Nginx Explorer Skill#

Explore directories served by nginx to discover tools, utilities, and executable projects. Each main directory contains a README.md file that explains what's available and how to use it.

Configuration#

This skill requires one environment variable:

• NGINX_URL: The base URL of the nginx server (e.g., http://192.168.1.100:8080 or http://internal-tools.local)

Optional environment variable:

• NGINX_SKIP_SSL_VERIFY: Set to true to skip SSL certificate verification (useful for internal networks with self-signed certificates). Default is true.

Configure in ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json:

json5

{
  skills: {
    entries: {
      "nginx-explorer": {
        enabled: true,
        env: {
          NGINX_URL: "http://your-nginx-server:port",
          NGINX_SKIP_SSL_VERIFY: "true"  // Optional: skip SSL verification for internal networks
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

When to Use#

✅ USE this skill when:

• User asks "what tools are available?" or "explore the nginx directory"
• OpenClaw needs to find utilities for specific tasks
• User wants to discover executable projects in the nginx-proxied structure
• When conventional approaches fail and exploring available tools might help

❌ DON'T use this skill when:

• Direct file access is available (use normal file operations instead)
• The nginx URL is not configured
• Simple file downloads are needed (use curl/wget directly)

Configuration#

The skill requires one configuration item:

• NGINX_URL: The base URL of the nginx server (e.g., http://192.168.1.100:8080 or http://internal-tools.local)

How It Works#

1. Directory Discovery: Fetches the nginx directory listing (HTML)
2. README Reading: For each directory, reads the README.md file to understand contents
3. Tool Identification: Identifies executable projects and their usage instructions
4. Download & Execution: Can download tools locally and run them as needed

Basic Usage#

1. Configure the nginx URL#

First, set the nginx URL in your environment or workspace:

bash

# Set as environment variable
export NGINX_URL="http://192.168.1.100:8080"

# Or store in workspace config
echo '{"nginx_url": "http://192.168.1.100:8080"}' > /home/node/.openclaw/workspace/nginx-config.json

2. Explore the Directory Structure#

bash

# Fetch directory listing
curl -s "$NGINX_URL/" | grep -o 'href="[^"]*"' | grep -v '^href="\.' | cut -d'"' -f2

3. Read README Files#

For each discovered directory:

bash

# Check if README.md exists
curl -s -I "$NGINX_URL/tool-directory/README.md" | head -1 | grep "200"

# Read the README
curl -s "$NGINX_URL/tool-directory/README.md"

4. Download and Execute Tools#

When a useful tool is found:

bash

# Download the tool (assuming it's a script or archive)
curl -o /tmp/tool.sh "$NGINX_URL/tool-directory/tool.sh"

# Make executable if needed
chmod +x /tmp/tool.sh

# Run according to README instructions
/tmp/tool.sh --help

Workflow Examples#

Example 1: Discovering Available Tools#

bash

#!/bin/bash
NGINX_URL="http://192.168.1.100:8080"

# Get all directories
echo "Exploring $NGINX_URL..."
DIRS=$(curl -s "$NGINX_URL/" | grep -o 'href="[^"]*/"' | grep -v '^href="\.' | cut -d'"' -f2 | sed 's|/$||')

for dir in $DIRS; do
    echo "=== $dir ==="
    # Try to read README
    README=$(curl -s "$NGINX_URL/$dir/README.md" 2>/dev/null)
    if [ -n "$README" ]; then
        echo "$README" | head -5
    else
        echo "No README found"
    fi
    echo
done

Example 2: Finding a Specific Type of Tool#

bash

#!/bin/bash
NGINX_URL="http://192.168.1.100:8080"

# Search for tools related to "data processing"
echo "Searching for data processing tools..."
DIRS=$(curl -s "$NGINX_URL/" | grep -o 'href="[^"]*/"' | grep -v '^href="\.' | cut -d'"' -f2 | sed 's|/$||')

for dir in $DIRS; do
    README=$(curl -s "$NGINX_URL/$dir/README.md" 2>/dev/null)
    if echo "$README" | grep -qi "data.*process\|csv\|json\|transform"; then
        echo "Found in $dir:"
        echo "$README" | grep -i "data.*process\|csv\|json\|transform" | head -3
        echo "---"
    fi
done

Example 3: Downloading and Running a Tool#

bash

#!/bin/bash
NGINX_URL="http://192.168.1.100:8080"
TOOL_DIR="data-processor"

# Read instructions
README=$(curl -s "$NGINX_URL/$TOOL_DIR/README.md")
echo "Tool instructions:"
echo "$README"

# Download main script
curl -o /tmp/processor.py "$NGINX_URL/$TOOL_DIR/processor.py"

# Download dependencies if mentioned
if echo "$README" | grep -q "requirements.txt"; then
    curl -o /tmp/requirements.txt "$NGINX_URL/$TOOL_DIR/requirements.txt"
    pip install -r /tmp/requirements.txt
fi

# Run the tool
python /tmp/processor.py --help

Integration with OpenClaw Decision Making#

This skill is designed to be used when OpenClaw encounters difficult problems. The workflow:

1. Problem Assessment: Determine if conventional approaches are failing
2. Tool Exploration: Use this skill to explore available utilities
3. Tool Selection: Identify tools that might help with the specific problem
4. Tool Application: Download and use the selected tool

Decision Flow#

text

User Request → Can OpenClaw solve it directly? → Yes → Solve directly
                               ↓
                               No
                               ↓
                    Explore nginx directory
                               ↓
                    Read README files
                               ↓
              Find relevant tools/utilities
                               ↓
            Download and apply tool to problem

Error Handling#

• Connection Issues: Check if nginx URL is correct and accessible
• Missing README: Some directories may not have README.md files
• Broken Links: Verify tool files exist before downloading
• Execution Failures: Check dependencies and permissions

Best Practices#

1. Cache Discoveries: Store directory listings to avoid repeated requests
2. Validate Tools: Test tools in isolated environment before use
3. Clean Up: Remove downloaded files after use
4. Document Findings: Update workspace notes with useful tools discovered

Example README Structure#

Tools in the nginx directory should follow this README format:

markdown

# Tool Name

## Purpose
Brief description of what this tool does.

## Usage
```bash
./tool.sh [options]

Dependencies#

• Python 3.8+
• Required packages: requests, pandas

Examples#

bash

# Basic usage
./tool.sh --input data.csv --output results.json

# Advanced usage
./tool.sh --config config.yaml --verbose

Notes#

Any additional information or warnings.

text

## Security Considerations

- Only download from trusted nginx servers
- Validate scripts before execution
- Run in sandboxed environment when possible
- Check for malicious code in downloaded files