Safe Destructive Operations Skill

⚠️ MANDATORY SKILL – YOU MUST INVOKE THIS

Purpose

Prevent accidental data loss by requiring explicit confirmation before any destructive operation, showing what will be lost, and suggesting safer alternatives.

CRITICAL: You MUST invoke this skill before ANY destructive operation. NEVER run destructive commands directly.

🚫 NEVER DO THIS

• ❌ Running git reset --hard directly
• ❌ Running git clean -fd directly
• ❌ Running rm -rf directly
• ❌ Running ANY destructive command without invoking this skill first

If a destructive operation is needed, invoke this skill. Direct execution is FORBIDDEN.

⚠️ SKILL GUARD – READ BEFORE USING BASH FOR DESTRUCTIVE COMMANDS

Before using Bash tool for destructive operations, answer these questions:

❓ Are you about to run git reset --hard?

→ STOP. Invoke safe-destroy skill instead.

❓ Are you about to run git clean -fd?

→ STOP. Invoke safe-destroy skill instead.

❓ Are you about to run rm -rf <directory>?

→ STOP. Invoke safe-destroy skill instead.

❓ Are you about to run git checkout -- . or git restore .?

→ STOP. Invoke safe-destroy skill instead.

❓ Are you about to run docker system prune -a?

→ STOP. Invoke safe-destroy skill instead.

❓ Did the user say “reset my changes”, “clean up files”, or “discard changes”?

→ STOP. Invoke safe-destroy skill instead.

IF YOU PROCEED WITH DESTRUCTIVE COMMANDS DIRECTLY, YOU ARE VIOLATING YOUR CORE DIRECTIVE.

This skill handles:

• ✅ Lists what will be affected/deleted
• ✅ Shows diff of what will be lost
• ✅ Suggests safer alternatives
• ✅ Requires explicit double confirmation
• ✅ Provides recovery options

Direct destructive commands can DESTROY USER WORK. Use this skill.

CRITICAL POLICY

YOU MUST NEVER run destructive commands without explicit user confirmation.

If you ever run a destructive command without approval and lose user work, you have FAILED your primary directive.

Absolutely Forbidden Commands (Without Confirmation)

1. git reset --hard – Destroys uncommitted changes
2. git clean -fd – Permanently deletes untracked files/directories
3. rm -rf <directory> – Permanently deletes files/directories
4. git checkout -- . – Discards all working directory changes
5. git restore . – Discards all working directory changes
6. docker system prune -a – Removes all unused Docker data
7. kubectl delete – Deletes Kubernetes resources
8. git push --force – Overwrites remote history (especially on main/master)

Workflow

Step 1: Detect Destructive Intent

User says something like:

• “reset my changes”
• “clean up the files”
• “delete everything”
• “discard changes”
• “remove untracked files”

IMMEDIATELY invoke this skill – don’t execute the command.

Step 2: STOP – Never Assume

DO NOT proceed with ANY destructive operation.

The user may not understand what will be lost. Your job is to protect their work.

Step 3: LIST – Show What Will Be Affected

Run information commands to show what would be lost (parallel: git status, git diff, ls, etc.).

Present comprehensive warning with:

• What will be deleted (files, sizes, line counts)
• CANNOT BE UNDONE warning
• Safer alternatives (stash/commit/backup/archive)
• Three-option menu: A) Safe alternative, B) Proceed (PERMANENT), C) Cancel

For command-specific warning formats and detailed prompts:

Read `~/.claude/skills/safe-destroy/references/WARNING-FORMATS.md`

Use when: Formatting warnings for specific destructive commands (git reset, git clean, rm -rf, docker prune, etc.)

Steps 4-7: Confirmation and Execution

4. ASK: Require explicit confirmation (user must type command or “proceed with [operation]”)
5. WAIT: STOP all processing until explicit approval (no assumptions)
6. VERIFY: Double confirmation for dangerous operations (type ‘CONFIRM’)
7. EXECUTE: Only after explicit approval, report results

Valid confirmation examples: “yes, run git reset –hard”, “proceed with deletion”, “B” from menu Invalid: “ok”, “do it”, “sure” (too vague)

For detailed confirmation process with examples and verification steps:

Read `~/.claude/skills/safe-destroy/references/CONFIRMATION-PROCESS.md`

Use when: Handling user confirmation, verifying approval, or executing destructive commands

For safe alternative commands and recovery options:

Read `~/.claude/skills/safe-destroy/references/SAFE-ALTERNATIVES.md`

Use when: Suggesting safer alternatives (stash, commit, backup, archive) before destruction

Emergency Recovery

If destructive operation was accidentally executed:

For git reset --hard:

# Check reflog for recent HEAD positions
git reflog

# Find the commit before reset (e.g., HEAD@{1})
git reset --hard HEAD@{1}

# Or cherry-pick specific commits
git cherry-pick <commit-hash>

For git clean:

No automatic recovery available.

Possibly recover from:

• File system backups (Time Machine, etc.)
• IDE local history
• OS-level file recovery tools

For rm -rf:

Check if system has undelete:

# macOS Time Machine
# Linux: check if trash-cli used
trash-list

# Otherwise: file recovery tools
# extundelete, testdisk, photorec, etc.

Best Practices

1. Always list first – Show what will be affected
2. Suggest alternatives – Safer options exist for most operations
3. Double confirm – Especially dangerous operations get extra confirmation
4. Be explicit – Require exact command or clear approval
5. Educate – Explain what the operation does
6. Provide recovery – If possible, explain how to undo

Quick Reference

Destructive command requested

1. STOP – Don’t execute
2. LIST – Show what will be lost
3. ASK – Suggest safer alternatives
4. WAIT – For explicit approval
5. VERIFY – Confirm understanding
6. EXECUTE – Only after approval

Related Commands

• /cleanup – Safe cleanup of merged branches and artifacts with confirmation

Remember: It’s better to annoy the user with confirmations than to lose their work.