v0.4.5 — creative/bg_remover, per-skill install extras, skillware paths

Added

• Skill — creative/bg_remover — offline background removal with rembg; base64 and file I/O, transparent PNG output, mocked offline tests (#196, #244). First skill in the new creative category.
• Packaging — Category, per-skill, and [all] optional extras generated from skill manifests via scripts/sync_extras.py; hand-maintained dev, SDK extras, and meta [agents] (#236).
• Documentation — Install extras — canonical guide for pip install skillware[...]; every skill catalog page recommends its per-skill extra (#236).
• Framework — skillware/core/extras.py and richer ImportError hints from SkillLoader when manifest requirements are missing (#236).
• Framework — BaseSkill.validate_params() — optional JSON Schema validation helper for tool arguments (#125).
• Framework — Registry manifests standardize on outputs: (legacy singular output: removed from finance/wallet_screening) (#125).
• CLI — skillware paths — skill root resolution order (external → project → bundled), tier labels, shadowing summary, operator tips; interactive menu option 4 (#81).
• Framework — skillware/core/discovery.py — shared skill root discovery for SkillLoader and the CLI (#81).
• CI — PyPI wheel packaging smoke test — builds a wheel, installs in a fresh venv (base deps only), verifies every bundled registry skill is loadable via scripts/wheel_smoke_test.py (#182).

Changed

• Packaging (breaking) — Removed legacy extras cli and embeddings. [all] is skill runtime deps only (not SDK packages). Use [agents] for Gemini + Claude + OpenAI SDK deps (#236).
• CLI — skillware list prints a pointer to the install extras guide (#236).
• Framework — SkillLoader delegates root resolution to discovery.get_skill_roots() so load, list, test, and paths share the same order (#81).
• Framework — Map manifest requirement pillow to import name PIL in dependency checks (#196).
• Documentation — README, CONTRIBUTING, TESTING, skill catalog, examples index updated for the new extra taxonomy (#236).
• Documentation — Skill trust model operator expectations and instruction-only content notes (#243).

Upgrade

pip install -U skillware

New skill (background removal):

pip install -U "skillware[creative_bg_remover]"

Full local dev / multi-skill installs:

pip install -U "skillware[dev,all,agents]"

Per-skill extras (recommended in docs even when empty today):

pip install "skillware[finance_wallet_screening]"
pip install "skillware[office_pdf_form_filler]"

Inspect skill roots after upgrade:

skillware paths
```bash

See [install_extras.md](https://github.com/ARPAHLS/skillware/blob/main/docs/usage/install_extras.md) and [CHANGELOG.md](https://github.com/ARPAHLS/skillware/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md#045---2026-07-16).

## Contributors

- **@AyushSrivastava1818** — `creative/bg_remover` skill bundle, tests, and catalog docs (#196, #244)
- **@rosspeili** — Per-skill install extras and manifest sync (#236); wheel packaging smoke test (#182); `validate_params()` and `outputs:` standardization (#125); `skillware paths` and discovery module (#81); maintainer finish on #244; release cut
- **@mrmasa88** — Skill trust model operator expectations and instruction-only content notes (#243, #250)

## Full changelog

- #244 — `creative/bg_remover` offline background removal skill (#196)
- #256 — Category and per-skill pip extras with manifest sync (#236)
- #254 — PyPI wheel packaging smoke test for bundled registry skills (#182)
- #253 — Manifest param validation and `outputs:` standardization (#125)
- #250 — Skill trust model operator expectations (#243)
- #249 — `skillware paths` and shared discovery module (#81)

**Compare:** https://github.com/ARPAHLS/skillware/compare/v0.4.3...v0.4.5