Update Cog

What the source does

• FilesystemNone observedNo reads or writes in the source
• NetworkNone observedNo outbound calls in the source
• ShellNone observedNo commands run in the source
• DependenciesPinnedNothing floats
• SecretsNone foundNo keys in source

Five audit layers

Gates applied: no behavioural pass.

Audit 0.4.1 · source sha 6ea1a6ff2160 · 14 Oct 2026Report an issue or request a re-scan

• Publisherhuytieu GitHub userOwner of the repository this skill is read from
• Source folderhuytieu/COG-second-brain/.claude/skills/update-cogThe exact folder we audited
• LicenceMITAs the repository states it
• Commit pinned for this verdict6ea1a6ff2160A new audit runs when the source changes
• Repository statusNot archivedLast push 11 days ago
• Sandboxed runNot runSkills are read, not executed; layer L4 is skipped

Its description: Check for and apply upstream COG framework updates (skills, docs, scripts) without touching personal content

---
name: update-cog
description: Check for and apply upstream COG framework updates (skills, docs, scripts) without touching personal content
roles: [all]
integrations: [git]
---

# COG Update Skill

## Purpose
Help the user update their COG framework files (skills, documentation, scripts) from the official upstream repository without risking their personal content (braindumps, profiles, notes).

## When to Invoke
- User asks to "update COG", "check for updates", or "get latest COG version"
- User mentions wanting new skills or features from upstream
- User asks about their COG version

## Process Flow

### 1. Check Current Version
Read `COG-VERSION` from the vault root. If it doesn't exist, inform the user they may be on an older version that predates version tracking.

### 2. Ensure Upstream Remote
```bash
# Add the upstream remote if not already present
git remote get-url cog-upstream 2>/dev/null || \
  git remote add cog-upstream https://github.com/huytieu/COG-second-brain.git

# Fetch latest
git fetch cog-upstream main --quiet
```

### 3. Compare Versions
```bash
# Local version
cat COG-VERSION

# Upstream version
git show cog-upstream/main:COG-VERSION
```

If versions match, tell the user they're up to date.

### 4. Show What Changed
For each framework file, compare local vs upstream:
```bash
git diff HEAD..cog-upstream/main -- <file>
```

**Framework files** (safe to update — never contain user content):
- Core docs: `README.md`, `SETUP.md`, `AGENTS.md`, `GEMINI.md`, `CHANGELOG.md`, `CONTRIBUTING.md`
- Skills: `.claude/skills/*/SKILL.md`
- Powers: `.kiro/powers/*/POWER.md`
- Gemini: `.gemini/commands/*.toml`, `.gemini/skills/*.md`
- Config: `.claude-plugin/plugin.json`, `marketplace-entry.json`, `.gitignore`
- Scripts: `cog-update.sh`
- Version: `COG-VERSION`

### 5. Detect Customizations
Before updating, check if the user has customized any framework files:
```bash
# Show how the working tree differs from current upstream HEAD.
# NOTE: this cannot tell a local customization apart from an upstream
# change you have not pulled yet — both show up as a diff. Treat any
# output as "needs a look", not as proof the user edited the file.
git diff cog-upstream/main -- <file>
```

If a file differs, warn the user and offer options:
- **Keep yours**: Skip this file
- **Use upstream**: Overwrite with the new version
- **Backup + update**: Save current as `<file>.backup-YYYYMMDD` then update

### 6. Apply Updates
For files the user approves:
```bash
# Surgical file replacement — no merge, no rebase, zero conflict risk
git checkout cog-upstream/main -- <file>
```

### 7. Verify & Summarize
After updating:
- Show the new version number
- List all files that were updated
- List any files the user chose to skip
- Suggest committing the update:
  ```
  git add -A && git commit -m "Update COG framework to v<new-version>"
  ```

## Alternative: Shell Script
For users who prefer a non-AI update, mention the update script:
```bash
./cog-update.sh           # Interactive
./cog-update.sh --check   # Just check for updates
./cog-update.sh --dry-run # Preview changes
./cog-update.sh --force   # Update everything
```

## Important Notes
- **Content folders are NEVER touched**: `00-inbox/`, `01-daily/`, `02-personal/`, `03-professional/`, `04-projects/`, `05-knowledge/`, `06-templates/` contain user data and are always ignored
- **The .gitignore is designed** so content folders are excluded from upstream tracking (only `.gitkeep` files are tracked)
- **The update script updates itself** — `cog-update.sh` is in the framework file list
- **No merge conflicts possible** — this uses `git checkout` for surgical file replacement, not `git merge` or `git rebase`

Excerpt, first 3,704 characters of SKILL.md, verbatim from the audited commit. It is text from someone else’s repository, quoted so you can judge it before your agent reads it.

git clone https://github.com/huytieu/COG-second-brain
git -C COG-second-brain checkout 6ea1a6ff2160

Works in

1. 2026-10-14
   ✓SAFE B 89 / 100

   first audit · source 6ea1a6ff2160

Questions about Update Cog

• github.com/huytieu/COG-second-brain/tree/main/.claude/skills/upd — the audited source at commit 6ea1a6ff2160 and every finding aboveObserved · 14 Oct 2026

Spotted something wrong? Report a correction · Methodology