ken plugin
Think first, steal proven ideas, build bottom-up, brute force until measured, rewrite over patch.
How to install the ken plugin
Run both commands inside Claude Code. The first adds the marketplace once; the second installs the plugin.
/plugin marketplace add rajnandan1/ken
/plugin install ken@kenWhat's inside ken
6 parts read from the plugin's own files.
Skills 6
Claude loads it when the task matches- ken
Thompson-mode systems discipline: think first, steal proven ideas, build bottom-up from primitives you can explain line by line, brute force until scale is proven, throw away what fights back and rewrite it. Supports intensity levels: lite, full (default), ultra. Use on ANY coding task: writing, adding, refactoring, fixing, reviewing, or designing code, and choosing libraries or dependencies. Also use whenever the user says "ken", "ken mode", "thompson mode", "brute force it", "rewrite it", or "throw it out and redo it". Do NOT use for non-coding requests (general knowledge, prose, translation, summaries, recipes).
- ken-audit
Whole-repo audit for Thompson-mode violations. Like ken-review, but scans the entire codebase instead of a diff: a ranked list of what to rewrite, delete, or take back into the trusted base. Use when the user says "audit this codebase", "audit for rot", "what should be rewritten in this repo", "find the rot", "ken-audit", or "/ken-audit". One-shot report, does not apply fixes.
- ken-debt
Harvest every `ken:` comment in the codebase into a ceilings ledger, so the deliberate brute-force ceilings ken leaves behind get tracked instead of rotting into "later means never". Use when the user says "ken debt", "/ken-debt", "what did ken defer", "list the ceilings", "ken ledger", or "what brute force did we mark". One-shot report, changes nothing.
- ken-gain
Show ken's measured impact as a compact scoreboard, from ken's own benchmark results in benchmarks/results/. One-shot display, not a persistent mode, and not a per-repo number. Trigger: /ken-gain, "ken gain", "what does ken save", "show ken impact", "ken scoreboard".
- ken-help
Quick-reference card for all ken modes, skills, and commands. One-shot display, not a persistent mode. Trigger: /ken-help, "ken help", "what ken commands", "how do I use ken".
- ken-review
Code review for Thompson-mode violations. Finds what to rewrite or remove: units patched past rot, layers that only translate, dependencies nobody vouched for, clever code where brute force works, process serving itself. One line per finding: location, what's wrong, the move. Use when the user says "review for rot", "what should be rewritten", "ken review", "thompson review", or invokes /ken-review. Complements correctness-focused review, this one only hunts method violations.
Using ken in Claude Code
Skills need no command. Claude reads them when your request matches what they describe.
Update, turn off or remove
- Update the plugin (shell)
- claude plugin update ken@ken
- Refresh the marketplace
- /plugin marketplace update ken
- Turn it off for now
- /plugin disable ken@ken
- Remove it
- /plugin uninstall ken@ken
Skills in ken
- kenrajnandan1/ken
Thompson-mode systems discipline: think first, steal proven ideas, build bottom-up from primitives you can explain line by line, brute force until scale is proven, throw away what fights back and rewrite it. Supports intensity levels: lite, full (default), ultra. Use on ANY coding task: writing, adding, refactoring, fixing, reviewing, or designing code, and choosing libraries or dependencies. Also use whenever the user says "ken", "ken mode", "thompson mode", "brute force it", "rewrite it", or "throw it out and redo it". Do NOT use for non-coding requests (general knowledge, prose, translation, summaries, recipes).
15stars - ken-helprajnandan1/ken
Quick-reference card for all ken modes, skills, and commands. One-shot display, not a persistent mode. Trigger: /ken-help, "ken help", "what ken commands", "how do I use ken".
15stars - ken-reviewrajnandan1/ken
Code review for Thompson-mode violations. Finds what to rewrite or remove: units patched past rot, layers that only translate, dependencies nobody vouched for, clever code where brute force works, process serving itself. One line per finding: location, what's wrong, the move. Use when the user says "review for rot", "what should be rewritten", "ken review", "thompson review", or invokes /ken-review. Complements correctness-focused review, this one only hunts method violations.
15stars - ken-auditrajnandan1/ken
Whole-repo audit for Thompson-mode violations. Like ken-review, but scans the entire codebase instead of a diff: a ranked list of what to rewrite, delete, or take back into the trusted base. Use when the user says "audit this codebase", "audit for rot", "what should be rewritten in this repo", "find the rot", "ken-audit", or "/ken-audit". One-shot report, does not apply fixes.
15stars - ken-debtrajnandan1/ken
Harvest every `ken:` comment in the codebase into a ceilings ledger, so the deliberate brute-force ceilings ken leaves behind get tracked instead of rotting into "later means never". Use when the user says "ken debt", "/ken-debt", "what did ken defer", "list the ceilings", "ken ledger", or "what brute force did we mark". One-shot report, changes nothing.
15stars - ken-gainrajnandan1/ken
Show ken's measured impact as a compact scoreboard, from ken's own benchmark results in benchmarks/results/. One-shot display, not a persistent mode, and not a per-repo number. Trigger: /ken-gain, "ken gain", "what does ken save", "show ken impact", "ken scoreboard".
15stars
ken plugin questions
How do I install the ken plugin?
In Claude Code run /plugin marketplace add rajnandan1/ken, then /plugin install ken@ken.
What does the ken plugin include?
ken bundles 6 skills.
How do I update or remove the ken plugin?
Update it with claude plugin update ken@ken in your shell, or from the Installed tab of /plugin. Remove it with /plugin uninstall ken@ken.