How to assign a skeleton with missing bones?

This has got to be the most bonehead admin discussion I’ve seen yet.
: I know how to retarget animations, now how do I retarget my mesh too and tell it to recognize the bones, like I just did with animations?
: Here is how to retarget animations.
: Yes, I said I know how to retarget animations, now how do I retarget my mesh too and tell it to recognize the bones, like I just did with animations?
: Here is how to retarget animations.
: Yes, I said I know how to retarget animations, now how do I retarget my mesh too and tell it to recognize the bones, like I just did with animations?
: Why would you want to retarget meshes? Here is how you retarget animations.