---
name: update-cog-cb59b961c7e6
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`


---
Source attribution: huytieu
Original project: https://github.com/huytieu/COG-second-brain/blob/144c7a3a959cc99538b7dfee9c22c4b065a0e156/.claude/skills/update-cog/SKILL.md
License: MIT
License information: https://opensource.org/license/mit
Original upstream instructions; downloaded from Mega AI Hub.

## Upstream license notice

MIT License

Copyright (c) 2025 Huy Tieu

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:

The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
copies or substantial portions of the Software.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
SOFTWARE.



# Mega AI Hub resource metadata

Creator / publisher: huytieu
Original project: https://github.com/huytieu/COG-second-brain/blob/144c7a3a959cc99538b7dfee9c22c4b065a0e156/.claude/skills/update-cog/SKILL.md
Attribution basis: Source repository record

Fields of work: Content & Media, Development & Engineering
Roles: Backend Developer, DevOps / SRE, Technical Writer
Specialties: Git
Tools: Tool not specified
Country applicability: Country not specified
Classification basis: Source catalog labels
Instruction SHA-256: 10205ff4ea912b7cf25c0036da2d12a33d3867f6d8468e0332c8938af685c696