Automated summary
GNO is a local semantic search engine that indexes documents (PDFs, Markdown, code, etc.) and supports keyword, vector, and hybrid search, including AI-generated answers with citations—all without cloud or API keys.
Strengths
- Fully local operation ensuring data privacy and offline capability
- Multiple search modes (BM25, vector, hybrid) with speed/accuracy trade-offs
- Built-in web UI for browsing and searching documents
- Supports collections, tags, and context hints to refine search results
Limitations
- Requires initial indexing which can be time-consuming for large document sets
- Local AI models may be less accurate than cloud-based alternatives
- AI answer quality depends on the model and context provided
Use GNO when you need to quickly search through a large local document collection, perform semantic searches, or get AI answers grounded in your own files.
Avoid GNO if your documents are primarily cloud-hosted, you don't need advanced search capabilities, or the initial indexing overhead isn't justified for infrequent queries.
Security analysis
SafeThe skill only describes usage of a local search tool (gno) using allowed Bash(gno:*) commands, which are restricted to gno-specific operations. There is no execution of arbitrary code, no data exfiltration, no destruction, and no safety bypasses. The tool operates locally and doesn't involve cloud services or external network calls.
No concerns found
How this analysis is madeExamples
Search my notes folder for documents about machine learning, using semantic search to find related concepts.Index the ~/docs directory with GNO, then ask it to summarize the key findings from the project reports and provide citations.Set up GNO to index all markdown files in my knowledge base, add relevant tags, and start the web UI so I can browse and search.name: gno description: Search local documents, files, notes, and knowledge bases. Index directories, search with BM25/vector/hybrid, get AI answers with citations. Use when user wants to search files, find documents, query notes, look up information in local folders, index a directory, set up document search, build a knowledge base, needs RAG/semantic search, or wants to start a local web UI for their docs. allowed-tools: Bash(gno:*) Read
GNO - Local Knowledge Engine
Fast local semantic search. Index once, search instantly. No cloud, no API keys.
When to Use This Skill
- User asks to search files, documents, or notes
- User wants to find information in local folders
- User needs to index a directory for searching
- User mentions PDFs, markdown, Word docs, code to search
- User asks about knowledge base or RAG setup
- User wants semantic/vector search over their files
- User needs to set up MCP for document access
- User wants a web UI to browse/search documents
- User asks to get AI answers from their documents
- User wants to tag, categorize, or filter documents
Quick Start
gno init # Initialize in current directory
gno collection add ~/docs --name docs # Add folder to index
gno index # Build index (ingest + embed)
gno search "your query" # BM25 keyword search
Command Overview
| Category | Commands | Description |
| ------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------ |
| Search | search, vsearch, query, ask | Find documents by keywords, meaning, or get AI answers |
| Retrieve | get, multi-get, ls | Fetch document content by URI or ID |
| Index | init, collection add/list/remove, index, update, embed | Set up and maintain document index |
| Tags | tags, tags add, tags rm | Organize and filter documents |
| Context | context add/list/rm/check | Add hints to improve search relevance |
| Models | models list/use/pull/clear/path | Manage local AI models |
| Serve | serve | Web UI for browsing and searching |
| MCP | mcp, mcp install/uninstall/status | AI assistant integration |
| Skill | skill install/uninstall/show/paths | Install skill for AI agents |
| Admin | status, doctor, cleanup, reset, completion | Maintenance and diagnostics |
Search Modes
| Command | Speed | Best For |
| ---------------------- | ------- | ---------------------------------- |
| gno search | instant | Exact keyword matching |
| gno vsearch | ~0.5s | Finding similar concepts |
| gno query --fast | ~0.7s | Quick lookups |
| gno query | ~2-3s | Balanced (default) |
| gno query --thorough | ~5-8s | Best recall, complex queries |
| gno ask --answer | ~3-5s | AI-generated answer with citations |
Retry strategy: Use default first. If no results: rephrase query, then try --thorough.
Common Flags
-n <num> Max results (default: 5)
-c, --collection Filter to collection
--tags-any <t1,t2> Has ANY of these tags
--tags-all <t1,t2> Has ALL of these tags
--json JSON output
--files URI list output
--line-numbers Include line numbers
Global Flags
--index <name> Alternate index (default: "default")
--config <path> Override config file
--verbose Verbose logging
--json JSON output
--yes Non-interactive mode
--offline Use cached models only
--no-color Disable colors
--no-pager Disable paging
Reference Documentation
| Topic | File | | ----------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------ | | Complete CLI reference (all commands, options, flags) | cli-reference.md | | MCP server setup and tools | mcp-reference.md | | Usage examples and patterns | examples.md |
From the file to a first result
The download contains exactly the content displayed on this page. This copy may differ from the latest version in the source repository.
View the source and supporting filesThis download contains SKILL.md only. Any scripts, references, templates and dependencies are not included. Get the required files from the source, preserving their directory structure, before continuing.
1. Download the file
Download SKILL.mdFrom the root of a test project, save the file as .skill-downloads/gno-local-knowledge-engine-mm5t8ate/SKILL.md, or use the command below. This folder is for inspecting the skill before installation.
Command for macOS/Linux or WSL: requires a POSIX shell and curl. On Windows without WSL, use the download button and create the folder manually.
mkdir -p '.skill-downloads/gno-local-knowledge-engine-mm5t8ate' && curl --fail --show-error --location 'https://skills-guides.com/api/skills/gno-local-knowledge-engine-mm5t8ate/download' --output '.skill-downloads/gno-local-knowledge-engine-mm5t8ate/SKILL.md.part' && mv '.skill-downloads/gno-local-knowledge-engine-mm5t8ate/SKILL.md.part' '.skill-downloads/gno-local-knowledge-engine-mm5t8ate/SKILL.md'2. Check prerequisites
Read SKILL.md before using it. If it references scripts or external services, inspect them and prepare the required access in your test environment.
Tools declared by the author (check availability in your agent): Bash(gno:*) Read
No recognized prerequisites section in this file. This does not mean it is self-contained: libraries, tools and access requirements may be mentioned elsewhere in the content or source repository.
The platforms on this page are catalog indications. The paths below follow tool documentation; they do not prove this skill has been run in those tools. No minimum tool version is confirmed for this listing.
3. Load the skill
After inspection, copy the complete folder into your project using one of the commands below, then open a new tool session. The command stops if a folder with the same name already exists: compare the files before replacing it.
Claude Code
test -f '.skill-downloads/gno-local-knowledge-engine-mm5t8ate/SKILL.md' && test -s '.skill-downloads/gno-local-knowledge-engine-mm5t8ate/SKILL.md' && mkdir -p '.claude/skills' && test ! -e '.claude/skills/gno' && cp -R '.skill-downloads/gno-local-knowledge-engine-mm5t8ate' '.claude/skills/gno'OpenSkills
OpenSkills must already be installed. The local install/read procedure is checked with OpenSkills 1.5.0, which requires Node.js ≥ 20.6.0. Catalog slugs are not resolved automatically.
Official OpenSkills installationopenskills install './.skill-downloads/gno-local-knowledge-engine-mm5t8ate'openskills read 'gno-local-knowledge-engine-mm5t8ate'Reading should display the installed file content and its base directory. It does not run the skill or install its dependencies.
For an agent that reads AGENTS.md, then sync the index. This command changes AGENTS.md: review the diff before using it.
openskills syncManual method or another tool: attach SKILL.md to a conversation, or open it in an agent that can read files. Include any required supporting resources. No universal folder is recognized by every tool.
4. Try a first task
Use a short, synthetic input: an API endpoint, a small document or an interface brief. In a new conversation, attach the file or give the agent its path, then adapt this request:
Read .skill-downloads/gno-local-knowledge-engine-mm5t8ate/SKILL.md and apply its instructions to this example: [describe a test input]. Identify any missing files, dependencies or access. Produce the result requested by the skill without inventing data or running unreviewed scripts.Expected result: output matching the skill instructions, or a precise list of missing prerequisites. A read confirmation alone does not validate a first use. If an external resource is unavailable, that path remains untested.
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