karpathy-minimalism

Q: How do I install karpathy-minimalism?

Run npx skills add https://github.com/learnprompt/andrej-karpathy-skills --skill karpathy-minimalism in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/karpathy-minimalism/ (personal) or .claude/skills/karpathy-minimalism/ (project).

Q: Which AI agents can use karpathy-minimalism?

Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.

Q: Is karpathy-minimalism safe to install?

No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.

Q: Who maintains karpathy-minimalism?

It is published by learnprompt in learnprompt/andrej-karpathy-skills. It has 136 recorded installs.

by learnpromptSecurity

Apply Karpathy-style minimalism and anti-dependency principles to code and system design. Use this skill when the user wants to reduce dependencies, avoid supply chain risks, rewrite something in pure Python or minimal code, audit a project for bloat, design agent-native CLI tools, or says "too many dependencies", "minimize deps", "pure python", "yoink this", "vibe code this", "no frameworks", "agent-native design". Based on 28k-like litellm attack post and 25k-like 243-line GPT post.

Installs: 136
Last 24h: —
Trending rank: —
Security: Not audited

Install

Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.

npx skills add https://github.com/learnprompt/andrej-karpathy-skills --skill karpathy-minimalism

01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads karpathy-minimalism automatically when relevant.
03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.

SKILL.md

The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.

Skill 4: Minimalism & Agent-Native Design（极简主义 + 代理原生设计）

Source: https://x.com/karpathy/status/2036487306585268612 | https://x.com/karpathy/status/2021694437152157847 litellm supply chain attack (~28k likes) | 243-line pure Python GPT (~25k likes)

Core Principle

Every dependency is a liability. Every abstraction you don't understand is a risk.

Karpathy's rule: if you can implement the core in 200 lines of pure Python — do it. Don't install a package that installs 47 transitive dependencies just to get 3 functions.

And: design everything so an LLM agent can use it without friction — CLI-first, markdown-structured, zero magic.

The Minimalism Decision Tree

Before pip install or npm install anything:

Q1: Can I implement the core function in < 300 lines?
    → YES: Write it. Paste below as reference.
    → NO: Continue to Q2

Q2: Does this package have < 5 transitive dependencies?
    → YES: OK to use, but pin the version
    → NO: Continue to Q3

Q3: Is this a well-known, audited package (requests, numpy, etc.)?
    → YES: Use it, but still pin version
    → NO: STOP. Either find a simpler alternative or implement yourself.

Dependency Audit Prompt

Run this before adding anything to a project:

Audit this dependency for supply chain risk:

Package: [PACKAGE_NAME] v[VERSION]

1. List ALL transitive dependencies (not just direct)
2. Check for recent security advisories
3. Identify any dependencies that are maintained by a single person with < 100 GitHub stars
4. Check if the package does any network calls on import
5. Check if install scripts run arbitrary code (setup.py, postinstall hooks)

Risk score: LOW / MEDIUM / HIGH
Recommendation: USE / AVOID / IMPLEMENT_YOURSELF

The "Yoink" Pattern (Karpathy's term)

Instead of installing a package, copy the specific function you need:

Given this package: [PACKAGE_URL or PASTE CODE]

Extract ONLY the function(s) I need for: [SPECIFIC_USE_CASE]

Requirements:
- Pure Python (stdlib only, no imports except builtins + [ALLOWED_STDLIB])
- Under [N] lines
- Add a comment: "# yoinked from [source] on [date]"
- Include a docstring explaining what it does

I need: [SPECIFIC_FUNCTION_NAME or DESCRIPTION]

Agent-Native Design Principles

Make everything legible to LLM agents:

❌ Agent-Hostile	✅ Agent-Native
GUI-only tools	CLI with clear flags
JSON config with magic keys	Commented YAML or Markdown config
Monolithic functions	Small, named, single-purpose functions
Error: "something went wrong"	Error: "Step 3 failed: expected X, got Y. Try: [suggestion]"
Relative paths everywhere	Explicit absolute paths
Stateful side effects	Pure functions with explicit IO

Minimal Implementation Template

When "yoinking" or implementing from scratch:

#!/usr/bin/env python3
"""
[FUNCTION_NAME] — minimal implementation
yoinked/inspired from: [SOURCE]
date: [DATE]
dependencies: none (stdlib only)

Usage:
    python3 [filename].py [args]
    
Or import:
    from [filename] import [function]
"""

# ---- core implementation ---- (~100 lines max for core logic)

def [function](input):
    """
    [One sentence description]
    
    Args:
        input: [type and description]
    Returns:
        [type and description]
    """
    # implementation
    pass


# ---- CLI entry point ----
if __name__ == "__main__":
    import sys
    if len(sys.argv) < 2:
        print("Usage: python3 [filename].py [input]")
        sys.exit(1)
    result = [function](sys.argv[1])
    print(result)

The 243-Line GPT Lesson

Karpathy implemented a full GPT training + inference in 243 lines of pure Python to prove a point: understanding the core matters more than using the abstracted version.

Apply this to any tool you regularly use:

Implement a minimal version of [TOOL/CONCEPT] from scratch.

Requirements:
- Pure Python, stdlib only
- Under 300 lines
- Must demonstrate the core algorithm (not just wrap an API)
- Include inline comments explaining WHY each step works

This is for learning, not production.
Start with the simplest possible working version.

Security Hygiene Checklist

Before adding any dependency:
- [ ] Checked PyPI/npm for recent security advisories
- [ ] Verified maintainer is active (last commit < 6 months)
- [ ] Reviewed install scripts (setup.py, package.json scripts)
- [ ] Pinned exact version: package==1.2.3 (not ~=1.2)
- [ ] Checked transitive dep count (pip show --files or npm ls --all)
- [ ] Considered: can we implement this in < 200 lines instead?

For existing projects:
- [ ] Run: pip-audit or npm audit
- [ ] Check for packages not in requirements.txt (pip freeze vs requirements diff)
- [ ] Verify no packages make network calls on import

Workflow

属于工作流：想法到上线（第3步）

位置	上游	下游
第3步（瘦身）	karpathy-agentic-engineering（实现后）	karpathy-supply-chain-hygiene（安全审查）

完整链路：idea-files → agentic-engineering → minimalism → supply-chain-hygiene → vibe-to-agentic

Prompt Contract

Audit this project/code for dependency minimalism: <PASTE_CODE_OR_DESCRIBE>. For each dependency: 1) Is it needed? What specific feature does it provide? 2) Can it be replaced with < 200 lines of stdlib code? 3) How many transitive deps does it pull in? 4) Risk score (LOW/MED/HIGH). Then produce a minimized version plan: what to keep, what to yoink, what to rewrite. Output a dependency budget: max N packages, each justified.

Verification Checklist

每个依赖都有存在理由（不是「方便」）
能用 < 200 行实现的已标记为「可 yoink」
transitive dependency 总数在预算内
核心逻辑不依赖任何可能被删的包
Agent 可以在只有 stdlib 的环境里跑核心功能
CLI 入口简单明了（不需要额外工具就能用）

FAQ

What does the karpathy-minimalism skill do?

How do I install karpathy-minimalism?

Run npx skills add https://github.com/learnprompt/andrej-karpathy-skills --skill karpathy-minimalism in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/karpathy-minimalism/ (personal) or .claude/skills/karpathy-minimalism/ (project).

Which AI agents can use karpathy-minimalism?

Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.

Is karpathy-minimalism safe to install?

No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.

Who maintains karpathy-minimalism?

It is published by learnprompt in learnprompt/andrej-karpathy-skills. It has 136 recorded installs.