# Graceful Degradation

> Graceful Degradation with Helpful Messages

- **Type:** Skill
- **Install:** `agentstack add skill-parcadei-continuous-claude-v3-graceful-degradation`
- **Verified:** Yes — security-reviewed for prompt injection and unsafe behavior
- **Seller:** [parcadei](https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/parcadei)
- **Installs:** 0
- **Category:** [Agent Skills](https://agentstack.voostack.com/c/agent-skills)
- **Latest version:** 0.1.0
- **License:** MIT
- **Upstream author:** [parcadei](https://github.com/parcadei)
- **Source:** https://github.com/parcadei/Continuous-Claude-v3/tree/main/.claude/skills/graceful-degradation

## Install

```sh
agentstack add skill-parcadei-continuous-claude-v3-graceful-degradation
```

Requires the [AgentStack CLI](https://agentstack.voostack.com/docs/cli). Works with Claude Code, Cursor, and any MCP-compatible agent.

## About

# Graceful Degradation with Helpful Messages

When optional services are unavailable, degrade gracefully with actionable fallback messages.

## Pattern

Check availability at the start, cache the result, and provide helpful messages that explain what's missing and how to fix it.

## DO

- Check service availability early (before wasting compute)
- Cache health check results for the session (e.g., 60s TTL)
- Provide actionable fallback messages:
  - What service is missing
  - What features are degraded
  - How to enable the service
- Continue with reduced functionality when possible

## DON'T

- Silently fail or return empty results
- Check availability on every call (cache it)
- Assume the user knows how to start missing services

## Example: LMStudio Check Pattern

```typescript
let lmstudioAvailable: boolean | null = null;
let lastCheck = 0;
const CACHE_TTL = 60000; // 60 seconds

async function checkLMStudio(): Promise {
  const now = Date.now();
  if (lmstudioAvailable !== null && now - lastCheck < CACHE_TTL) {
    return lmstudioAvailable;
  }

  try {
    const response = await fetch('http://localhost:1234/v1/models', {
      signal: AbortSignal.timeout(2000)
    });
    lmstudioAvailable = response.ok;
  } catch {
    lmstudioAvailable = false;
  }
  lastCheck = now;
  return lmstudioAvailable;
}

// Usage
if (!await checkLMStudio()) {
  return {
    result: 'continue',
    message: `LMStudio not available at localhost:1234.

To enable Godel-Prover tactic suggestions:
1. Install LMStudio from https://lmstudio.ai/
2. Load "Goedel-Prover-V2-8B" model
3. Start the local server on port 1234

Continuing without AI-assisted tactics...`
  };
}
```

## Fallback Message Template

```
[Service] not available at [endpoint].

To enable [feature]:
1. [Step to install/start]
2. [Configuration step if needed]
3. [Verification step]

Continuing without [degraded feature]...
```

## Source Sessions

- This session: LMStudio availability check with 60s caching and helpful fallback
- 174e0ff3: Environment variable debugging - print computed paths for troubleshooting

## Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

- **Author:** [parcadei](https://github.com/parcadei)
- **Source:** [parcadei/Continuous-Claude-v3](https://github.com/parcadei/Continuous-Claude-v3)
- **License:** MIT

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.

## Pricing

- **Free** — Free

## Security capabilities

Automated source analysis of v0.1.0 — what this tool can access:

- **Network access:** no
- **Filesystem access:** no
- **Shell / process execution:** no
- **Environment & secrets:** no
- **Dynamic code execution:** no

*"Yes" means the capability is present in the source — more access means more to trust, not that it is unsafe.*


## Versions

- **0.1.0** — security scan: passed — Imported from the upstream source.

## Links

- Listing page: https://agentstack.voostack.com/l/skill-parcadei-continuous-claude-v3-graceful-degradation
- Seller: https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/parcadei
- Browse the marketplace: https://agentstack.voostack.com/browse

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