@vtstech/pi-tgz-installer

Pi extension that does one thing and does it well. Installs pi-packages from .tgz archives. Adds /tgz-install command for installing Pi packages from .tgz URLs or local files

Packages

Package details

extension

Install @vtstech/pi-tgz-installer from npm and Pi will load the resources declared by the package manifest.

npm repohome report
$ pi install npm:@vtstech/pi-tgz-installer
Package
@vtstech/pi-tgz-installer
Version
1.0.2
Published
May 6, 2026
Downloads
334/mo · 11/wk
Author
vtstech
License
MIT
Types
extension
Size
14.8 KB
Dependencies
0 dependencies · 1 peer
Pi manifest JSON
{
  "extensions": [
    "./tgz-installer.ts"
  ]
}

Security note

Pi packages can execute code and influence agent behavior. Review the source before installing third-party packages.

README

@vtstech/pi-tgz-installer

A Pi Coding Agent extension that lets you install Pi packages from .tgz URLs or local files.

Pi natively supports installing from npm, git, and local paths — but not .tgz tarballs. This extension bridges that gap, reading each package's pi manifest and placing resources into Pi's auto-discovery directories.

Install

pi install npm:@vtstech/pi-tgz-installer

After installing, run /reload to activate.

Usage

/tgz-install command

Install a package from a GitHub raw URL:

/tgz-install https://github.com/VTSTech/pi-coding-agent/raw/main/dist/pi-security-1.2.3.tgz

Install from a local file:

/tgz-install ./pi-security-1.2.3.tgz

tgz_install tool (LLM-callable)

The LLM can invoke tgz_install directly with a source parameter (URL or file path). This is useful for agent workflows where the AI manages package installation automatically.

How it works

  1. Downloads (or reads) the .tgz file
  2. Extracts it to a temp directory
  3. Reads the package.json and its "pi" manifest
  4. Copies resources to the appropriate Pi auto-discovery directories:
Manifest key Target directory
extensions ~/.pi/agent/extensions/<name>/
themes ~/.pi/agent/themes/<name>/
skills ~/.pi/agent/skills/<name>/
prompts ~/.pi/agent/prompts/<name>/
  1. The package.json is copied into each target subdirectory so Pi can resolve "type": "module" and peer dependencies

No settings.json modification is needed — Pi auto-discovers files in these directories. Installed packages can be removed like any other Pi package (e.g., pi remove or manual deletion from the directories above).

Requirements

  • Pi Coding Agent >= 0.66
  • System tar command (for extracting .tgz files)

License

MIT