If you've been riding the AI coding agent wave with Claude Code, Cursor, or similar tools, you already know the drill—slash commands trigger capabilities, and the ecosystem around these agents is getting wild. A new Show HN drop from developer gi-dellav just pushed a skill called use-zerostack into that mix, letting your favorite coding agent delegate tasks to zerostack, a lightweight CLI-based coding assistant.

What Is Use-ZeroStack?

Use-zerostack is essentially middleware for AI agents. It maps familiar slash commands—think /zs:code, /zs:review, /zs:plan—to zerostack's underlying capabilities, so you can offload work without leaving your current agent's workflow. The skill activates on trigger phrases like '/zs:code', 'run zerostack', or 'delegate to zs', making it feel native to whichever coding agent you're already using.

Core Commands Breakdown

The command palette is straightforward and purpose-built for dev workflows. /zs:code handles implementation and bug fixes. /zs:ask answers questions without touching your filesystem—useful for quick clarifications. /zs:plan generates step-by-step task breakdowns. /zs:review targets code, diffs, or pull requests with optional focus areas. The more advanced /zs:parallel spins up isolated worktree coding tasks, while /zs:orchestrate coordinates multi-sub-agent operations for complex projects.

Installation and Prerequisites

Getting set up requires dropping the use-zerostack directory into your agent's skills directory—no package manager required for that part. For zerostack itself, you've got options: Homebrew via gi-dellav's custom tap, Cargo if you're in the Rust ecosystem, or a curl one-liner pulling from the official install script. You'll also need at least one API key configured—ANTHROPIC_API_KEY or OPENAI_API_KEY work as defaults.

Why This Matters for Agent Workflows

The real value here is specialization without switching context. Zerostack stays lean as a CLI tool while use-zerostack acts as the bridge to beefier agents like Claude Code and Cursor. Instead of abandoning your current setup, you get on-demand access to zerostack's strengths—whatever those are optimized for. The architecture suggests zerostack handles the execution while your primary agent orchestrates.

Key Takeaways

  • Use-zerostack is a skill file, not a standalone app—just drop it into your coding agent's skills directory
  • Supports Claude Code, Cursor, and any agent that recognizes slash command syntax
  • Installation methods: Homebrew (custom tap), Cargo, or shell script
  • Six core commands cover the full development lifecycle from planning to review
  • Licensed under GPL-3.0 with source available on GitHub

The Bottom Line

This is a niche play for devs who've already bought into multi-agent workflows, but that's exactly where things are headed. Use-zerostack doesn't reinvent anything—it just makes delegation between agents actually seamless. Worth watching as the ecosystem matures.