andrej-karpathy-skills-cursor-vscode
mbeijen · mbeijen/andrej-karpathy-skills-cursor-vscode
This rule pack integrates Andrej Karpathy's coding principles into Cursor or VS Code, guiding AI agents to "Think Before Coding" and prioritize "Simplicity First" for improved code quality.
Andrej Karpathy skills for your Cursor or VS Code editor
Preview
What you can do with it
- Guide your Cursor agent to apply "Think Before Coding" and "Simplicity First" principles in its development process.
- Improve the readability and maintainability of AI-generated code by adhering to established best practices.
- Reduce the complexity of code solutions generated by your AI assistant by enforcing a "Minimum code, no magic" approach.
Safety check
Usable, but read the notes first.
- ●No clear license: check with the author before using it in a commercial product.
Automated scan of the repo files. Always review code you run.
From the README
Andrej Karpathy Skills (Cursor & VS Code)
Turns the Karpathy-inspired coding guidelines into rule files you can use in Cursor and VS Code.
Disclaimer: This plugin was written using the Cursor agent as part of the Samotics AI Challenge Day.
Install (recommended)
VS Code: Open the Extensions view (Ctrl+Shift+X / Cmd+Shift+X), search for “Andrej Karpathy Skills”, and install.
Cursor: Cursor uses the Open VSX Registry, not the Microsoft Marketplace. Search for “Andrej Karpathy Skills” in the Extensions view, or install from Open VSX:
About the “untrusted publisher” warning: VS Code may show a warning that the publisher is not verified. This extension is new; Microsoft requires publishers to have had an extension on the marketplace for at least 6 months before they can apply for the verified badge. The warning is expected and safe to accept. Verification will be requested once eligible.
After installing, open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P) and run:
- Karpathy Rules: Add to project (.cursor/rules) — adds the guidelines to
.cursor/rules/withalwaysApply: true(recommended for Cursor). - Karpathy Rules: Add to .cursorrules (legacy) — appends to
.cursorrulesin the project root.
The four principles
- Think Before Coding — Don’t assume; surface tradeoffs and ask when unclear.
- Simplicity First — Minimum code, no speculative features or abstractions.
- Surgical Changes — Touch only what’s needed; don’t “improve” unrelated code.
- Goal-Driven Execution — Define success criteria and verify (e.g. with tests).
A note on “just markdown”
I find it a bit wild that extensions for your editor can be little more than a markdown file of sixty-odd lines—no runtime, no dependencies—and still resonate enough to get 3,500+ stars on GitHub, like the original Claude Karpathy skills repo. The leverage is in the instructions, not the machinery. This extension is a small step to get that same content one click away in Cursor and VS Code.
If this repo is useful to you, don’t forget to ⭐ star it—it helps others find it.
Manual setup (without the extension)
If you prefer not to use the extension:
- Cursor: Copy
rules/karpathy-guidelines.mdinto your project as.cursor/rules/karpathy-guidelines.md(or.mdc); addalwaysApply: truein frontmatter if desired. - Legacy: Copy the contents into a
.cursorrulesfile in your project root.
License
Guidelines adapted from forrestchang/andrej-karpathy-skills (MIT). This repo’s conversion and extension are under the same spirit; see upstream for exact terms.