feat: migrate skills from .squad/skills/ to .copilot/skills/ (#330, #354)

.squad/skills/distributed-mesh/SKILL.md → .copilot/skills/distributed-mesh/SKILL.md

@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ Ask these questions (adapt phrasing naturally, but get these answers):
 
 ### Step 2: GENERATE `mesh.json`
 
-Using the answers from Step 1, create a `mesh.json` file at the project root. Use `mesh.json.example` from THIS skill's directory (`.squad/skills/distributed-mesh/mesh.json.example`) as the schema template.
+Using the answers from Step 1, create a `mesh.json` file at the project root. Use `mesh.json.example` from THIS skill's directory (`.copilot/skills/distributed-mesh/mesh.json.example`) as the schema template.
 
 Structure:
 
@@ -187,10 +187,10 @@ Write this file to the project root. Do NOT write any other code.
 
 Copy the bundled sync scripts from THIS skill's directory into the project root:
 
-- **Source:** `.squad/skills/distributed-mesh/sync-mesh.sh`
+- **Source:** `.copilot/skills/distributed-mesh/sync-mesh.sh`
 - **Destination:** `sync-mesh.sh` (project root)
 
-- **Source:** `.squad/skills/distributed-mesh/sync-mesh.ps1`
+- **Source:** `.copilot/skills/distributed-mesh/sync-mesh.ps1`
 - **Destination:** `sync-mesh.ps1` (project root)
 
 These are bundled resources. Do NOT generate them — COPY them directly.

.squad/skills/reskill/SKILL.md → .copilot/skills/reskill/SKILL.md

@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ Read all agent charters and histories. Measure byte sizes. Identify:
 
 ### Step 2: Extract
 For each identified pattern:
-1. Create or update a skill at `.squad/skills/{skill-name}/SKILL.md`
+1. Create or update a skill at `.copilot/skills/{skill-name}/SKILL.md`
 2. Follow the skill template format (frontmatter + Context + Patterns + Examples + Anti-Patterns)
 3. Set confidence: low (first observation), medium (2+ agents), high (team-wide)
 

.squad/skills/squad-conventions/SKILL.md → .copilot/skills/squad-conventions/SKILL.md

@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ Colors are defined as constants at the top of `index.js`: `GREEN`, `RED`, `DIM`,
 - `.squad/templates/` — Template files copied from `templates/` (Squad-owned, overwritten on upgrade)
 - `.github/agents/squad.agent.md` — Coordinator prompt (Squad-owned, overwritten on upgrade)
 - `templates/` — Source templates shipped with the npm package
-- `.squad/skills/` — Team skills in SKILL.md format (user-owned)
+- `.copilot/skills/` — Team skills in SKILL.md format (user-owned)
 - `.squad/decisions/inbox/` — Drop-box for parallel decision writes
 
 ### Windows Compatibility

.github/agents/squad.agent.md

@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ Check: Does `.squad/team.md` exist? (fall back to `.ai-team/team.md` for repos m
 
 ## Init Mode
 
-**Skill:** Read `.squad/skills/init-mode/SKILL.md` when entering Init Mode (team.md missing or empty).
+**Skill:** Read `.copilot/skills/init-mode/SKILL.md` when entering Init Mode (team.md missing or empty).
 
 **Core rules (always loaded):**
 - Phase 1: Propose team → use `ask_user` → **STOP** and wait for confirmation
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ The routing table determines **WHO** handles work. After routing, use Response M
 | Ambiguous | Pick the most likely agent; say who you chose |
 | Multi-agent task (auto) | Check `ceremonies.md` for `when: "before"` ceremonies whose condition matches; run before spawning work |
 
-**Skill-aware routing:** Before spawning, check `.squad/skills/` for skills relevant to the task domain. If a matching skill exists, add to the spawn prompt: `Relevant skill: .squad/skills/{name}/SKILL.md — read before starting.` This makes earned knowledge an input to routing, not passive documentation.
+**Skill-aware routing:** Before spawning, check `.copilot/skills/` for skills relevant to the task domain. If a matching skill exists, add to the spawn prompt: `Relevant skill: .copilot/skills/{name}/SKILL.md — read before starting.` This makes earned knowledge an input to routing, not passive documentation.
 
 ### Skill Confidence Lifecycle
 
@@ -287,7 +287,7 @@ For read-only queries, use the explore agent: `agent_type: "explore"` with `"You
 
 ### Per-Agent Model Selection
 
-**Skill:** Read `.squad/skills/model-selection/SKILL.md` before spawning any agent.
+**Skill:** Read `.copilot/skills/model-selection/SKILL.md` before spawning any agent.
 
 **Core rules (always loaded):**
 - 4-layer hierarchy: User Override → Charter Preference → Task-Aware Auto → Default (haiku)
@@ -298,7 +298,7 @@ For read-only queries, use the explore agent: `agent_type: "explore"` with `"You
 
 ### Client Compatibility
 
-**Skill:** Read `.squad/skills/client-compatibility/SKILL.md` for platform detection and adaptive spawning patterns.
+**Skill:** Read `.copilot/skills/client-compatibility/SKILL.md` for platform detection and adaptive spawning patterns.
 
 **Core rules (always loaded):**
 - Platform detection: `task` available → CLI (full control), `runSubagent` → VS Code (session model, parallel in one turn), neither → inline fallback
@@ -310,7 +310,7 @@ For read-only queries, use the explore agent: `agent_type: "explore"` with `"You
 
 MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers extend Squad with tools for external services — Trello, Aspire dashboards, Azure, Notion, and more. The user configures MCP servers in their environment; Squad discovers and uses them.
 
-> **Full patterns:** Read `.squad/skills/mcp-tool-discovery/SKILL.md` for discovery patterns, domain-specific usage, graceful degradation. Read `.squad/templates/mcp-config.md` for config file locations, sample configs, and authentication notes.
+> **Full patterns:** Read `.copilot/skills/mcp-tool-discovery/SKILL.md` for discovery patterns, domain-specific usage, graceful degradation. Read `.squad/templates/mcp-config.md` for config file locations, sample configs, and authentication notes.
 
 #### Detection
 
@@ -506,7 +506,7 @@ prompt: |
   Read .squad/decisions.md (team decisions to respect).
   If .squad/identity/wisdom.md exists, read it before starting work.
   If .squad/identity/now.md exists, read it at spawn time.
-  If .squad/skills/ has relevant SKILL.md files, read them before working.
+  If .copilot/skills/ has relevant SKILL.md files, read them before working.
 
   {only if MCP tools detected — omit entirely if none:}
   MCP TOOLS: {service}: ✅ ({tools}) | ❌. Fall back to CLI when unavailable.
@@ -530,7 +530,7 @@ prompt: |
   2. If you made a team-relevant decision, write to:
      .squad/decisions/inbox/{name}-{brief-slug}.md
   3. SKILL EXTRACTION: If you found a reusable pattern, write/update
-     .squad/skills/{skill-name}/SKILL.md (read templates/skill.md for format).
+     .copilot/skills/{skill-name}/SKILL.md (read templates/skill.md for format).
 
   ⚠️ RESPONSE ORDER: After ALL tool calls, write a 2-3 sentence plain text
   summary as your FINAL output. No tool calls after this summary.
@@ -615,7 +615,7 @@ Ceremonies are structured team meetings where agents align before or after work.
 
 If the user says "I need a designer" or "add someone for DevOps":
 1. **Allocate a name** from the current assignment's universe (read from `.squad/casting/history.json`). If the universe is exhausted, apply overflow handling (see Casting & Persistent Naming → Overflow Handling).
-2. **Check plugin marketplaces.** If `.squad/plugins/marketplaces.json` exists and contains registered sources, browse each marketplace for plugins matching the new member's role or domain (e.g., "azure-cloud-development" for an Azure DevOps role). Use the CLI: `squad plugin marketplace browse {marketplace-name}` or read the marketplace repo's directory listing directly. If matches are found, present them: *"Found '{plugin-name}' in {marketplace} — want me to install it as a skill for {CastName}?"* If the user accepts, copy the plugin content into `.squad/skills/{plugin-name}/SKILL.md` or merge relevant instructions into the agent's charter. If no marketplaces are configured, skip silently. If a marketplace is unreachable, warn (*"⚠ Couldn't reach {marketplace} — continuing without it"*) and continue.
+2. **Check plugin marketplaces.** If `.squad/plugins/marketplaces.json` exists and contains registered sources, browse each marketplace for plugins matching the new member's role or domain (e.g., "azure-cloud-development" for an Azure DevOps role). Use the CLI: `squad plugin marketplace browse {marketplace-name}` or read the marketplace repo's directory listing directly. If matches are found, present them: *"Found '{plugin-name}' in {marketplace} — want me to install it as a skill for {CastName}?"* If the user accepts, copy the plugin content into `.copilot/skills/{plugin-name}/SKILL.md` or merge relevant instructions into the agent's charter. If no marketplaces are configured, skip silently. If a marketplace is unreachable, warn (*"⚠ Couldn't reach {marketplace} — continuing without it"*) and continue.
 3. Generate a new charter.md + history.md (seeded with project context from team.md), using the cast name. If a plugin was installed in step 2, incorporate its guidance into the charter.
 4. **Update `.squad/casting/registry.json`** with the new agent entry.
 5. Add to team.md roster.
@@ -638,7 +638,7 @@ If the user wants to remove someone:
 **Core rules (always loaded):**
 - Check `.squad/plugins/marketplaces.json` during Add Team Member flow (after name allocation, before charter)
 - Present matching plugins for user approval
-- Install: copy to `.squad/skills/{plugin-name}/SKILL.md`, log to history.md
+- Install: copy to `.copilot/skills/{plugin-name}/SKILL.md`, log to history.md
 - Skip silently if no marketplaces configured
 
 ---
@@ -741,7 +741,7 @@ When `.squad/team.md` exists but `.squad/casting/` does not:
 
 ## Reviewer Rejection Protocol
 
-**Skill:** Read `.squad/skills/reviewer-protocol/SKILL.md` when a Reviewer rejects work.
+**Skill:** Read `.copilot/skills/reviewer-protocol/SKILL.md` when a Reviewer rejects work.
 
 **Core rules (always loaded):**
 - On rejection: original author is **locked out** — may NOT self-revise, no exceptions

packages/squad-cli/src/cli/commands/build.ts

@@ -270,7 +270,7 @@ function generateCeremoniesDispatchTable(ceremonies: readonly CeremonyDefinition
     const schedule = c.schedule ?? '—';
     const participants = c.participants?.join(', ') ?? '—';
     const slug = c.name.toLowerCase().replace(/[^a-z0-9]+/g, '-').replace(/(^-|-$)/g, '');
-    const skillPath = `.squad/skills/ceremony-${slug}/SKILL.md`;
+    const skillPath = `.copilot/skills/ceremony-${slug}/SKILL.md`;
     lines.push(`| ${c.name} | ${trigger} | ${schedule} | ${participants} | \`${skillPath}\` |`);
   }
 
@@ -382,7 +382,7 @@ function buildFilePlan(config: SquadSDKConfig): GeneratedFile[] {
       for (const c of config.ceremonies) {
         const slug = c.name.toLowerCase().replace(/[^a-z0-9]+/g, '-').replace(/(^-|-$)/g, '');
         files.push({
-          relPath: `.squad/skills/ceremony-${slug}/SKILL.md`,
+          relPath: `.copilot/skills/ceremony-${slug}/SKILL.md`,
           content: generateCeremonySkillFile(c),
         });
       }
@@ -399,7 +399,7 @@ function buildFilePlan(config: SquadSDKConfig): GeneratedFile[] {
   if (config.skills && config.skills.length > 0) {
     for (const skill of config.skills) {
       files.push({
-        relPath: `.squad/skills/${skill.name}/SKILL.md`,
+        relPath: `.copilot/skills/${skill.name}/SKILL.md`,
         content: generateSkillFile(skill),
       });
     }

packages/squad-cli/src/cli/commands/export.ts

@@ -71,11 +71,18 @@ export async function runExport(dest: string, outPath?: string): Promise<void> {
   }
 
   // Read skills
-  const skillsDir = path.join(squadInfo.path, 'skills');
+  const skillSources = [
+    { dir: path.join(dest, '.copilot', 'skills'), layout: 'nested' as const },
+    { dir: path.join(squadInfo.path, 'skills'), layout: 'nested' as const },
+    { dir: path.join(dest, '.ai-team', 'skills'), layout: 'flat' as const },
+  ];
+  const skillsSource = skillSources.find(({ dir }) => fs.existsSync(dir));
   try {
-    if (fs.existsSync(skillsDir)) {
-      for (const entry of fs.readdirSync(skillsDir)) {
-        const skillFile = path.join(skillsDir, entry, 'SKILL.md');
+    if (skillsSource) {
+      for (const entry of fs.readdirSync(skillsSource.dir)) {
+        const skillFile = skillsSource.layout === 'nested'
+          ? path.join(skillsSource.dir, entry, 'SKILL.md')
+          : path.join(skillsSource.dir, entry);
         if (fs.existsSync(skillFile)) {
           manifest.skills.push(fs.readFileSync(skillFile, 'utf8'));
         }

packages/squad-cli/src/cli/commands/import.ts

@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ export async function runImport(dest: string, importPath: string, force: boolean
   fs.mkdirSync(path.join(squadDir, 'decisions', 'inbox'), { recursive: true });
   fs.mkdirSync(path.join(squadDir, 'orchestration-log'), { recursive: true });
   fs.mkdirSync(path.join(squadDir, 'log'), { recursive: true });
-  fs.mkdirSync(path.join(squadDir, 'skills'), { recursive: true });
+  fs.mkdirSync(path.join(dest, '.copilot', 'skills'), { recursive: true });
 
   // Write empty project-specific files
   fs.writeFileSync(path.join(squadDir, 'decisions.md'), '');
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ export async function runImport(dest: string, importPath: string, force: boolean
     const skillName = nameMatch
       ? nameMatch[1]!.trim().toLowerCase().replace(/\s+/g, '-')
       : `skill-${manifest.skills.indexOf(skillContent)}`;
-    const skillDir = path.join(squadDir, 'skills', skillName);
+    const skillDir = path.join(dest, '.copilot', 'skills', skillName);
     fs.mkdirSync(skillDir, { recursive: true });
     fs.writeFileSync(path.join(skillDir, 'SKILL.md'), skillContent);
   }

packages/squad-cli/src/cli/core/migrations.ts

@@ -46,6 +46,37 @@ const migrations: Migration[] = [
         }
       }
     }
+  },
+  {
+    version: '0.9.0',
+    description: 'Copy legacy .squad skills into .copilot/skills',
+    run(squadDir: string) {
+      const projectRoot = path.dirname(squadDir);
+      const legacySkillsDir = path.join(squadDir, 'skills');
+      if (!fs.existsSync(legacySkillsDir)) {
+        return;
+      }
+
+      const skillNames = fs.readdirSync(legacySkillsDir).filter(entry =>
+        fs.existsSync(path.join(legacySkillsDir, entry, 'SKILL.md')),
+      );
+      if (skillNames.length === 0) {
+        return;
+      }
+
+      const copilotSkillsDir = path.join(projectRoot, '.copilot', 'skills');
+      fs.mkdirSync(copilotSkillsDir, { recursive: true });
+
+      for (const skillName of skillNames) {
+        fs.cpSync(
+          path.join(legacySkillsDir, skillName),
+          path.join(copilotSkillsDir, skillName),
+          { recursive: true, force: false, errorOnExist: false },
+        );
+      }
+
+      success(`Migrated skills to .copilot/skills: ${skillNames.join(', ')}`);
+    }
   }
 ];
 

packages/squad-cli/src/cli/core/templates.ts

@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ export const TEMPLATE_MANIFEST: TemplateFile[] = [
   // Skills subdirectory (squad-owned)
   {
     source: 'skills/squad-conventions/SKILL.md',
-    destination: 'skills/squad-conventions/SKILL.md',
+    destination: '../.copilot/skills/squad-conventions/SKILL.md',
     overwriteOnUpgrade: true,
     description: 'Squad conventions skill definition',
   },

packages/squad-cli/templates/mcp-config.md

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers extend Squad with tools for external services — Trello, Aspire dashboards, Azure, Notion, and more. The user configures MCP servers in their environment; Squad discovers and uses them.
 
-> **Full patterns:** Read `.squad/skills/mcp-tool-discovery/SKILL.md` for discovery patterns, domain-specific usage, and graceful degradation.
+> **Full patterns:** Read `.copilot/skills/mcp-tool-discovery/SKILL.md` for discovery patterns, domain-specific usage, and graceful degradation.
 
 ## Config File Locations
 

packages/squad-cli/templates/plugin-marketplace.md

@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ During the **Adding Team Members** flow, AFTER allocating a name but BEFORE gene
 ## How to Install a Plugin
 
 1. Read the plugin content from the marketplace repository (the plugin's `SKILL.md` or equivalent).
-2. Copy it into the agent's skills directory: `.squad/skills/{plugin-name}/SKILL.md`
+2. Copy it into the agent's skills directory: `.copilot/skills/{plugin-name}/SKILL.md`
 3. If the plugin includes charter-level instructions (role boundaries, tool preferences), merge those into the agent's `charter.md`.
 4. Log the installation in the agent's `history.md`: *"📦 Plugin '{plugin-name}' installed from {marketplace}."*