repomix-unmixer

Repomix Unmixer

Overview

This skill extracts files from repomix-packed repositories and restores their original directory structure. Repomix packs entire repositories into single AI-friendly files (XML, Markdown, or JSON), and this skill reverses that process to restore individual files.

When to Use This Skill

This skill activates when:

• Unmixing a repomix output file (*.xml, *.md, *.json)
• Extracting files from a packed repository
• Restoring original directory structure from repomix format
• Reviewing or validating repomix-packed content
• Converting repomix output back to usable files

Core Workflow

Standard Unmixing Process

Extract all files from a repomix file and restore the original directory structure using the bundled unmix_repomix.py script:

python3 scripts/unmix_repomix.py \
  "<path_to_repomix_file>" \
  "<output_directory>"

Parameters:

• <path_to_repomix_file>: Path to the repomix output file (XML, Markdown, or JSON)
• <output_directory>: Directory where files will be extracted (will be created if doesn't exist)

Example:

python3 scripts/unmix_repomix.py \
  "/path/to/repomix-output.xml" \
  "/tmp/extracted-files"

What the Script Does

1. Parses the repomix file format (XML, Markdown, or JSON)
2. Extracts each file path and content
3. Creates the original directory structure
4. Writes each file to its original location
5. Reports extraction progress and statistics

Output

The script will:

• Create all necessary parent directories
• Extract all files maintaining their paths
• Print extraction progress for each file
• Display total count of extracted files

Example output:

Unmixing /path/to/skill.xml...
Output directory: /tmp/extracted-files

✓ Extracted: github-ops/SKILL.md
✓ Extracted: github-ops/references/api_reference.md
✓ Extracted: markdown-tools/SKILL.md
...

✅ Successfully extracted 20 files!

Extracted files are in: /tmp/extracted-files

Supported Formats

XML Format (default)

Repomix XML format structure:

<file path="relative/path/to/file.ext">
file content here
</file>

The script uses regex to match <file path="...">content</file> blocks.

Markdown Format

For markdown-style repomix output with file markers:

## File: relative/path/to/file.ext

file content

Refer to references/repomix-format.md for detailed format specifications.

JSON Format

For JSON-style repomix output:

{
  "files": [
    {
      "path": "relative/path/to/file.ext",
      "content": "file content here"
    }
  ]
}

Common Use Cases

Use Case 1: Unmix Claude Skills

Extract skills that were shared as a repomix file:

python3 scripts/unmix_repomix.py \
  "/path/to/skills.xml" \
  "/tmp/unmixed-skills"

Then review, validate, or install the extracted skills.

Use Case 2: Extract Repository for Review

Extract a packed repository to review its structure and contents:

python3 scripts/unmix_repomix.py \
  "/path/to/repo-output.xml" \
  "/tmp/review-repo"

# Review the structure
tree /tmp/review-repo

Use Case 3: Restore Working Files

Restore files from a repomix backup to a working directory:

python3 scripts/unmix_repomix.py \
  "/path/to/backup.xml" \
  "~/workspace/restored-project"

Validation Workflow

After unmixing, validate the extracted files are correct:

1. Check file count: Verify the number of extracted files matches expectations
2. Review structure: Use tree or ls -R to inspect directory layout
3. Spot check content: Read a few key files to verify content integrity
4. Run validation: For skills, use the skill-creator validation tools

Refer to references/validation-workflow.md for detailed validation procedures, especially for unmixing Claude skills.

Important Principles

Always Specify Output Directory

Always provide an output directory to avoid cluttering the current working directory:

# Good: Explicit output directory
python3 scripts/unmix_repomix.py \
  "input.xml" "/tmp/output"

# Avoid: Default output (may clutter current directory)
python3 scripts/unmix_repomix.py "input.xml"

Use Temporary Directories for Review

Extract to temporary directories first for review:

# Extract to /tmp for review
python3 scripts/unmix_repomix.py \
  "skills.xml" "/tmp/review-skills"

# Review the contents
tree /tmp/review-skills

# If satisfied, copy to final destination
cp -r /tmp/review-skills ~/.claude/skills/

Verify Before Overwriting

Never extract directly to important directories without review:

# Bad: Might overwrite existing files
python3 scripts/unmix_repomix.py \
  "repo.xml" "~/workspace/my-project"

# Good: Extract to temp, review, then move
python3 scripts/unmix_repomix.py \
  "repo.xml" "/tmp/extracted"
# Review, then:
mv /tmp/extracted ~/workspace/my-project

Troubleshooting

No Files Extracted

Issue: Script completes but no files are extracted.

Possible causes:

• Wrong file format (not a repomix file)
• Unsupported repomix format version
• File path pattern doesn't match

Solution:

1. Verify the input file is a repomix output file
2. Check the format (XML/Markdown/JSON)
3. Examine the file structure manually
4. Refer to references/repomix-format.md for format details

Permission Errors

Issue: Cannot write to output directory.

Solution:

# Ensure output directory is writable
mkdir -p /tmp/output
chmod 755 /tmp/output

# Or use a directory you own
python3 scripts/unmix_repomix.py \
  "input.xml" "$HOME/extracted"

Encoding Issues

Issue: Special characters appear garbled in extracted files.

Solution: The script uses UTF-8 encoding by default. If issues persist:

• Check the original repomix file encoding
• Verify the file was created correctly
• Report the issue with specific character examples

Path Already Exists

Issue: Files exist at extraction path.

Solution:

# Option 1: Use a fresh output directory
python3 scripts/unmix_repomix.py \
  "input.xml" "/tmp/output-$(date +%s)"

# Option 2: Clear the directory first
rm -rf /tmp/output && mkdir /tmp/output
python3 scripts/unmix_repomix.py \
  "input.xml" "/tmp/output"

Best Practices

1. Extract to temp directories - Always extract to /tmp or similar for initial review
2. Verify file count - Check that extracted file count matches expectations
3. Review structure - Use tree to inspect directory layout before use
4. Check content - Spot-check a few files to ensure content is intact
5. Use validation tools - For skills, use skill-creator validation after unmixing
6. Preserve originals - Keep the original repomix file as backup

Resources

scripts/unmix_repomix.py

Main unmixing script that:

• Parses repomix XML/Markdown/JSON formats
• Extracts file paths and content using regex
• Creates directory structures automatically
• Writes files to their original locations
• Reports extraction progress and statistics

The script is self-contained and requires only Python 3 standard library.

references/repomix-format.md

Comprehensive documentation of repomix file formats including:

• XML format structure and examples
• Markdown format patterns
• JSON format schema
• File path encoding rules
• Content extraction patterns
• Format version differences

Load this reference when dealing with format-specific issues or supporting new repomix versions.

references/validation-workflow.md

Detailed validation procedures for extracted content including:

• File count verification steps
• Directory structure validation
• Content integrity checks
• Skill-specific validation using skill-creator tools
• Quality assurance checklists

Load this reference when users need to validate unmixed skills or verify extraction quality.