Qr

/qr — QR code generator skill

Generate styled QR codes via the qr-cli Docker image. Accepts natural language descriptions, named colours (resolved via colourmapper), or raw flags/JSON. Always saves the image to disk and reports where it landed.

Skill location and dependencies

All paths below are relative to the skill root (the directory containing this SKILL.md file). When installed, that is ~/.claude/skills/qr/.

• Wrapper: ./scripts/qr-skill.sh
• Docker image: rondomondo/qr-cli:latest (primary backend)
• Python/Node: python3 -m qr_cli (automatic fallback when Docker is unavailable)

Backend selection

The wrapper selects a backend automatically (Docker first, Node fallback):

Situation	Backend used
Docker running (default)	docker run rondomondo/qr-cli
Docker unavailable (sandbox/CI)	python3 -m qr_cli --backend=node
--backend=docker forced	Docker (errors if not running)
--backend=node forced	Python/Node always
QR_BACKEND=node env var	Python/Node always

colourmapper (required for named colour resolution)

pip install -i https://pypi.org/simple/ colourmapper-dev

The wrapper calls python3 -m colourmapper.cm <name> and falls back gracefully to the raw value if the package is not installed.

---

Node backend bootstrap (sandboxed / no-Docker environments)

When does this apply? In sandboxed environments (e.g. Claude's own execution sandbox, CI runners, airgapped machines) Docker is unavailable and python3 -m qr_cli --install also fails -- because the canvas npm package tries to compile itself and download Node.js C++ headers from nodejs.org, which is typically blocked.

The bootstrap script solves this entirely without any network access beyond PyPI and the Ubuntu package mirror.

What the bootstrap does

1. Installs qr-cli and colourmapper-dev from PyPI
2. Installs system libs (libcairo2-dev, libpango1.0-dev, librsvg2-dev, libjpeg-dev, libgif-dev) via apt -- these are the native dependencies for the canvas npm package
3. Compiles canvas using system Node headers at /usr/include/node/ via npm_config_nodedir=/usr -- completely avoids the nodejs.org download
4. Installs jsdom (needed for qr-code-styling's DOM rendering in Node)
5. Drops in ./scripts/index.js (the patched version) which contains three fixes discovered through debugging (see patch notes below)

Running the bootstrap

bash ./.claude/skills/qr/scripts/bootstrap_node_backend.sh

The script is idempotent -- safe to re-run after qr-cli upgrades or reinstalls. It checks what's already in place and only does what's needed.

A smoke test runs at the end to confirm everything works.

Patch notes (why index.js is patched)

Three bugs exist in the upstream qr-cli Node backend that only manifest in sandboxed environments. The patched ./scripts/index.js fixes all three:

Patch 1 — JSDOM network hang qr-code-styling calls new jsdom("", { resources: "usable" }) internally. The resources: "usable" option tells jsdom to fetch external resources over the network, which hangs indefinitely when the network is restricted. Fix: subclass JSDOM to strip the resources key before calling super().

Patch 2 — canvas + jsdom wiring The original index.js used a partial global.document shim that only stubbed createElement, not createElementNS. qr-code-styling needs a full SVG DOM. Fix: pass jsdom: JSDOM and nodeCanvas: { createCanvas, loadImage } directly to the QRCodeStyling constructor (which supports this natively).

Patch 3 — stdin blocking When python3 -m qr_cli runs Node via subprocess with captured stdout, stdin is not a TTY. The original index.js unconditionally called fs.readFileSync("/dev/stdin") which blocks forever waiting for input. Fix: only attempt the stdin read when --data and --json flags are absent.

---

Auto-bootstrap in execution flow

Claude should auto-bootstrap before the first Node backend attempt, rather than waiting for it to fail. The execution steps below include this check.

Detection: the Node backend needs bootstrapping if the compiled canvas binary is missing:

python3 -c "
import importlib.util, os, sys
spec = importlib.util.find_spec('qr_cli')
if not spec: sys.exit(1)
canvas = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(spec.origin), 'node/node_modules/canvas/build/Release/canvas.node')
sys.exit(0 if os.path.exists(canvas) else 1)
" 2>/dev/null

This is a fast file-existence check (no network, no QR generation). On macOS use otool -L to inspect the binary if needed; ldd is Linux-only.

In practice: if Docker is not available, run the bootstrap first, then generate.

---

How to invoke

When the user types /qr <anything>, parse their intent and call the wrapper. Never ask clarifying questions for reasonable defaults -- just pick them and say so.

Examples mode

If the user types /qr examples, /qr show examples, /qr show me the examples, or any phrase asking to see skill examples, run:

python3 ./scripts/extract_skill_examples.py

Print the output verbatim (it includes ANSI colour codes that the terminal renders). Do not call the wrapper or generate any QR code. Sample images are in ./assets/; extended docs are at ./docs/EXAMPLES.md and ./docs/README.md.

Help mode

If the user types /qr help, /qr --help, or /qr -h, print this reference directly without calling the wrapper:

/qr <url> [options]

QUICK EXAMPLES
  /qr https://example.com
  /qr https://example.com rounded royal blue on cream
  /qr https://example.com extra-rounded midnight blue on ivory 500px
  /qr https://example.com svg slate on white
  /qr https://example.com with logo https://example.com/logo.svg

COLOURS       Any English name: "royal blue", "burnt orange", "cream", "slate",
              "ivory", "charcoal", "goldenrod", "dusty rose" -- ~30K names work.
              Hex also accepted: "#0255c7", "fff"

DOT STYLES    rounded, circles, classy, classy-round, extra-rounded, square
CORNER STYLES round corners, dot corners, square corners
FORMATS       png (default), svg, jpg, webp
SIZE          e.g. 400px, 600x400
QUALITY       use --qrOptions.errorCorrectionLevel=H when adding a logo
SAVE PATH     save to /my/path/qr.png

FLAGS (raw passthrough also works)
  --data=        URL or string to encode (required)
  --format=      png | jpg | webp | svg
  --width=       pixels (default 300)
  --height=      pixels (default 300)
  --border=      pixel border (default 10)
  --margin=      quiet zone (default 0)
  --project=     namespaces output as assets/images/<name>/qr.<ext>
  --image=       <url|path> logo URL to embed in centre
                            (URLs are pre-fetched to a local temp file before
                            generation to avoid sandbox network restrictions)
  --dotsOptions.type=
  --cornersSquareOptions.type=
  --qrOptions.errorCorrectionLevel=  L | M | Q | H

Colour resolution

Pass any colour the user names using --dots-color=, --bg-color=, --corners-color=, --corner-dot-color=. The wrapper resolves them to hex via colourmapper (30K named colours -- "royal blue", "cream", "burnt orange", "slate", etc. all work). You can also pass hex directly.

If the user says "dark" / "light" without specifying a colour, default to --dots-color="#000000" / --bg-color="#ffffff".

Dot style shortcuts (map natural language to --dotsOptions.type)

User says	Flag value
round / rounded	rounded
circle / circles	dots
classy	classy
classy round / elegant	classy-rounded
extra round / bubbly	extra-rounded
square (default)	square

Corner style shortcuts (--cornersSquareOptions.type)

User says	Flag value
round corners	extra-rounded
dot corners	dot
square corners	square

Error correction shortcuts (--qrOptions.errorCorrectionLevel)

User says	Level
low / small / fast	L
medium / normal	M
standard / default (omit)	Q
high / logo / image / best	H

Format shortcuts

User says	--format
svg / vector	svg
jpg / jpeg	jpg
webp	webp
png (default)	png

Wrapper flags reference

--data=<url>                  (required) string/URL to encode
--format=<png|jpg|webp|svg>   output format (default: png)
--width=<px>                  width in pixels (default: 300)
--height=<px>                 height in pixels (default: 300)
--border=<px>                 pixel border around QR (default: 10)
--margin=<px>                 quiet zone (default 0)
--project=<name>              namespaces output as assets/images/<name>/qr.<ext>
--dotsOptions.type=<style>    dot shape (see table above)
--dotsOptions.color=<hex>     dot colour (use --dots-color= for name resolution)
--backgroundOptions.color=<hex>  background (use --bg-color= for name resolution)
--cornersSquareOptions.type=<style>
--cornersSquareOptions.color=<hex>   (use --corners-color= for name resolution)
--cornersDotOptions.type=<style>
--cornersDotOptions.color=<hex>      (use --corner-dot-color= for name resolution)
--qrOptions.errorCorrectionLevel=<L|M|Q|H>
--image=<url>                 logo URL to embed in centre
--imageOptions.margin=<px>    logo margin (default: 10)
--imageOptions.crossOrigin=anonymous   required for external logos
--save-to=<path>              override save path
--no-save                     skip writing to disk
--image-tag=<tag>             override docker image tag
--backend=<docker|node|auto>  force backend (default: auto -- Docker if available, else Node)

Execution steps

1. Parse the user's request (natural language, flags, or JSON blob).

2. Check backend availability:

   • Try docker info -- if Docker is available, proceed to step 3 with Docker.

   • If Docker is unavailable, check if the Node backend is bootstrapped with:

     # canvas will exist if we have been bootstrapped
     python3 -c "
     import importlib.util, os, sys
     spec = importlib.util.find_spec('qr_cli')
     if not spec: sys.exit(1)
     canvas = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(spec.origin), 'node/node_modules/canvas/build/Release/canvas.node')
     sys.exit(0 if os.path.exists(canvas) else 1)
     " 2>/dev/null
     

   • If that fails or times out, run bootstrap first:

   Before running the bootstrap, emit a message to the user: "⚙️ One-time setup in progress — compiling the QR rendering engine against system libraries (no Docker in this environment). This takes ~30–40 seconds and only happens once. Hang tight…"

   Then run the bootstrap. bash bash ./.claude/skills/qr/scripts/bootstrap_node_backend.sh

   • After bootstrap, use python3 -m qr_cli --backend=node directly (not qr-skill.sh) because qr-skill.sh's base64 decode step is incompatible with the Node backend's save-to handling. See note below.

2b. If a logo image URL is supplied (--image=<url>): - Docker backend: pass the URL through unchanged. Docker runs locally and has unrestricted network access, so the container fetches it directly. No pre-fetch needed. - Node backend (no Docker / sandbox): use the web_fetch tool to download the image to a temp local path /tmp/qr_logo_<random_suffix>.<ext> (infer extension from URL or Content-Type), then replace --image=<url> with the bare local path. If the fetch fails (network blocked, 4xx/5xx), warn the user and continue without the logo rather than aborting. Clean up the temp file after generation completes. - Bump error correction to H if not already set (logo occludes part of the code).

3. Resolve colour names using the wrapper's --dots-color= / --bg-color= etc.

4. Set sensible defaults for anything not specified:

   • format: png, width/height: 300, border: 10, margin: 10
   • dots style: rounded (nicer default than square)
   • error correction: omit (library default Q) unless a logo is present, then use H
   • project: default if the user does not name one

5. Build the structured save path before calling:

   • Docker backend: images are written into ./output/ on the host (the wrapper mounts it as /output inside the container). Pass --save-to as a path relative to output/, e.g. output/{project}/{width}x{height}_{dotscolor}_{bgcolor}_{project}.{format}. The wrapper translates this to /output/... for the container automatically.
   • Node backend: pass --save-to directly; the wrapper saves there.
   • Pattern: output/{project}/{width}x{height}_{dotscolor}_{bgcolor}_{project}.{format}
   • Strip the leading # from hex colours in the filename (e.g. 0504aa not #0504aa). Use the raw colour name if hex is not yet known.
   • Example: output/default/300x300_royalblue_cream_default.png

6. Run the appropriate command:

   Docker available — use qr-skill.sh (volume mount handled inside the wrapper):

   bash ./.claude/skills/qr/scripts/qr-skill.sh \
     --data="<url>" \
     --save-to="output/default/300x300_000000_ffffff_default.png" \
     [other args...]
   

   The wrapper mounts ./output as /output in the container, rewrites --save-to to /output/default/300x300_000000_ffffff_default.png, and the file lands at ./output/default/300x300_000000_ffffff_default.png on the host.

   Node backend (no Docker) — qr-skill.sh also handles this path correctly now:

   bash ./.claude/skills/qr/scripts/qr-skill.sh --backend=node \
     --data="<url>" \
     --format=png \
     --dotsOptions.type=rounded \
     --save-to="output/default/300x300_000000_ffffff_default.png"
   

7. Parse the JSON result.

8. Report back clearly:

   • Saved to: <path> (use _skill.saved_to if present, else the path you passed)
   • Format / size / dimensions
   • Colours used (with resolved names if colourmapper matched)
   • Generation time
   • Backend used (Docker or Node)
   • Any error from .error

Example invocations

SKILL=./.claude/skills/qr/scripts/qr-skill.sh

# Docker: minimal (image saved to ./output/default/qr.png via volume mount)
bash "$SKILL" \
  --data="https://example.com" \
  --save-to="output/default/300x300_000000_ffffff_default.png"

# Docker: natural colour names, rounded style
bash "$SKILL" \
  --data="https://example.com" \
  --dotsOptions.type=rounded \
  --dots-color="royal blue" \
  --bg-color="cream" \
  --save-to="output/default/300x300_royalblue_cream_default.png" \
  --border=10 --margin=10

# Docker: with a logo -- URL passed straight through, no pre-fetch needed
bash "$SKILL" \
  --data="https://example.com" \
  --dotsOptions.type=extra-rounded \
  --dots-color="midnight blue" \
  --bg-color="ivory" \
  --cornersSquareOptions.type=extra-rounded \
  --corners-color="midnight blue" \
  --qrOptions.errorCorrectionLevel=H \
  --image="https://example.com/logo.svg" \
  --imageOptions.crossOrigin=anonymous \
  --imageOptions.margin=10 \
  --format=png --width=500 --height=500 \
  --save-to="output/default/500x500_midnightblue_ivory_default.png"

# Node (no Docker): via qr-skill.sh with --backend=node
bash "$SKILL" --backend=node \
  --data="https://example.com" \
  --format=webp \
  --dotsOptions.type=rounded \
  --border=10 \
  --save-to="output/default/300x300_000000_ffffff_default.webp"

# Node (no Docker): bootstrap first if needed, then generate
bash ./.claude/skills/qr/scripts/bootstrap_node_backend.sh
bash "$SKILL" --backend=node \
  --data="https://example.com" \
  --format=png \
  --save-to="output/default/300x300_000000_ffffff_default.png"

What to report after generation

Render the saved path as a clickable markdown link using a relative path from the repo root (./). VS Code renders relative markdown links as clickable; file:// URIs are NOT clickable in the VS Code markdown renderer.

QR code generated and saved.

  Saved to:    [output/default/300x300_0504aa_ffffc2_default.png](output/default/300x300_0504aa_ffffc2_default.png)
  Format:      PNG  (300x300 px, 14.2 KB)
  Dots:        rounded  #0504aa  (royal blue)
  Background:  #ffffc2  (cream)
  Backend:     Docker  (or "Node (python3 -m qr_cli)" when fallback was used)
  Generated:   42 ms

If the Node fallback was used (Docker unavailable), say so clearly.

Always append a fenced code block after the summary so the user can copy the open command directly from the VS Code copy button:

```
open output/default/300x300_0504aa_ffffc2_default.png
```

Use _skill.saved_to from the JSON result as the path (set by the wrapper for both Docker and Node backends when --save-to is provided).

Rules for the link:

• Use the relative path as both the link text and the href.
• Format: [<relative_path>](<relative_path>)
• Never use file:// URIs -- they are not clickable in VS Code.

If an error occurs, show the .error field from the JSON and suggest a fix based on the common causes below:

Symptom	Likely cause	Fix
Cannot connect to the Docker daemon	Docker not running	Start Docker Desktop, or use --backend=node
canvas.node: no such file or directory	Node backend not bootstrapped	Run bootstrap_node_backend.sh
colour not found / unexpected hex result	Colour name too obscure	Try a simpler name or pass hex directly
canvas compile error during bootstrap	Missing system libs	Check apt output; re-run bootstrap
Hangs indefinitely on Node backend	jsdom network access blocked	Ensure patched index.js is in place
format not supported	Backend/format mismatch	SVG requires Docker; use --format=png for Node
fetch failed for logo URL	Network sandbox blocks the domain	Claude pre-fetches via web_fetch tool; if that also fails, logo is skipped

Colour name tips

• Any English colour name works: "burnt orange", "slate", "cream", "cobalt", "sage green", "dusty rose", "charcoal", "goldenrod", etc.
• Crayola names work too: "Alien Armpit", "Absolute Zero"
• Hex always works: "#0255c7", "0255c7", "#fff"
• The colourmapper will find the nearest match for approximate names
• The cm tool can be used to look up colours