chunk-sidecar

Validate software changes on a remote CircleCI-managed chunk sidecar.

84|40|Updated Feb 26, 2026

Search Tags:#circleci #chunk #sidecar #CI validation #remote testing #environment snapshot #smarter testing

Ready to run

npx skills add https://github.com/CircleCI-Public/chunk-cli --skill chunk-sidecar

💬 Prompt for ChatGPT / Claude Chat▼

Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: chunk-sidecar
Source: https://github.com/CircleCI-Public/chunk-cli/tree/main/skills/chunk-sidecar
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/CircleCI-Public/chunk-cli --skill chunk-sidecar

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve?

It prevents CI churn by running your build, test, and validate steps in an isolated remote chunk sidecar before your changes reach your pipeline.

Core Features & Use Cases

Sync → Validate inner loop: Mirrors your local working tree to the sidecar and runs chunk validate with per-command routing so remote-only checks execute remotely.
One-time sidecar setup + snapshotting: Creates a configured sidecar environment, verifies it, snapshots it, then boots fast from the snapshot for future iterations.
Smarter Testing scaffolding: Generates .circleci/test-suites.yml suitable for CircleCI Smarter Testing, enabling shardable test execution driven by atoms and junit output.

Quick Start

Ask your AI agent to validate on the sidecar and run the tight loop by telling it to “sync to the sidecar and validate remotely”.

Frequently Asked Questions about chunk-sidecar

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema

How do I validate changes on a remote environment before pushing to CI?▼

Remote testing on a chunk sidecar prevents CI churn by running build, test, and validate steps in an isolated environment before your changes reach the pipeline. It mirrors your local working tree to the sidecar and executes remote-only checks remotely.

Can I snapshot a remote sidecar environment to boot faster on future iterations?▼

Yes, sidecar environment snapshotting captures your configured environment state after verification. You can then boot fast from the snapshot for future iterations, skipping the one-time setup and accelerating the remote testing loop.

How do I set up CircleCI Smarter Testing with shardable test execution?▼

You can scaffold a `.circleci/test-suites.yml` file suitable for CircleCI Smarter Testing. This enables shardable test execution driven by atoms and junit output, allowing your test suites to be divided and run in parallel across multiple executors.

Do I need the chunk CLI to orchestrate remote sidecar validation?▼

Yes, mandatory `chunk` CLI orchestration is required for sidecar validation. It handles auth/orgID preflight, active sidecar selection or creation, sync, validate, snapshot, and looping, while forwarding `CIRCLE_TOKEN` over SSH and executing remote commands per `.chunk/config.json` routing rules.

Why does remote sidecar testing reduce CI rework compared to local testing?▼

Remote sidecar testing reduces CI rework by executing build, test, and validate steps in an isolated environment that mirrors your local working tree. This catches failures early in a remote-only execution context before changes ever reach your main pipeline.