research(core): plugin packaging system for bundled skills, MCP configs, and integrations

[bug-ops]

Description

OpenAI Codex CLI (v0.118+) introduced a first-class plugin system that bundles three component types into shareable, installable packages:

1. Skills — reusable instruction sets (similar to Zeph's SKILL.md)
2. Apps — third-party service connectors
3. MCP servers — middleware for build tools and external systems

Plugins can be synced at startup from a product-scoped registry, browsed via /plugins, and installed/removed through CLI commands. The ecosystem already has 150+ community contributions organized into 20 categories.

Zeph Status

Zeph has the building blocks:

• SKILL.md files with hot-reload and self-learning
• MCP server configuration in config.toml
• No unified packaging or distribution mechanism
• No plugin install/remove workflow
• No registry for sharing skills+MCP bundles

Competitive Context

Agent	Plugin system
Codex CLI	First-class plugins (skills+apps+MCP), product-scoped sync, 150+ ecosystem
Claude Code	Skills directory, MCP config in settings
Cline/RooCode	Extension marketplace (VS Code)
Zeph	SKILL.md files + MCP config (manual setup)

Proposed Research

1. Design a plugin manifest format that bundles: SKILL.md files, MCP server entries, config fragments
2. Define install/remove CLI commands (zeph plugin add/remove/list)
3. Evaluate registry options: local git-based, remote HTTP index, or GitHub-based discovery
4. Consider TUI integration: /plugins slash command for browsing installed plugins

References

• Codex Plugins — v0.117.0 (2026-03-26)
• Codex GitHub