Lc context

Skill Neksi11/Linear_Canal/cli/src/linear_canal/skills/lc-context

Use whenever working in a project that has a `.linear_canal_data/` folder — this signals Linear Canal has indexed the codebase. Invoke before any Glob, Grep, or raw file reads. Covers: "how does X work", "where is Y defined", "what files handle Z", explaining architecture, fixing bugs, adding features, or any file edit. The ctx files contain pre-compiled insights — reading them first saves 80-95% of tokens vs raw source exploration. If you see `.linear_canal_data/` in the project root, use this skill first.From its SKILL.md

Install

npx -y skills add Neksi11/Linear_Canal --skill lc-context

Assembled from the repository path, not quoted from the project. Check it against their README if it does not work.

One thing to look at

5 stars5 stars. Stars are a popularity signal and not a quality one, but at this level it is likely that nobody has read this closely except its author, and you would be relying on your own review.

SKILL.md

5.2 KB, as published. Nobody here has run it

Linear Canal — lc-context

Linear Canal has indexed this codebase into pre-compiled .ctx files. Reading them costs 200–800 tokens each instead of the thousands you'd spend walking raw source files.

Step 0 — Find the project ID

The project ID is the directory name inside .linear_canal_data/. Find it with:

Bash: ls .linear_canal_data/

All ctx files live at:

.linear_canal_data/<project_id>/ctx/

The ctx files

Read these in order — stop when you have enough context.

1. `ARCHITECTURE.ctx` — always read first

Full module map, entry points, tech stack, file counts per module, deployment notes. Answers most "where does X live" questions without opening a single source file.

Read: .linear_canal_data/<project_id>/ctx/ARCHITECTURE.ctx

2. `INTERFACES.ctx` — find any exported symbol

Every exported function, class, and method across the codebase, grouped by module. Use when you know the symbol name but not the file.

Read: .linear_canal_data/<project_id>/ctx/INTERFACES.ctx

3. `RISKS.ctx` — before editing anything

Files flagged for LONG_FUNCTION, SILENT_ERROR, NO_TEST_COVERAGE, STALE_TODO — with exact paths and line numbers. Read this before touching a file so you know what to watch out for.

Read: .linear_canal_data/<project_id>/ctx/RISKS.ctx

4. `DEPENDENCIES.ctx` — before adding imports

Module dependency graph and breaking-change edges. Read before adding a new import or creating a cross-module dependency.

5. `PATTERNS.ctx` — before writing new code

Detected design patterns (FACTORY, SINGLETON, MIDDLEWARE, etc.) with the files where they're used. Helps you match the project's conventions.

6. `<module>.ctx` — deep dive into one module

When ARCHITECTURE.ctx tells you which module to look at, read that module's own ctx file for detailed context: purpose, public interface, risks, full file list.

Read: .linear_canal_data/<project_id>/ctx/<module_name>.ctx

Recommended workflow

1. Bash: ls .linear_canal_data/              → get project ID
2. Read ARCHITECTURE.ctx                     → orient (~400 tokens)
3. Identify relevant module(s)
4. Read <module>.ctx                         → deep context (~300 tokens)
5. Read INTERFACES.ctx if you need a symbol  → (~500 tokens)
6. Read RISKS.ctx for any file you'll edit
7. Only then open raw source files — and only the specific ones needed

Total: ~1,500 tokens for full project understanding vs 10,000–50,000 for raw exploration.

MCP tools

If the Linear Canal MCP server is running (auto-started via .mcp.json when the plugin is installed, or manually via linear-canal serve), you have three additional tools:

`lc_search` — semantic search

Searches Qdrant vector collections for natural-language queries.

lc_search("user authentication JWT token validation", limit=5, tier="HIGH")

Use when you need the exact location of a concept and ARCHITECTURE.ctx gave you the module but not the line.

`lc_impact` — change impact before editing

lc_impact(file_path="src/services/auth.py")

Returns: dependents, coupling score, related modules, test coverage. Call this before editing any file that might have downstream effects.

`lc_context` — task-specific context bundle

lc_context(
  task_description="add rate limiting to the API authentication endpoint",
  token_budget=8000
)

Returns the most relevant ctx + code chunks for a specific task, pre-filtered to your token budget. Best entry point for complex multi-file tasks.

If MCP tools aren't available (server not running), fall back to the ctx file workflow above — it covers ~90% of the same ground.

Token economics

Approach	Tokens	Signal
Glob + read all source files	20k–100k	High noise
ARCHITECTURE + module ctx	600–1,500	Focused
`lc_context()` for a task	2k–8k	Targeted
`lc_search()` for a symbol	200–500	Precise

File reference

.linear_canal_data/<project_id>/
  ctx/
    ARCHITECTURE.ctx    ← start here always
    INTERFACES.ctx      ← find any export
    RISKS.ctx           ← before editing
    DEPENDENCIES.ctx    ← before importing
    PATTERNS.ctx        ← before adding code
    OWNERSHIP.ctx       ← coupling / owners
    <module>.ctx        ← per-module deep dive
  scores.json           ← per-file importance scores
  graph.db              ← SQLite graph store

.LC/
  CLAUDE.md             ← agent instructions (Claude Code / Kilo / Roo)
  AGENTS.md             ← agent instructions (OpenCode / universal)
  GEMINI.md             ← agent instructions (Gemini CLI)
  .cursorrules          ← agent instructions (Cursor)

One thing to look at

SKILL.md

Linear Canal — lc-context

Step 0 — Find the project ID

The ctx files

1. ARCHITECTURE.ctx — always read first

2. INTERFACES.ctx — find any exported symbol

3. RISKS.ctx — before editing anything

4. DEPENDENCIES.ctx — before adding imports

5. PATTERNS.ctx — before writing new code

6. <module>.ctx — deep dive into one module