INSTALL.ts should detect and propose recommended CLI utilities (fd, rg, bat, eza, dust)

[virtualian]

Summary

The AI Steering Rules (skills/PAI/USER/AISTEERINGRULES.md) recommend fast Rust-based CLI utilities over legacy POSIX tools:

Task	Legacy	Recommended	Brew Package
File search	find	fd	fd
Text search	grep	rg	ripgrep
File view	cat	bat	bat
Directory list	ls	eza	eza
Disk usage	du	dust	dust

However, INSTALL.ts does not check whether these tools are installed or suggest installing them. The steering rules tell the AI to prefer these tools, and fd is actively used in statusline-command.sh (lines 251-253), but a fresh install gives no indication that any of these should be present.

Relation to #549

Issue #549 covers the fd dependency specifically for the statusline bug. This issue is broader — the installer should detect all recommended CLI utilities from the steering rules and propose installing any that are missing.

Proposed Change

Add a checkCliTools() step to INSTALL.ts (alongside the existing installBun()) that:

1. Checks if each recommended tool is available via command -v
2. Reports which are installed and which are missing
3. Suggests a single install command for any missing tools:
   • macOS: brew install fd ripgrep bat eza dust
   • Linux: cargo install fd-find ripgrep bat eza du-dust (or distro-specific)
4. Does not auto-install — just informs and suggests

Example output:

Checking Recommended CLI Tools
─────────────────────────────────────────────────
  ✓ fd (file search)
  ✓ rg (text search)
  ✗ bat (file viewer)
  ✓ eza (directory listing)
  ✗ dust (disk usage)

  ! 2 recommended tools missing. Install with:
    brew install bat dust

Why This Matters

• fd is a runtime dependency (statusline breaks without it)
• The other tools are used by the AI when it shells out via Bash
• New users following the install guide have no way to know these are expected
• The steering rule becomes a dead letter if the tools aren't present

Environment

• macOS (Darwin 25.3.0)
• PAI v2.5

[danielmiessler]

Thanks for this feedback! We're currently working on PAI v3.0, which includes significant architectural changes. We're evaluating this issue in the context of the new architecture and will provide an update once v3.0 is closer to release.

Please stand by — we haven't forgotten about this and appreciate your contribution to making PAI better!

[danielmiessler]

Hey @virtualian, thanks for raising this, and sorry it sat for a while.

We're changing how LifeOS ships. Instead of cloning a full ~/.claude directory and running it as a complete system, LifeOS is becoming a skill you install through an agentic installer. The installer hands integration to your own AI, which reads your actual machine (your OS, your paths, your harness) and wires the hooks and system prompt in where they belong.

That's aimed right at what you hit here. The old "one directory, one layout, hope it matches your setup" approach is exactly what broke for so many people, and the new model should handle it far better because your AI does the integration per machine instead of us guessing.

So we're closing this in prep for that release. If it still bites you once the skill-based version is out, reopen or file a fresh one and we'll jump on it. Appreciate you taking the time.