Environment Discovery Skill

When starting a new Terminal-Bench challenge, quickly assess the environment.

1. Check available tools and languages

which python python3 pip node npm gcc g++ make cmake perl ruby 2>/dev/null

2. Check the filesystem

ls /app/ 2>/dev/null
find /app -type f 2>/dev/null | head -30

3. Check pre-installed task-specific tools

Many containers have specialized tools already installed:

# Security/crypto tools
which john hashcat 7z 7za openssl 2>/dev/null
ls /app/john/run/ 2>/dev/null
# Bio tools
which oligotm primer3_core samtools 2>/dev/null
# Data tools
pip list 2>/dev/null | head -30

4. If python3 is missing, try alternatives

which python perl 2>/dev/null  # python2 may exist as 'python'
# Use perl for text processing if python unavailable
# Use /app/john/run/john for password cracking (has its own perl scripts)

5. Pre-installed tool locations

• John the Ripper scripts: /app/john/run/*.pl (perl-based, use perl not python3)
• Task binaries often in /app/ or /usr/local/bin/

Tips

• Check /app/ first — it often contains task-specific files and tools
• Don't assume python3 exists — verify first, use bash/perl alternatives
• Use dpkg -l or apt list --installed to see system packages