment is already set up and the user asks to maintain, refresh, update, or health-check it.
• The user says "register custom pack", "install my KB pack", "set BGS_KB_USER_PACKS", or asks how to author a local KB pack.
• The user asks how to maintain a mod knowledge base, a translator glossary KB, or a third-party localization KB for Skyrim/Fallout/Starfield.
• The user asks to install, upgrade, repair, or verify the standalone xtl/bgs-translator CLI after first-run.
• The user asks to check or apply knowledge-base updates after first-run.
• The user asks to prune the KB cache or clean old pack versions.
• The user asks whether to pin a KB pack version, follow latest, or handle a minPluginVersion warning.

What this skill replaces

Use setting-up-bgs-modding-environment for first-run: MO2 detection, control-plane install, visible MO2 launch, first xEdit acquisition, first KB pack acquisition, and first semantic smoke.

This skill owns ongoing care after that first-run boundary: KB updates, cache hygiene, custom-pack authoring and registration, translator CLI maintenance, recurring environment health checks, and version-pinning advice.

Translator CLI maintenance

xtl is the standalone AI translation CLI/Web GUI launcher. It is published on PyPI as bgs-translator; the portable plugin may include translator-facing skills, but a fresh user machine still needs the Python package installed before high-speed agents can call xtl.

Start every maintenance pass with an explicit readback:

# Check whether xtl is installed and can report its version/capabilities.
xtl version

# Inspect top-level commands before choosing a workflow.
xtl --help

If xtl is missing or too old, prefer an isolated user-level CLI install:

# Install the current release-candidate build as an isolated command-line tool.
pipx install bgs-translator==0.9.0rc1

# Upgrade an existing pipx-managed xtl install when a newer stable build exists.
pipx upgrade bgs-translator

If pipx is unavailable, or the user explicitly wants xtl inside a project virtual environment, use Python's package installer from that environment:

# Install or upgrade xtl inside the selected Python environment.
py -3.12 -m pip install --upgrade bgs-translator==0.9.0rc1

For a future stable release, use the unpinned package name for normal installs: pipx install bgs-translator, pipx upgrade bgs-translator, or py -3.12 -m pip install --upgrade bgs-translator. Do not use broad --pre during routine maintenance; it can allow prerelease dependency versions that were not part of the tested translator build. Pin an exact prerelease only when the user intentionally wants that version.

After any install or upgrade, inspect subcommand help instead of assuming specific option values:

# Verify provider-profile setup options, including all supported SDK kinds.
xtl profile add --help

# Verify web GUI launch options and ports.
xtl gui --help

# Verify batch controls before telling an agent to submit or resume work.
xtl batch --help

If a GUI or background translator service gets into an inconsistent state, restart it with the repo's reusable helper instead of inventing process-kill steps:

# Restart the translator GUI/service stack using the project helper.
pwsh tools\bgs-translator\scripts\restart-web-gui.ps1 -Port 7847

If that helper is absent in an older checkout, fall back to the current using-bgs-translator instructions for launching xtl gui, then file a note in the environment maintenance log that the helper should be added or backported.

Check + apply KB updates

1. Start with bgs_kb_status({}) to see loaded packs, versions, cache root, user roots, and warnings.
2. If bgs_kb_check_updates exists, call it for the installed pack IDs. Surface available updates, breakingChange, and release URLs before taking action.
3. If bgs_kb_check_updates is not present yet (pre-KB-6), check GitHub Releases for bgs-modding-superpowers KB pack artifacts and manifest-index.json. Do not invent release names.
4. Before installing or replacing a pack, get user consent for the download / cache mutation.
5. If bgs_kb_install_pack exists, use it with an exact { packId, version }. Prefer dryRun: true before live install when the tool supports it.
6. If the install tool is not present yet, download the Release asset manually only after consent, verify the published sha256, extract into the cache layout below, then restart or reconnect the MCP so discovery runs again.
7. After any update, run the health checks below.

Cache hygiene

Cache root (all platforms — unified with xtl / bgs-translator):

~/.bgs-modding-superpowers/kb/packs/<packId>/<version>/

The legacy Windows-only cache at %LOCALAPPDATA%/bgs-modding-superpowers/kb/packs/ is no longer used. If bgs_kb_status surfaces packs that are not visible to xtl batch plan, suspect a legacy cache and either:

• move the directory tree from %LOCALAPPDATA%/bgs-modding-superpowers/kb/ to ~/.bgs-modding-superpowers/kb/, or
• export the legacy root via $env:BGS_KB_USER_PACKS so the MCP keeps reading it as an additional read-only root while the user finishes migrating.

Each version directory contains manifest.json, records/, and kb.sqlite. Current policy: retain the current version and the immediately previous version as rollback/fallback. Prune versions older than that only after confirming the pack is not pinned by the user or referenced by a current modpack workflow.

Use the KB MCP CLI for routine pruning:

# Preview which cached pack versions would be removed.
node <plugin>\tools\bgs-kb-mcp\dist\cli.js prune-cache --dry-run

# Apply the prune after the user accepts the preview.
node <plugin>\tools\bgs-kb-mcp\dist\cli.js prune-cache

The dry run should be surfaced before deletion when the user has not already approved cache mutation. The command keeps the highest version and the immediately previous version per pack, then removes older cached versions.

Do not delete incoming/ while an install is running. If an install failed earlier and no installer is active, stale incoming/ contents can be removed after surfacing the path to the user.

Custom pack authoring + registration

Author records as:

<pack-root>/records/<domain>/<id>.md

Record frontmatter uses the same schema as official packs under knowledge/bgs-kb/schema/record.schema.json: stable id, title, domains, appliesTo, canonical, sources, lastReviewed, and schemaVersion are the important fields to check first.

Every pack needs a bgs-kb-meta.yml at the pack root. Minimum fields:

packId: user-my-pack
displayName: My Modpack Knowledge
version: 2026.06.02
schemaVersion: 1
minPluginVersion: 0.2.0

Reserved official pack IDs: bgs-kb-core, bgs-kb-skyrim, bgs-kb-fallout4, bgs-kb-fallout3-fnv, bgs-kb-starfield. End-user packs must not use the bgs-kb-* namespace; recommend a user-* prefix.

Build the pack:

# Build kb.sqlite and manifest.json from the pack's records/ tree.
node <plugin>\tools\bgs-kb-mcp\dist\cli.js build <pack-root>

This produces kb.sqlite and manifest.json next to records/.

Validate and inspect:

# Validate every Markdown record against the official KB schema.
node <plugin>\tools\bgs-kb-mcp\dist\cli.js validate <pack-root>

# Inspect pack metadata, counts, games, and domains.
node <plugin>\tools\bgs-kb-mcp\dist\cli.js info <pack-root>

Important BGS_KB_USER_PACKS semantics: each entry is a directory that contains one or more pack directories, not a pack directory itself. Multiple roots are separated by ; on Windows.

Worked example:

C:\my-kb-roots\
  my-custom-pack\
    bgs-kb-meta.yml
    manifest.json
    kb.sqlite
    records\
      load-order\
        my-local-rule.v1.md

Set:

# Point discovery at the directory that contains one or more pack folders.
$env:BGS_KB_USER_PACKS = "C:\my-kb-roots"

Do not set it to C:\my-kb-roots\my-custom-pack; that points at the pack itself and discovery will look one level too deep.

After registration, restart/reconnect the MCP so pack discovery runs, then call bgs_kb_status({}) and verify the custom pack appears with the intended packId.

Pack discovery + collision recovery

bgs_kb_status({}) may report two warning codes when discovery sees the same packId at multiple roots:

Discovery precedence (apply in order):

1. Sort candidates with the same packId by builtAt timestamp DESC — newest manifest wins.
2. Tie-break by root class: bundled > cache > user.

Common cause: install-pack over an already-bundled packId. Plugin distributions ship per-game packs (e.g. bgs-kb-fallout4) in the bundled tree. If a user runs bgs_kb_install_pack({ packId: "bgs-kb-fallout4", ... }) to fetch a Release-channel update, the new version lands in the cache root ~/.bgs-modding-superpowers/kb/packs/bgs-kb-fallout4/<version>/. On the next MCP restart:

• If the cache copy has a newer builtAt (the normal update case) → cache wins, bundled loser warning. No action needed.
• If the bundled copy is somehow newer (e.g. you pulled a plugin update that shipped a newer KB) → bundled wins, cache becomes the loser. To make the cache copy authoritative, install a newer Release or remove the stale cache copy.

Other causes:

• Two $BGS_KB_USER_PACKS parent directories contain pack folders with the same packId → warning per loser.
• Manual file copy of a pack between roots without removing the original.

Preview before restarting MCP: the bgs-kb-mcp CLI exposes a read-only dev-status subcommand that shows the same discovery decision the MCP would make, without requiring a server restart:

# Preview every discovered packId, every candidate source, and which one would win.
node <plugin>\tools\bgs-kb-mcp\dist\cli.js dev-status

# Filter to one pack id (useful before install-pack or before editing user packs).
node <plugin>\tools\bgs-kb-mcp\dist\cli.js dev-status --pack bgs-kb-fallout4

# Machine-readable output for scripting.
node <plugin>\tools\bgs-kb-mcp\dist\cli.js dev-status --json

Recovery patterns:

• Want the cache copy to win: ensure its builtAt is newer than the bundled copy's (run bgs_kb_install_pack for a fresh Release version), restart MCP, verify.
• Want the bundled copy to win: remove or rename the cache pack directory, restart MCP.
• Two user roots collide: drop one parent from $BGS_KB_USER_PACKS, or rename the colliding pack folder to a unique packId (after also updating its bgs-kb-meta.yml), restart MCP.
• Pre-flight before authoring or installing: always run dev-status --pack <packId> first — it surfaces collisions before the next MCP restart turns them into status warnings.

Do not delete cache copies aggressively as a first-line fix; the precedence rule selects automatically, so warnings are usually informational, not blocking.

Localization and translator KBs

Localization glossary packs are KB packs whose SQLite store includes glossary_entries and glossary_aliases. They feed bgs-translator RAG so an LLM receives canonical terms such as places, factions, item names, UI concepts, and do-not-translate entries. Put this guidance here, not in using-bgs-translator, because the same maintenance rules apply to official, mod-specific, and third-party glossary packs.

Official bundled policy:

• bgs-l10n-starfield-zhhans is the only official zh-Hans glossary pack we ship from vanilla game data because Starfield is the only supported BGS game with official Simplified Chinese localization.
• Do not fabricate official Skyrim/Fallout4 Chinese packs. If the user wants them, create third-party/user packs with explicit source, license, scope, and review notes.
• The Starfield official pack is large and should be distributed through KB Release artifacts, not copied into the portable plugin tree.

For a mod-specific translator KB, prefer a user namespace such as user-l10n-<game>-<mod>-zhcn. Include only the mod's accepted terminology, character/place names, recurring UI labels, and do-not-translate terms. Do not dump every translated sentence into a term KB unless the user explicitly wants a translation-memory style pack and accepts the recall/noise tradeoff.

For a third-party game localization KB, require:

• source language, target language, game, source project/version, and license;
• provenance in bgs-kb-meta.yml and in generated notes;
• a stable pack id outside reserved bgs-kb-* official namespaces;
• a small sample query after registration to verify the pack is discoverable.

If the input is an xTranslator SST dictionary, the translator tool has a one-shot builder that creates the glossary SQLite shape directly:

# Build a user-maintained glossary pack from an SST dictionary.
py -3.12 tools\bgs-translator\bgs_translator\tools\xtranslator_sst_to_kb_pack.py `
  --input "D:\path\to\source_english_chinese.sst" `
  --output-dir "C:\my-kb-roots\user-l10n-skyrim-thirdparty-zhcn" `
  --pack-id user-l10n-skyrim-thirdparty-zhcn `
  --display-name "User Skyrim zh-CN Localization Glossary" `
  --game SkyrimSE `
  --source-lang en `
  --target-lang zh-cn

Then set BGS_KB_USER_PACKS to the parent root, restart/reconnect the MCP, and query a known term. For translator-only packs, use xtl/translator glossary smokes as the stronger check because bgs_kb_query only searches Markdown-style records unless the MCP has been upgraded for glossary-table queries.

Official KB release maintenance

For project maintainers cutting a KB Release, use the release staging script:

# Rebuild source-record packs, verify prebuilt glossary packs, zip all packs,
# and write dist/kb-release/manifest-index.json.
pwsh scripts/build-kb-release.ps1 -Force

The script includes the generated Starfield zh-Hans glossary pack in the release index but does not rebuild it from Markdown records. If kb.sqlite hash verification fails, regenerate that pack from its approved source SST before publishing. The script prints the exact gh release create ... command; review the staged manifest-index.json before running that network-side publish.

Version-pinning advice

Follow latest when the user wants current general guidance and accepts normal KB refresh cadence.

Pin a specific pack version when a modpack release, guide, benchmark, or reproducibility note depends on exact advice staying stable. Record the pin in the modpack dev-log or release docs.

If a new pack's minPluginVersion exceeds the installed plugin version, warn and stop. Do not auto-upgrade the plugin. Offer choices: update the plugin with user consent, keep the older pack version, or pin the previous version until the plugin can be upgraded.

KB cadence is independent of plugin cadence. A new KB pack can be consumed when schemaVersion and minPluginVersion are compatible; it does not automatically imply an xEdit or MO2 change.

Health checks

Quick KB smoke after maintenance:

bgs_kb_status({})
bgs_kb_query({ query: "plugins", maxResults: 3 })

Expected: at least one loaded pack, no unexpected collision / integrity warnings, and at least one query hit. If the target game is known, include the game filter, for example:

bgs_kb_query({ query: "plugins", games: ["Fallout4"], maxResults: 3 })

For custom packs, query a term from one of the custom records and verify hits are tagged with the custom packId.

If maintenance touched MO2 or xEdit runtime state, also use the appropriate setup / xEdit skill checks. Do not treat KB health as proof of live load-order or plugin state.

Anti-patterns + warnings

• Never write directly into Stock Game / vanilla game Data. Any game-local change goes through an MO2 mod overlay or overwrite surface.
• KB records are advisory. xEdit MCP readback remains authoritative for actual plugin, record, conflict, and load-order state.
• Do not use BGS_KB_USER_PACKS to point at a single pack directory; point it at a root containing pack directories.
• Do not use reserved bgs-kb-* pack IDs for local packs.
• Do not install or upgrade KB packs with a minPluginVersion the current plugin does not satisfy.
• Do not delete all old cache versions; keep current + previous unless the user explicitly chooses otherwise.

Refreshing Nexus update state without opening MO2 (Option B)

Use this when the user wants fresh newestVersion, nexusFileStatus, lastNexusQuery, and lastNexusUpdate metadata without opening MO2 and running Tools -> Check All for Updates.

Why this exists: mobase's Python API does not expose the GUI update-check trigger, and three of the four timestamp fields are not on the abstract IModInterface. See KB record install-planning.nexus-direct-api-update-check.v1. The direct Nexus API read path works for both Free and Premium accounts; these read endpoints are not Premium-gated.

Prerequisite: the user must already have Nexus auth configured in MO2. That same MO2 credential store is the API-key source for the agent; see the next section.

Endpoints used:

GET https://api.nexusmods.com/v1/games/{game_domain}/mods/updated.json?period=1m
GET https://api.nexusmods.com/v1/games/{game_domain}/mods/{id}.json

The first endpoint is one bulk call to discover recently updated mods. The second endpoint is one per-mod call for fresh metadata. Nexus' rate budget is 20,000 calls/day; a full 300-mod refresh is about 301 calls and is comfortable.

Per-mod meta.ini update shape:

$statusMap = @{ "published"=1; "hidden"=9; "removed"=6; "wastebinned"=6; "under_moderation"=9 }
$mod = Invoke-RestMethod -Uri "https://api.nexusmods.com/v1/games/starfield/mods/$modid.json" -Headers $headers
$statusInt = if ($statusMap.ContainsKey($mod.status)) { $statusMap[$mod.status] } else { 1 }
$nowIso = (Get-Date).ToUniversalTime().ToString("yyyy-MM-ddTHH:mm:ssZ")
$updatedIso = [DateTimeOffset]::FromUnixTimeSeconds($mod.updated_timestamp).ToString("yyyy-MM-ddTHH:mm:ssZ")
$content = [IO.File]::ReadAllText($metaPath, [Text.UTF8Encoding]::new($false))
$content = $content -replace '(?m)^newestVersion=.*$', "newestVersion=$($mod.version)"
$content = $content -replace '(?m)^nexusFileStatus=.*$', "nexusFileStatus=$statusInt"
$content = $content -replace '(?m)^lastNexusQuery=.*$', "lastNexusQuery=$nowIso"
$content = $content -replace '(?m)^lastNexusUpdate=.*$', "lastNexusUpdate=$updatedIso"
[IO.File]::WriteAllText($metaPath, $content, [Text.UTF8Encoding]::new($false))

For production-grade automation, prefer the helper script:

pwsh scripts\refresh-nexus-update-state.ps1 -MO2Root <path> -Game starfield

Caveat: direct meta.ini writes do not refresh MO2's in-memory ModInfoRegular until the next organizer.refresh() or MO2 restart.

Reading Nexus credentials from MO2's Windows Credential Manager store

MO2 stores Nexus credentials globally for the current Windows user, not per MO2 instance. All portable MO2 instances under the same Windows account share them. MO2 uses getWindowsCredential / setWindowsCredential in settings.cpp.

Credential Manager targets:

Read pattern:

$signature = @'
using System;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
using System.Text;
public class CredMan {
  [DllImport("advapi32.dll", SetLastError=true, EntryPoint="CredReadW", CharSet=CharSet.Unicode)]
  static extern bool CredRead(string target, uint type, uint flag, out IntPtr cred);
  [DllImport("advapi32.dll")] static extern void CredFree(IntPtr p);
  [StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential, CharSet=CharSet.Unicode)]
  public struct CREDENTIAL { public uint Flags,Type; public IntPtr TargetName,Comment; public System.Runtime.InteropServices.ComTypes.FILETIME LastWritten; public uint CredentialBlobSize; public IntPtr CredentialBlob; public uint Persist,AttributeCount; public IntPtr Attributes,TargetAlias,UserName; }
  public static string Read(string t) { IntPtr p; if (!CredRead(t,1,0,out p)) return null; try { var c=(CREDENTIAL)Marshal.PtrToStructure(p,typeof(CREDENTIAL)); byte[] b=new byte[c.CredentialBlobSize]; Marshal.Copy(c.CredentialBlob,b,0,(int)c.CredentialBlobSize); int nz=0; for(int i=1;i<b.Length;i+=2)if(b[i]==0)nz++; return nz>(b.Length/4)?Encoding.Unicode.GetString(b):Encoding.UTF8.GetString(b); } finally { CredFree(p); } }
}
'@
Add-Type -TypeDefinition $signature -Language CSharp
$apiKey = [CredMan]::Read("ModOrganizer2_APIKEY")
$oauthJson = [CredMan]::Read("ModOrganizer2_NEXUS_OAUTH_TOKENS")

Verification call:

Invoke-RestMethod -Uri "https://api.nexusmods.com/v1/users/validate.json" -Headers @{ APIKEY = $apiKey }

Expected fields include user_id, name, is_premium, and is_supporter.

[WARNING] Reading user credentials requires explicit user consent. Mask the key in any logged output, for example d0Ra...72d4 (len=162). Recommend key rotation after the session if there is any leak risk.

Failure modes:

• cmdkey /list | findstr nexus returns nothing because the target name has no nexus string. Use cmdkey /list | findstr ModOrganizer2 instead.
• HKCU registry entries such as HideCreateInstanceIntro are cosmetic flags, not credentials.
• ModOrganizer.ini [Settings] has no auth fields.
• If CredRead returns null, Nexus auth is not set up in MO2 yet. Direct the user to Settings -> Nexus -> Connect to Nexus.

See KB record install-planning.mo2-windows-credential-mining.v1.

Script Extender (xSE) update workflow — game-root drop, runtime-pinned

Use this when Steam updates the game runtime and the existing xSE DLL no longer matches it. The signal is a launch refusal through the xSE loader because the DLL runtime tag does not match the current <game>.exe FileVersion.

Detection:

# Current xSE version (filename pattern)
Get-ChildItem "$gameRoot\sfse_*.dll" | Select Name  # e.g. sfse_1_15_222.dll = SFSE for runtime 1.15.222

# Current Steam runtime
(Get-Item "$gameRoot\Starfield.exe").VersionInfo.FileVersion  # e.g. 1.16.244.0

# If they do not match, update is needed.

Latest-version sources: silverlock.org points to Nexus mod #106 for SFSE, #100216 for SKSE64, and #42147 for F4SE.

Update workflow:

1. Get the latest file_id from /v1/games/{game}/mods/{xse_mod_id}/files.json; use the file with category_name=MAIN.
2. Premium: call POST /v1/games/{game}/mods/{xse_mod_id}/files/{file_id}/download_link.json. The response is an array of seven CDN mirrors (Chicago, Amsterdam, Prague, LA, Miami, Dallas, plus Nexus CDN). Pick the first URL.
3. Free: open the Nexus page in a browser, click manual download, and save the .7z to a known location.
4. Extract the .7z. Gotcha: the archive expands to an <xse>_<version>/ subdirectory, such as sfse_0_2_21/, not a flat folder. Glob-find files: Get-ChildItem -Recurse -Filter "sfse_*.dll" | Select-Object -First 1.
5. Backup current game-root xSE files to <MO2_Root>\.backups\sfse-<oldver>_pre-<newver>-update_<timestamp>\.
6. Copy the new DLL, readme, and whatsnew files to the game root. Skip files with unchanged sha256; the <xse>_loader.exe often does not change between minor versions.
7. Delete the old runtime DLL. This is optional but recommended for cleanliness; the loader auto-picks by runtime match and does not need the old DLL.
8. Verify sha256 for all four game-root files against staging.

After SFSE: the cascade is the principle

A game runtime bump is a dependency cascade, not a single-file event. xSE is only the first layer. Address Library and every runtime-bound DLL plugin also bind to runtime-specific addresses, so a correct maintenance pass follows the chain until the launch dialog stops reporting downstream leaks.

Read the chain this way:

1. xSE binary is the game-root layer and must match <game>.exe.
2. Address Library (Nexus mod #3256 for Starfield, #32444 for SkyrimSE, #47327 for Fallout4) is a normal MO2 mod projected into Data\SFSE\Plugins\. It supplies versionlib-<runtime>.bin for the current runtime.
3. SFSE/SKSE/F4SE plugin mods each ship their own DLL and may need an author-side rebuild.

The SFSE Plugin Loader dialog is the cascade readback surface:

• address library needs to be updated means the plugin could not find the new versionlib file; update Address Library first.
• incompatible with current version of the game means the plugin DLL itself is behind the game runtime; investigate whether the author has released a compatible build.

For the actual update of each SFSE plugin mod, the mechanical pattern remains:

• Premium API: POST /v1/games/{game}/mods/{id}/files/{file_id}/download_link.json
• Extract to staging (remember the 7z subdirectory gotcha noted above)
• Backup current MO2 mod folder contents
• Replace files in mod folder
• Update meta.ini's version, newestVersion, installationFile, lastNexusUpdate
• If folder name encodes a version (for example <modname> - AddLib 18 or <modname> - Game version 1.15.222), rename folder and update modlist.txt to match.

If Nexus reports status=not_published or status=hidden, treat it as a continuity investigation signal, not an instant disable verdict. Check whether the same author republished or moved the release before proposing replacement.

Intent-aware mutation methodology

A mod update is complete only when the observed post-state satisfies the intent that motivated the update. Replacing files proves one effect; it does not prove runtime compatibility, curator-visible classification, metadata consistency, or enablement.

After acting, ask: did this satisfy the intent across all dependent MO2 state dimensions, or only the dimension I directly touched? The dependent dimensions usually include:

• files in the mod folder;
• meta.ini version/source/status fields and visible annotations;
• folder name when it encodes version or runtime support;
• modlist.txt line text after any rename;
• separator ownership, especially for mods previously parked in 版本已过期, 等待作者更新, or [弃用];
• enable flag when the original disable reason has been resolved;
• for DLL plugins, the author's claimed runtime support versus the local game runtime.

This is a ReAct-style observation rule at the level of intent, not a rote checklist. If observation shows that only files changed while the mod remains in a waiting separator, still disabled, or still behind the current runtime, report the intent gap and propose the next reconciliation step before declaring done. Do not trust an action return value or a delegated fixer's summary as proof; read modlist.txt, read affected meta.ini files, and use launch readback when runtime compatibility is load-bearing.

Cross-link: KB record install-planning.mod-update-post-state-discipline.v1 for the full discipline.

Placeholder dummy mod for xSE binary tracking (curator convention, optional)

BB84's personal pattern: keep an empty MOD folder under <MO2Root>/mods/<XSE Name> <runtime-tag>/ (e.g. Starfield Script Extender 1-15-222/) with a single sfse_<binary-ver>/ empty subdir + a complete meta.ini carrying the real modid=106 + version= + installationFile= + nexus-side metadata. Effect: the MO2 mod list visibly tracks the current SFSE binary version even though the actual SFSE binaries live in game root and are otherwise invisible to MO2's update-tracking. On each xSE update, rename both the outer folder and the inner marker dir, and update the meta.ini. This is a curator preference, not a required workflow.

[WARNING] This writes to the real game install, for example D:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\<game>\. It requires explicit per-session user confirmation. xSE has no MO2 VFS overlay path: the loader must spawn <game>.exe, so it has to live next to it.

For production-grade automation:

pwsh scripts\install-xse-update.ps1 -GameRoot <path> -XseMod sfse|skse|f4se|nvse

See KB record engine.xse-update-workflow.v1.

xEdit binary upgrade workflow — sister of xSE upgrade, but tools-tree-local

Use this when the user wants to verify or upgrade the xEdit installation without launching the MO2 GUI by hand. Sister flow to xSE upgrade but with different mechanics: xEdit lives in <MO2_Root>/tools/xEdit/ (NOT game root, NOT under STOCK001 protection), and its runtime carries a versioned binary cache that must be invalidated on every binary swap or the daemon launches against a stale cache and either crashes or returns wrong data.

When to check

• The user explicitly asks to verify / upgrade xEdit.
• A scheduled environment health pass is running.
• The xEdit MCP daemon fails to launch, crashes mid-session, or returns unexpected protocol errors against a load order that worked before.
• New automation features are needed (multi-pattern filters, reverse navigation, WRLD parent coords, etc. — anything past the contract version the deployed binary supports).

Stale detection — SHA-256 hash comparison

Get-Item.VersionInfo.FileVersion is unreliable for xEdit because the contrib fork ships multiple builds under the same 4.1.5.0 / 4.1.6 label. Use SHA-256 against the reference source:

$mo2Bin     = "$MO2_Root\tools\xEdit\SF1Edit64.exe"
$refSource  = "D:\TES5Edit-contrib\Build\xEdit64.exe"   # OR the path returned by fetch-xedit-release.ps1
$mo2Hash    = (Get-FileHash -LiteralPath $mo2Bin -Algorithm SHA256).Hash
$refHash    = (Get-FileHash -LiteralPath $refSource -Algorithm SHA256).Hash
if ($mo2Hash -ne $refHash) {
  Write-Warning "xEdit stale: MO2 has $($mo2Hash.Substring(0,16))... reference has $($refHash.Substring(0,16))..."
}

Also surface mtimes for human readability — a 10-day gap with non-matching hashes is a real version drift, not a build metadata glitch.

For the xEditHookBridge.dll: compare against the plugin-tree source <plugin>\tools\xedit-hook-bridge\dist\xEditHookBridge.dll. If hashes match, no swap needed. The HookBridge is owned by THIS plugin and follows the plugin's release cadence, not the xEdit binary's.

Reference source — contrib build vs release channel

Two reference sources exist:

1. Local dev build at D:\TES5Edit-contrib\Build\ — the contrib fork's continuously-rebuilt artifacts. Captures unreleased features (contract 0.18 → 0.19 → 0.20 additions, WRLD parent, reverse navigation, etc.) and bug fixes. Use this when the user is developing against the latest automation surface or needs features not yet in a tagged release.

2. GitHub release artifacts via fetch-xedit-release.ps1 — the BB-84C/TES5Edit tagged-release stream. Stable, reproducible, ships with a manifest. Use this for end-user installs, reproducible modpack build chains, or any scenario where the user is not the binary's author.

For BB84's developer workstation: contrib build is canonical because BB84 authors the contrib fork. For end-user installs: release channel is canonical. The skill should ask which source the user wants when ambiguous.

Upgrade workflow

$ts = Get-Date -Format 'yyyyMMdd-HHmmss'

# 1. Backup current tools/xEdit/ (full mirror, mtimes preserved)
robocopy "$MO2_Root\tools\xEdit" "$MO2_Root\tools\xEdit.backup-$ts" /MIR /NFL /NDL /NJH /NJS

# 2. Swap binaries (rename to game-specific filename so xEdit auto-detects mode)
Copy-Item "$refSource\xEdit64.exe" "$MO2_Root\tools\xEdit\SF1Edit64.exe" -Force  # Starfield
Copy-Item "$refSource\xEdit64.exe" "$MO2_Root\tools\xEdit\xEdit64.exe"   -Force
Copy-Item "$refSource\xEdit.exe"   "$MO2_Root\tools\xEdit\xEdit.exe"     -Force

# (For other games: FO4Edit64.exe, SSEEdit64.exe, etc. — the xEdit binary
#  detects game mode from its filename when launched directly.)

# 3. (Optional) Swap HookBridge.dll if hash differs from plugin-tree source
& "<plugin>\scripts\install-xedit-hook-bridge.ps1" -MO2Root "$MO2_Root"

# 4. INVALIDATE CACHE — mandatory after any binary swap
$cacheDir = "$MO2_Root\overwrite\<Game>Edit Cache"  # e.g. SF1Edit Cache
Move-Item -LiteralPath $cacheDir "$MO2_Root\overwrite\<Game>Edit Cache.stale-$ts" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

Cache lifecycle — REQUIRED reading before launch

xEdit's binary cache lives at <MO2_Root>/overwrite/<Game>Edit Cache/ (e.g. SF1Edit Cache/, FO4Edit Cache/, SSEEdit Cache/). Files are named <load-order-hash>_<plugin>_<plugin-hash>_g<cp>_t<cp>_l<cp>_<lang>.refcache.

The cache is binary-version-bound. A binary upgrade invalidates every cache file because:

• xEdit's internal record-parsing logic may have changed (new contract features, fixes to malformed-data tolerance, etc.).
• The cache format itself may have evolved.
• Stale caches produce subtle wrong-answer bugs that look like xEdit protocol errors but are actually parser drift.

ALWAYS move the cache dir aside (don't delete — it's the safety net) before the first launch after a binary swap. Pattern: overwrite/<Game>Edit Cache.stale-<timestamp>/.

The cache will be rebuilt automatically on first launch. Once stable and verified, the .stale-* backup can be removed in a future cleanup pass.

First-launch timing (cold cache)

Cache-cold launch on a 175-plugin Starfield profile takes 9-10 minutes. This is real-time wall clock for xEdit to:

1. Parse every plugin in the load order.
2. Hash each plugin's records.
3. Write the per-plugin .refcache file.

The current xedit-mcp xedit-client.ps1 has a 240-second timeout for daemon readiness. First-launch on a real-world load order will exceed this timeout and fail.

Workaround options:

1. Build cache via manual GUI launch first (preferred for current tooling): run xEdit through MO2's normal launch path (either via Mo2Mo2RunTool_tool with the configured customExecutable, or have the user click the MO2 button). Wait until xEdit's window finishes loading (status bar shows "Background Loader: finished" or similar). Close xEdit. Then xedit_start will launch in <3 min wall-clock against the warm cache.
2. Bump the timeout in xedit-client.ps1 if scripting around step 1 is undesirable. The relevant constant is documented in the xedit-mcp broker source.

Polling discipline during cold-cache launch

xedit_status({}) sends a lightweight read against the daemon's state file, but the daemon's response handler is on the same Pascal thread that's parsing the load order. Aggressive polling during the cold-cache build can stall or crash xEdit's parser. Empirically observed on a 175-plugin Starfield profile on 2026-06-27: 30-second poll cadence during cold-cache build correlated with a parse hang requiring manual kill.

Polling discipline:

• During cold-cache build (first launch after binary swap): wait at least 60 seconds between polls. Better: don't poll at all until 8+ minutes have elapsed, then check once.
• During cache-warm launch (subsequent launches): 30-60 second poll cadence is fine. Total launch time ~3 minutes.
• After status: "ready": domain tools (xedit_session, xedit_health, xedit_call) can be called freely.

Verification after launch

xedit_health({})       -> { responsive: true, pingEnvelope: { ok: true } }
xedit_session({})      -> { gameMode: "Starfield", contractVersion: "0.20",
                            loadOrderSize: N, consentEnabled: false (read-only)
                                                or true (mutations allowed) }
xedit_dirty({})        -> { dirty: false, unsavedChangeCount: 0 }

Check contractVersion against the contract level the new binary should have shipped. If contractVersion is lower than expected, the binary didn't swap correctly OR the daemon picked up the wrong binary path.

Clean shutdown — cache preserved

xedit_stop({}) on a clean dirty state preserves the cache for the next launch. Subsequent xedit_start({}) will hit the warm cache and complete in ~3 minutes. Do not delete the cache dir between sessions unless a binary upgrade is happening.

See also

• KB record engine.xedit-binary-cache-lifecycle.v1 for the full binary-cache binding mechanism.
• KB record engine.xedit-stale-detection-via-hash.v1 for the SHA-256 comparison method against reference sources.
• KB record tooling.xedit-contrib-build-vs-release-channel.v1 for the source-selection strategy.
• KB record debugging.xedit-cold-cache-launch-timeout-and-polling.v1 for the 240s timeout + polling-discipline gotchas.

meta.ini comments= vs notes= as visibility design

MO2 has two note-shaped fields because it has two different reading modes: visibility-at-a-glance and detail-on-demand.

• comments= serves the at-a-glance mode. It appears in the mod-list Comments column, so it is the right place for short summaries, status tags ([UPDATE→vX], [WAITING-FOR-X.Y.Z]), CC markers ([CC], [CC·汉化版]), and other information the curator should see without opening a dialog.
• notes= serves the detail-on-demand mode. It appears only in the mod's properties Notes tab, so it is the right place for install procedure memos, FOMOD choice records, conflict-resolution notes, and verbose version history.

Choose the field by intended reader behavior. If the curator must see the fact while scanning the list, use comments=. If the fact is reference material for when the mod is already being inspected, use notes=. Automation that synthesizes 1-2 sentence per-mod summaries from nexusDescription therefore writes to comments= by default; putting those summaries in notes= makes the list look empty even though the information exists.

Post-patch loose-extract hygiene (game-install Data\ stale CK extracts)

After every BGS game patch, a standard maintenance pass should sweep the game-install Data\ tree for stale Creation Kit loose extracts. The full methodology lives in KB record archive-precedence.stale-ck-extract-loose-files.v1; the operational shape for a maintenance pass is short:

The trap. When the curator installs the Creation Kit alongside the game, the CK auto-extracts authoring-time loose files from Tools\ContentResources.zip into Data\ — Data\Materials\ (.mat), Data\Particles\ (.psfx), Data\Scripts\Source\ (.psc), plus editor metadata. Archive invalidation, which any modded curator has enabled, makes those loose files override the compiled BA2 databases at runtime. While the game version matches the CK extract version this is invisible; the moment the game patches its compiled material database, particle archive, or compiled scripts, the loose files become stale references against the new BA2 and the runtime breaks silently (purple/iridescent terrain, missing meshes, wrong VFX, subtle Papyrus drift).

The cheap diagnostic test. Before bisecting mods on any post-patch visual or behavioral regression:

# Inspect the game-install Data\ for stale CK extracts.
$gd = "<game-install>\Data"
Get-ChildItem -LiteralPath $gd -Directory |
  Where-Object { $_.Name -in @('Materials','Particles','Scripts','Source','Textures','EditorFiles','DataViews') } |
  ForEach-Object {
    $files = Get-ChildItem -LiteralPath $_.FullName -Recurse -File -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
    $oldest = ($files | Sort-Object LastWriteTime | Select-Object -First 1).LastWriteTime
    "{0,-14}  files: {1,5}  oldest: {2}" -f $_.Name, $files.Count, $oldest
  }

Compare oldest mtime to the current patch's BA2 mtime. If older, the extract is stale. If Tools\ContentResources.zip modification time matches the current patch, the recovery path is intact — deletion is fully reversible.

The fix. Delete the stale extract trees from Data\. Runtime falls back to BA2. For Starfield specifically the priority order is Data\Materials\ → Data\Particles\ → Data\Textures\ → Data\Scripts\ (runtime impact), then Data\Source\, Data\DataViews\, Data\EditorFiles\ (CK-editor-only, harmless to keep, harmless to delete).

[WARNING] This writes to the real game install, for example D:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\<game>\Data\. It requires explicit per-session user confirmation. The action is reversible by re-extracting Tools\ContentResources.zip into Data\, but the deletion itself is destructive against the loose extracts that are currently there.

A cleaner long-term pattern: extract ContentResources.zip into a dedicated Mod Organizer 2 mod folder (e.g. mods/CK Resources Vanilla/) so the CK loose files can be toggled per-profile and never touch the real game install.

Cross-link: KB record archive-precedence.stale-ck-extract-loose-files.v1 for the full mechanism. KB record debugging.asymmetric-evidence-self-falsify.v1 for the diagnostic discipline that prevents the trap from misleading bisection planning.

meta.ini comment vs note field hygiene (HARD RULE)

Every time an agent touches a mod folder's meta.ini, two text fields exist and they have STRICTLY DIFFERENT purposes. Putting content in the wrong field breaks the curator's mental model of their own modpack.

comments= = SHORT description of WHAT THE MOD DOES (the mod's CONTENT)

• 1-2 sentences max
• Language: match the curator (Chinese for BB84-style packs, English otherwise)
• Shown in MO2 GUI mod-list "Comments" column (visible at a glance without clicking)
• Describes the mod's GAMEPLAY/VISUAL/SYSTEM effect, not its install metadata

Example (good): 调整起降过场镜头比例,提供更沉浸的驾驶舱视角与速度选项。

notes= = TIME-SENSITIVE markers + operational memory (the mod's STATUS)

• Update history with datestamp + version diff + file_id
• Archive / obsolescence / version-tag-unsync / user-install / local-patch markers
• FOMOD choice records, conflict resolution memos, investigation findings
• Shown in Notes tab (hidden until clicked)
• MOST text per mod ends up here

Marker prefixes that ALWAYS belong in notes=, NEVER in comments=:

[UPDATED YYYY-MM-DD] x.y.z -> a.b.c | file_id N [MAJOR|MINOR|PATCH]
[ARCHIVED YYYY-MM-DD] reason
[OBSOLETE YYYY-MM-DD] reason
[FIXED YYYY-MM-DD] reason
[USER-INSTALLED YYYY-MM-DD] FOMOD picks / manual install footprint
[NEW-INSTALL YYYY-MM-DD] reactivation cluster context
[STALE YYYY-MM-DD] SC translation lags / lifecycle drift
[LOCAL-PATCH] curator's local fixup
[VERSION-TAG-UNSYNC] page-version-vs-file-version mismatch
[INVESTIGATION YYYY-MM-DD] analysis findings + anti-stale-fact note
[UPDATE→x.y.z] BB84's pre-existing update-pending arrow flag (marker is JUST the bracket; description after it belongs in `comments=`)

bash extract-on-top update path MUST preserve existing comments=:

When updating a mod's content (e.g. v1.3.1 → v1.3.2 via extract-on-top), the helper MUST NOT overwrite comments=. Instead, APPEND the update marker to notes= (preserving any pre-existing notes with \n separator).

Anti-pattern that destroyed BB84's curator descriptions on 2026-06-25:

# WRONG — overwrites comments, destroys description
$content = [Regex]::Replace($content, '(?m)^comments\s*=.*$', "comments=[UPDATED ...] $versionDiff")

Correct pattern:

# RIGHT — preserve comments, append marker to notes (Qt INI literal \n)
$newMarker = "[UPDATED $date] $oldVersion -> $newVersion | file_id $fileId"
$content = [Regex]::Replace($content, '(?m)^notes[\t ]*=[\t ]*(.*)$', { param($m) 
  $existing = $m.Groups[1].Value
  if ([string]::IsNullOrWhiteSpace($existing)) { "notes=$newMarker" }
  else { "notes=$newMarker\n$existing" }  # \n is literal backslash-n; Qt INI renders as newline
})

Regex bug to avoid: do NOT use \s* in INI line anchoring — it consumes \r\n and captures content from the next line. Use [\t ]* for in-line whitespace only:

# WRONG — \s* crosses lines, leaks neighbour key's value into your match
$cmtM = [Regex]::Match($content, '(?m)^comments\s*=\s*(.*)$')

# RIGHT — [\t ]* stays on one line
$cmtM = [Regex]::Match($content, '(?m)^comments[\t ]*=[\t ]*(.*)$')

Before any batch meta.ini migration, write a 3-case unit-test fixture:

1. Pure marker only ([ARCHIVED 2026-06-25] reason) → expect comments empty, marker stays in notes
2. BB84 arrow style ([UPDATE→2.0.0.0] 中文描述) → expect comments has Chinese, notes has [UPDATE→2.0.0.0]
3. Mixed (description text first, then marker) → expect comments has description, notes has marker

Then dry-run on 3-5 sample mods spanning all three cases BEFORE batch dispatch. Skipping this check is what destroyed 49 mods' Chinese descriptions in the 2026-06-25 buggy migration. See .opencode/memory/45-mo2-mcp-internals.md rule 18 for the full incident postmortem.

Qt QSettings INI quoting (silent display-empty trap)

MO2's backend uses Qt QSettings to parse meta.ini. Qt's INI parser conflates a value that STARTS with [ (e.g. [UPDATED ...], [CC], [UPDATE→x.y.z]) with a section-header start ([Section]) and silently returns empty for that key. MO2 GUI's Notes/Comments tab then shows blank, even though a raw text preview of the same meta.ini clearly displays the value populated.

Hard rule: whenever a comments= or notes= value starts with [, wrap the value in double quotes:

# BROKEN — Qt parses as empty, MO2 GUI shows blank
notes=[UPDATED 2026-06-25] 1.1.5.0 -> 1.2.77.0 [MAJOR] | file_id 61879
comments=[CC] Watchtower: Orbital.Strike\Fleet.Command

# CORRECT — Qt strips outer quotes, returns bracketed content; MO2 GUI displays correctly
notes="[UPDATED 2026-06-25] 1.1.5.0 -> 1.2.77.0 [MAJOR] | file_id 61879"
comments="[CC] Watchtower: Orbital.Strike\Fleet.Command"

Implementation rules:

1. WRITE path: before serializing a comments= / notes= line, check if the value's first non-whitespace char is [. If yes, emit double quotes around the value. If the value contains internal ", escape them as \". Internal \n (literal backslash-n) IS preserved by Qt as a multi-line escape inside quoted strings and renders as a newline in MO2 GUI.
2. READ path: after reading a comments= / notes= line, strip a single leading and trailing " pair (if present) BEFORE parsing the value semantically. Unescape internal \" to ".
3. Idempotence: re-running the quoting step on an already-quoted value should be a no-op (if ($val -match '^".*"$') { skip }).
4. Special cases: values already starting with @ByteArray(...), <HTML>, or other Qt-supported wrapper forms are left untouched — they have their own parsing path.

Reproduction: 2026-06-26 Xeno Master screenshot pair (BB84). 268-char notes value with [UPDATED ...] start displayed empty in MO2 GUI. Adding double quotes around the value fixed display immediately on MO2 refresh (no restart). Sweep across BB84 Starfield modpack found 220 affected meta.ini files; backups preserved at D:\Starfield MO2\.backups\meta-qt-quote-fix-20260626-003856\.

Cross-link: KB record engine.qt-ini-bracket-quote-requirement.v1 (TBD) should codify this for end-users authoring their own meta.ini writers.

Cross-link: KB record install-planning.mod-mutation-cleanliness-discipline.v1 covers the broader 7-discipline mutation hygiene checklist that this hygiene rule plugs into.

See also

• setting-up-bgs-modding-environment — first-run MO2 / xEdit / KB acquisition orchestrator.
• using-bgs-modding-superpowers — session bootstrap, available tools, and hard BGS modding rules.
• docs/internal/roadmap.md — KB track status and phase closeouts.
• Deep reference: docs/internal/superpowers/specs/2026-06-02-agentic-cross-game-kb-design.md.

Source: hashgraph-online/awesome-codex-plugins → plugins/BB-84C/bgs-modding-superpowers/skills/maintaining-modding-environments/SKILL.md