---
name: pipeline-uninstall
description: Use when users want to remove the atelier-pipeline multi-agent orchestration system from their project. Cleanly removes all installed files, hook registrations, and AGENTS.md pipeline section. Preserves user-created custom agents and retro lessons on request.
---
# Atelier Pipeline -- Uninstall
This skill removes the Atelier Pipeline multi-agent orchestration system from the user's project. It is careful, transparent, and non-destructive by default.
## Uninstall Procedure
### Step 1: Inventory Installed Files
Before removing anything, scan the project to build a complete inventory of what was installed by the pipeline.
**Core pipeline files (installed by pipeline-setup):**
```
.cursor/rules/
default-persona.md
agent-system.md
pipeline-orchestration.md
pipeline-models.md
branch-lifecycle.md
.cursor/agents/ (core agents only)
sarah.md
colby.md
robert.md
sable.md
investigator.md
distillator.md
ellis.md
agatha.md
sentinel.md (if Sentinel was enabled)
.cursor/commands/
pm.md
ux.md
architect.md
debug.md
pipeline.md
devops.md
docs.md
.cursor/references/
dor-dod.md
retro-lessons.md
invocation-templates.md
pipeline-operations.md
agent-preamble.md
qa-checks.md
branch-mr-mode.md
xml-prompt-schema.md
.cursor/hooks/
enforce-paths.sh
enforce-sequencing.sh
enforce-pipeline-activation.sh
enforce-git.sh
warn-dor-dod.sh
pre-compact.sh
enforcement-config.json
.cursor/pipeline-config.json
.cursor/.atelier-version
docs/pipeline/
pipeline-state.md
context-brief.md
error-patterns.md
investigation-ledger.md
last-qa-report.md
```
**Detect each file's existence** using Glob and build three lists:
1. **Core pipeline files** -- files matching the manifest above that exist on disk
2. **User-created custom agents** -- any `.md` files in `.cursor/agents/` whose YAML frontmatter `name` does NOT match a core agent (sarah, colby, ellis, agatha, robert, sable, investigator, distillator, sentinel)
3. **Retro lessons content** -- check if `.cursor/references/retro-lessons.md` contains any content beyond the empty template markers
### Step 2: Present Removal Plan
Display the full removal plan to the user BEFORE touching any files. Organize by category:
```
Pipeline Uninstall Plan
=======================
WILL REMOVE (core pipeline files):
.cursor/rules/ -- [N] files (Eva persona, orchestration rules, models, branch lifecycle)
.cursor/agents/ -- [N] core agent files (sarah, colby, ...)
.cursor/commands/ -- [N] files (slash command definitions)
.cursor/references/ -- [N] files (quality framework, templates, operations)
.cursor/hooks/ -- [N] files (enforcement scripts and config)
.cursor/pipeline-config.json
.cursor/.atelier-version
docs/pipeline/ -- [N] files (pipeline state, context, error patterns)
WILL MODIFY:
.cursor/settings.json -- Remove hook registrations (PreToolUse, SubagentStop, PreCompact)
AGENTS.md -- Remove "Pipeline System (Atelier Pipeline)" section
WILL PRESERVE (not removed):
[List any user-created custom agents found in .cursor/agents/]
[If retro-lessons.md has content: "retro-lessons.md contains [N] lessons -- see Step 3"]
[If no custom agents and retro-lessons is empty: "No user content to preserve."]
Total files to remove: [count]
Total files to modify: [count]
```
### Step 3: Handle Preservable Content
**Retro lessons:** If `.cursor/references/retro-lessons.md` contains content beyond the empty template, ask the user:
> Your retro lessons file contains accumulated knowledge from past pipelines.
> Would you like to:
> 1. **Keep it** -- I'll copy it to `docs/retro-lessons-backup.md` before removing the pipeline
> 2. **Remove it** -- Delete it along with everything else
If the user chooses to keep it, copy the file to `docs/retro-lessons-backup.md` before proceeding with removal.
**Custom agents:** If user-created custom agents are found in `.cursor/agents/`, inform the user:
> Found [N] custom agent(s) that were not installed by the pipeline:
> - [agent-name] -- [description from frontmatter]
>
> These will NOT be removed. They'll remain in `.cursor/agents/` but won't
> function without the pipeline's orchestration rules. You can delete them
> manually if you no longer need them.
### Step 4: Get User Confirmation
Ask for explicit confirmation before proceeding:
> This will remove [N] files and modify [M] files. This cannot be undone
> (though git can restore them if they were committed).
>
> Proceed with uninstall? (yes/no)
**Do not proceed without explicit "yes" from the user.**
### Step 5: Remove Files
Execute the removal in this order:
1. **Remove hook registrations from `.cursor/settings.json`:**
- Read the current settings file
- Remove the `PreToolUse` hook entries that reference `enforce-paths.sh`, `enforce-sequencing.sh`, `enforce-pipeline-activation.sh`, and `enforce-git.sh`
- Remove the `SubagentStop` hook entry that references `warn-dor-dod.sh`
- Remove the `PreCompact` hook entry that references `pre-compact.sh`
- If the `hooks` object is now empty, remove the `hooks` key entirely
- If `settings.json` is now empty (`{}`), delete the file
- Preserve any non-pipeline hook entries and other settings
2. **Remove the pipeline section from `AGENTS.md`:**
- Find and remove the section starting with `## Pipeline System (Atelier Pipeline)` through the end of that section (up to the next `##` heading or end of file)
- If `AGENTS.md` is now empty or contains only whitespace, delete the file
- Preserve all other content in `AGENTS.md`
3. **Remove core pipeline files** (skip any that don't exist):
- Delete all files in `.cursor/hooks/` that match the manifest
- Delete all core agent files in `.cursor/agents/` (preserve custom agents)
- Delete all files in `.cursor/commands/` that match the manifest
- Delete all files in `.cursor/references/` that match the manifest
- Delete all files in `.cursor/rules/` that match the manifest
- Delete `.cursor/pipeline-config.json`
- Delete `.cursor/.atelier-version`
- Delete all files in `docs/pipeline/` that match the manifest
4. **Clean up empty directories:**
- If `.cursor/hooks/` is now empty, remove the directory
- If `.cursor/agents/` is now empty (no custom agents), remove the directory
- If `.cursor/commands/` is now empty, remove the directory
- If `.cursor/references/` is now empty, remove the directory
- If `.cursor/rules/` is now empty, remove the directory
- If `docs/pipeline/` is now empty, remove the directory
- If `docs/` is now empty, remove the directory
- Do NOT remove `.cursor/` itself -- it may contain `settings.json` or other non-pipeline files
### Step 6: Print Summary
After removal, print a summary:
```
Atelier Pipeline uninstalled.
Removed: [N] files across [M] directories
Modified: .cursor/settings.json (hooks removed), AGENTS.md (pipeline section removed)
Preserved: [list of preserved items, or "nothing"]
The atelier-pipeline plugin is still registered with Claude Code.
To fully remove it: claude plugin remove atelier-pipeline
If you change your mind, reinstall with: /pipeline-setup
```
## Important Notes
- **Never remove files without showing the plan first.** The inventory step is mandatory.
- **Never remove user-created custom agents.** Only remove files that match the core pipeline manifest.
- **Always offer to preserve retro-lessons.md.** This file accumulates institutional knowledge that may be valuable even after uninstalling.
- **Preserve non-pipeline content in settings.json and AGENTS.md.** Only remove pipeline-specific entries.
- **Handle missing files gracefully.** If a file from the manifest doesn't exist, skip it silently -- don't error.
- **This skill does NOT remove the plugin itself.** It removes the installed project files. The user must run `claude plugin remove atelier-pipeline` separately to remove the plugin.
- **This skill does NOT remove the Atelier Brain database.** Brain data persists independently. If the user wants to remove brain data, they should use their database management tools directly.