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Windows

Windows-specific issues and solutions.

Installation​

How do I install on Windows?​

PowerShell:

irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/runkids/skillshare/main/install.ps1 | iex

Or download manually:

  1. Go to releases
  2. Download the .zip for Windows
  3. Extract and add to PATH

Permissions​

Does skillshare need admin privileges?​

No. Skillshare uses NTFS junctions instead of symlinks, which don't require admin privileges.

NTFS junctions work like symlinks for directories but are available to all users.

File Locations​

Where are config files on Windows?​

%USERPROFILE%\.config\skillshare\config.yaml
%USERPROFILE%\.config\skillshare\skills\
%USERPROFILE%\.config\skillshare\backups\

Typically:

C:\Users\YourName\.config\skillshare\

Where are target directories?​

%USERPROFILE%\.claude\skills\
%USERPROFILE%\.cursor\skills\
%USERPROFILE%\.codex\skills\

Environment Variables​

How do I set GITHUB_TOKEN on Windows?​

Current session only:

$env:GITHUB_TOKEN = "ghp_your_token"

Permanent (user-level):

[Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("GITHUB_TOKEN", "ghp_your_token", "User")

Then restart PowerShell.

How do I set SKILLSHARE_CONFIG?​

$env:SKILLSHARE_CONFIG = "C:\path\to\custom\config.yaml"
skillshare status

Common Issues​

junction creation failed​

Cause: Target path already exists as a file or incompatible type.

Solution:

# Backup and remove existing
skillshare backup
Remove-Item -Path "$env:USERPROFILE\.claude\skills" -Recurse -Force
skillshare sync

path too long​

Cause: Windows has a 260 character path limit by default.

Solution: Enable long paths:

# Run as Administrator
Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem" -Name "LongPathsEnabled" -Value 1

Then restart.

access denied​

Cause: File or directory is in use or protected.

Solutions:

  1. Close any programs using the files
  2. Check antivirus isn't blocking
  3. Run PowerShell as Administrator (rarely needed)

Cause: You're seeing symlinks instead of junctions.

Note: Skillshare uses NTFS junctions on Windows, not symlinks. If you see symlink errors, ensure you're using the Windows version of skillshare.

PowerShell Tips​

Aliases​

Add to your PowerShell profile ($PROFILE):

Set-Alias -Name ss -Value skillshare
function sss { skillshare sync }
function ssp { param($m) skillshare push -m $m }
function ssl { skillshare pull }

Check PowerShell version​

Skillshare works with PowerShell 5.1+ and PowerShell Core 7+:

$PSVersionTable.PSVersion

WSL Compatibility​

If you use Windows Subsystem for Linux:

Separate installations​

Keep separate skillshare installations for Windows and WSL:

  • Windows: %USERPROFILE%\.config\skillshare\
  • WSL: ~/.config/skillshare/

Share via git​

Use the same git remote to sync between them:

# Windows
skillshare push -m "From Windows"

# WSL
skillshare pull

Getting Help​

Include in bug reports:

  • Windows version: winver
  • PowerShell version: $PSVersionTable.PSVersion
  • skillshare version: skillshare --version
  • Full error message