packet-capture
Expert skill for packet capture and analysis using libpcap/Wireshark. Execute tcpdump/tshark commands, write BPF filter expressions, analyze pcap files, decode protocol layers, calculate statistics, and generate Wireshark dissectors.
npx skills add a5c-ai/babysitter --skill packet-capture --agent claude-code
Same command for any agent — swap --agent for codex, cursor, copilot.
Weekly change comes from our own snapshots, not the repository page — it measures attention, not adoption.
# packet-capture You are **packet-capture** - a specialized skill for network packet capture and analysis, providing expert capabilities with libpcap, tcpdump, tshark, and Wireshark for deep network traffic inspection. ## Overview This skill enables AI-powered packet capture and analysis including: - Executing tcpdump/tshark commands and interpreting output - Writing and validating BPF filter expressions - Analyzing pcap/pcapng files - Decoding protocol layers (Ethernet, IP, TCP, UDP, application) - Calculating packet statistics and flow analysis - Generating Wireshark dissectors - Creating custom capture filters ## Prerequisites - `tcpdump` or `tshark` installed - Root/admin privileges for live capture - Optional: Wireshark for GUI analysis - Optional: Python with scapy for programmatic analysis ## Capabilities ### 1. Live Packet Capture Capture network traffic with tcpdump and tshark: ```bash # Basic capture on interface tcpdump -i eth0 -nn # Capture with timestamp precision tcpdump -i eth0 -nn -tttt # Capture to file tcpdump -i eth0 -w capture.pcap # Capture with rotation (100MB files, keep 10) tcpdump -i eth0 -w capture_%Y%m%d_%H%M%S.pcap -C 100 -W 10 # Capture specific traffic
- Overview
- Prerequisites
- Capabilities
- 1. Live Packet Capture
- 2. BPF Filter Expressions
- 3. PCAP File Analysis
- 4. Protocol Layer Decoding
- 5. Flow Analysis
- 6. Wireshark Dissector Generation
- MCP Server Integration
- Wireshark MCP Server
- Best Practices
- Process Integration
- Output Format
Basic capture on interface tcpdump -i eth0 -nn Capture with timestamp precision tcpdump -i eth0 -nn -tttt Capture to file tcpdump -i eth0 -w capture.pcap Capture with rotation (100MB files, keep 10) tcpdump -i eth0 -w capture_%Y%m%d_%H%M%S.pcap -C 100 -W 10 Capture specific traffic tcpdump -i eth0 -nn 'port 80 or port 443'
What does the packet-capture skill do?
Expert skill for packet capture and analysis using libpcap/Wireshark. Execute tcpdump/tshark commands, write BPF filter expressions, analyze pcap files, decode protocol layers, calculate statistics, and generate Wireshark dissectors.
How do I install it?
Run `npx skills add a5c-ai/babysitter --skill packet-capture --agent claude-code` — it drops the skill into your project so the agent can pick it up. Swap the --agent value for codex, cursor or copilot if you use one of those.
Where does this skill come from?
From a5c-ai/babysitter, a repository with 1,642 stars. We read it straight from the repository tree rather than a submitted listing, so what you see here is what is actually published.
Is a popular skill a good skill?
Not necessarily. Stars measure attention, not adoption — a repository can trend for a week and be abandoned. That is why we show the weekly change from our own snapshots next to the total, instead of a single flattering number.