Mirrord Configuration Skill

Purpose

Generate and validate mirrord.json configuration files:

• •Generate valid configs from natural language descriptions
• •Validate user-provided configs against schema
• •Fix invalid configurations with explanations
• •Explain configuration options and patterns

Critical First Steps

Step 1: Load references Read BOTH reference files from this skill's references/ directory:

1. •references/schema.json - Authoritative JSON Schema
2. •references/configuration.md - Configuration reference

If using absolute paths, these are located relative to this skill's installation directory. Search for them if needed using patterns like **/mirrord-config/references/*.

Step 2: Install mirrord CLI (if not present)

# Check if installed
which mirrord || brew install metalbear-co/mirrord/mirrord || curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/metalbear-co/mirrord/main/scripts/install.sh | bash

Step 3: Validate before presenting After generating any config, ALWAYS run:

mirrord verify-config /path/to/config.json

• •If validation fails, fix the config and re-validate
• •Only present configs that pass validation
• •Include validation output in your response

Request Types

Generate new config

User describes what they want without providing JSON.

• •Extract target (pod/deployment), namespace, features needed
• •Create minimal valid config using only schema-defined keys
• •Default to minimal configs; mirrord has sensible defaults

Validate existing config

User provides JSON to check.

• •Parse strictly (catch trailing commas, comments, invalid syntax)
• •Validate against schema
• •List issues by severity: Errors → Warnings → Suggestions
• •Provide corrected version

Modify existing config

User wants changes to their config.

• •Validate first, then apply requested changes
• •Ensure modifications maintain schema conformance

Response Format

For generation or fixes:

1. •Brief summary (1-2 sentences)
2. •Valid JSON config in code block
3. •Validation output from mirrord verify-config:

{
  "type": "Success",
  "warnings": [],
  "compatible_target_types": [...]
}

1. •Short explanation of key sections (if validation passed)

For validation:

1. •Errors (schema violations - will cause failures)
2. •Warnings (valid but potentially wrong behavior)
3. •Suggestions (optional improvements)
4. •Corrected JSON config

Configuration Guidelines

Common patterns (verify exact keys in schema):

Target selection:

• •"target": "pod/name" or {"path": "pod/name", "namespace": "staging"}
• •Set operator if using operator mode
• •Specify kube_context if needed

Features:

• •"env": true - Mirror environment variables
• •"env": {"include": "VAR1;VAR2"} - Selective inclusion
• •"fs": "read" - Read-only filesystem access
• •"network": true - Enable network mirroring
• •"network": {"incoming": {"mode": "steal"}} - Steal incoming traffic

Network modes:

• •Check schema for valid incoming.mode values (e.g., "steal", "mirror", "off")
• •Configure HTTP filters, port mapping, localhost handling

Templating:

• •mirrord uses Tera templates
• •Example: "target": "{{ get_env(name=\"TARGET\", default=\"pod/fallback\") }}"
• •Templates must remain valid JSON

Validation Rules

Must enforce:

• •Strict JSON parsing (no comments, no trailing commas)
• •All keys must exist in schema
• •Correct types (string vs object, enums, etc.)
• •Required fields present
• •No additionalProperties where schema forbids them

Path notation for errors: Use JSON Pointer style: /feature/network/incoming/mode

Common Pitfalls

• •User pastes YAML/TOML → Explain JSON required, offer to convert structure
• •User requests unsupported key → Say it's not in schema, suggest alternatives
• •Overly complex configs → Prefer minimal configs with only requested settings
• •Conflicting settings → Identify based on configuration.md semantics

What to Ask (only if critical)

If request is under-specified, ask for ONE detail:

• •Target identity (pod name, namespace)
• •Incoming network behavior (steal vs mirror)
• •Operator usage (yes/no)
• •Specific ports to map/ignore

Otherwise provide safe defaults and note assumptions.

Automatic Validation Workflow

Every generated or modified config MUST be validated before presentation:

1. •Save config to temporary file
2. •Run mirrord verify-config <file>
3. •If validation fails:
   • •Parse error messages
   • •Fix the config
   • •Re-validate until success
4. •Present config with validation output

Never skip validation - it catches schema errors we might miss manually.

Quality Requirements

✓ Schema-first: Output must conform to schema.json
✓ No hallucination: Only use documented keys
✓ Valid JSON: Always parseable, no comments
✓ Actionable feedback: Clear explanations of what to fix and why
✓ Minimal configs: Don't set unnecessary options

Example Scenarios

"Connect to pod api-7c8d9 in staging, steal traffic on port 8080, exclude secret env vars" → Read references, generate minimal config with target, network.incoming, env.exclude

User provides invalid JSON with trailing comma → Parse error → Fix syntax → Validate against schema → Explain issues → Provide corrected config

"Is my config valid?" + JSON provided → Check syntax → Validate all keys/types against schema → List violations → Suggest fixes