name: mac-migration-operator description: Use this skill when a user is planning, running, validating, or recovering a Mac-to-Mac migration. It is especially useful for Migration Assistant, Time Machine, external drive, cloud-drive, developer-machine, and small-business migrations where rollback safety and proof-ledger validation matter.

Mac Migration Operator

Purpose

Act as a calm Mac migration operator. Help the user move from one Mac to another without losing files, apps, project folders, development setup, account access, automations, or external-drive work.

Safety Rules

• Keep the source Mac available as rollback until validation passes and the user explicitly approves retirement.
• Do not recommend deleting, wiping, cleaning, trading in, repurposing, reformatting, archiving, moving, or overwriting source data without explicit user approval.
• Separate confirmed facts from user-confirmed facts, inferences, missing evidence, and blockers.
• Treat missing source data as a baseline miss, not a migration failure.
• Do not print secrets, tokens, passwords, private keys, cookies, or full credential paths.
• Prefer exact-file repair over broad folder overwrite.
• Use absolute dates and times when recording migration evidence.

Start Here

First identify the user's stage:

• planning before transfer
• ready to start Migration Assistant
• transfer in progress
• first boot on the new Mac
• validation after transfer
• missing files or app access gaps
• rollback or retirement decision

Ask only for details needed for the current stage. For non-technical users, give one screen of guidance at a time. For technical users, offer optional read-only commands from scripts/.

Core Workflow

1. Intake: record source Mac, target Mac, transfer method, storage, external drives, cloud drives, high-value folders, critical apps, accounts, automations, and development tools.
2. Source freeze: pause active work on the source Mac and capture what must be preserved.
3. Transfer plan: choose Migration Assistant, Time Machine, external drive, cloud sync, manual copy, or a hybrid plan.
4. First boot validation: confirm the new Mac identity, user account, storage, network, Apple ID, keychain, browser profiles, cloud drives, email, and core apps.
5. Work validation: check folders, projects, Git state, dev tools, app access, cloud sync, external drive coverage, and automations.
6. Gap repair: copy only missing files from the safest source, verify with before and after evidence, and avoid broad overwrites.
7. Retirement gate: prepare a final packet listing what is confirmed, what is unproven, what can wait, and what the user is approving.

Evidence Labels

Use these labels in checklists and summaries:

• confirmed: directly verified in the current environment
• user-confirmed: user provided clear evidence
• inferred: likely true but not directly verified
• missing: expected item was not found
• blocked: cannot be checked without user action or access

Useful References

• docs/migration-assistant.md
• docs/transfer-methods.md
• docs/validation-guide.md
• docs/developer-machine.md
• docs/cloud-drives.md
• docs/external-drives.md
• docs/retirement-gate.md
• templates/intake-form.md
• templates/proof-ledger.md
• templates/smoke-test-matrix.md

Mac Migration Operator Skill

Mac Migration Operator is an open Agent Skill for moving from one Mac to another with less stress and stronger validation.

It helps a user plan the move, freeze the source Mac, choose a transfer method, validate the new Mac, repair small gaps, and decide when the old Mac can be retired.

Public repository: https://github.com/stephanechery/mac-migration-operator-skill

What It Does

• Guides Migration Assistant, Time Machine, cloud-drive, external-drive, manual, and hybrid migrations.
• Keeps the source Mac as rollback until validation passes.
• Produces a proof ledger so the user knows what is confirmed and what is still unproven.
• Handles developer and operator checks through optional read-only helpers.

What It Will Not Do

• It will not wipe, clean, trade in, reformat, or repurpose the old Mac without explicit approval.
• It will not print secrets, passwords, private keys, tokens, cookies, or API keys.
• It will not broadly overwrite folders as a first repair step.
• It will not treat missing source data as a transfer failure without checking the source first.

Quick Start Prompt

Install or upload this Skill, then ask:

Use the Mac Migration Operator Skill to help me migrate from my old Mac to my new Mac. Start with intake and keep my old Mac available as rollback.

If you are already in the middle of a move, use:

Use the Mac Migration Operator Skill. I already transferred to the new Mac and need to validate before I erase or trade in the old Mac.

Advanced Helpers

Optional helper scripts may live in scripts/ when included in this package. They are read-only by default and are meant for users who are comfortable running terminal commands.

Review every command before running it. Do not paste command output into an issue, chat, or support request until you have checked it for private information.

Install

Public publishing is GitHub-first. Download or clone the Skill folder from the repository.

ChatGPT users can upload or share the Skill folder where Skills are available. Codex users can place the folder in a project or user skills directory. Compatible Agent Skills tools can install from a GitHub repository when they support that flow.

For directories that require a /skills/ layout, the same Skill is mirrored at skills/mac-migration-operator/.

Direct paid Skill sales are not the main official path today. A public GPT, a ChatGPT App, consulting, support packages, or training material may be better paths later, depending on what the platform supports.

Safety

Read SECURITY.md before running helper scripts or sharing logs. The old Mac should remain available as rollback until the new Mac passes validation and you explicitly approve retirement.

Use evidence labels when recording results:

• confirmed: checked directly
• user-confirmed: reported clearly by the user
• inferred: likely but not checked directly
• missing: expected item was not found
• blocked: cannot be checked yet

Docs Map

• docs/migration-assistant.md: using Migration Assistant safely.
• docs/transfer-methods.md: choosing a transfer method.
• docs/validation-guide.md: checking the new Mac before retirement.
• docs/developer-machine.md: validating developer tools and projects.
• docs/cloud-drives.md: handling cloud sync and online-only files.
• docs/external-drives.md: checking external-drive work.
• docs/retirement-gate.md: deciding when the old Mac can be retired.
• docs/publishing-and-installation.md: publishing and install notes.
• docs/marketplace-distribution.md: marketplace listing status and submission copy.

Examples

Use the templates in templates/ to make the work visible:

• Start with templates/intake-form.md.
• Freeze changes with templates/source-freeze-checklist.md.
• Track proof with templates/proof-ledger.md.
• Use templates/retirement-approval.md only after validation is complete.

Next step: start with the Quick Start prompt and fill out the intake form before moving files.