4.5 KiB
Agent Instructions
This project uses bd (beads) for issue tracking. Run bd onboard to get started.
Quick Reference
bd ready # Find available work
bd show <id> # View issue details
bd update <id> --claim # Claim work atomically
bd close <id> # Complete work
bd sync # Sync with git
Non-Interactive Shell Commands
ALWAYS use non-interactive flags with file operations to avoid hanging on confirmation prompts.
Shell commands like cp, mv, and rm may be aliased to include -i (interactive) mode on some systems, causing the agent to hang indefinitely waiting for y/n input.
Use these forms instead:
# Force overwrite without prompting
cp -f source dest # NOT: cp source dest
mv -f source dest # NOT: mv source dest
rm -f file # NOT: rm file
# For recursive operations
rm -rf directory # NOT: rm -r directory
cp -rf source dest # NOT: cp -r source dest
Other commands that may prompt:
scp- use-o BatchMode=yesfor non-interactivessh- use-o BatchMode=yesto fail instead of promptingapt-get- use-yflagbrew- useHOMEBREW_NO_AUTO_UPDATE=1env var
Issue Tracking with bd (beads)
IMPORTANT: This project uses bd (beads) for ALL issue tracking. Do NOT use markdown TODOs, task lists, or other tracking methods.
Why bd?
- Dependency-aware: Track blockers and relationships between issues
- Git-friendly: Auto-syncs to JSONL for version control
- Agent-optimized: JSON output, ready work detection, discovered-from links
- Prevents duplicate tracking systems and confusion
Quick Start
Check for ready work:
bd ready --json
Create new issues:
bd create "Issue title" --description="Detailed context" -t bug|feature|task -p 0-4 --json
bd create "Issue title" --description="What this issue is about" -p 1 --deps discovered-from:bd-123 --json
Claim and update:
bd update <id> --claim --json
bd update bd-42 --priority 1 --json
Complete work:
bd close bd-42 --reason "Completed" --json
Issue Types
bug- Something brokenfeature- New functionalitytask- Work item (tests, docs, refactoring)epic- Large feature with subtaskschore- Maintenance (dependencies, tooling)
Priorities
0- Critical (security, data loss, broken builds)1- High (major features, important bugs)2- Medium (default, nice-to-have)3- Low (polish, optimization)4- Backlog (future ideas)
Workflow for AI Agents
- Check ready work:
bd readyshows unblocked issues - Claim your task atomically:
bd update <id> --claim - Work on it: Implement, test, document
- Discover new work? Create linked issue:
bd create "Found bug" --description="Details about what was found" -p 1 --deps discovered-from:<parent-id>
- Complete:
bd close <id> --reason "Done"
Auto-Sync
bd automatically syncs with git:
- Exports to
.beads/issues.jsonlafter changes (5s debounce) - Imports from JSONL when newer (e.g., after
git pull) - No manual export/import needed!
Important Rules
- ✅ Use bd for ALL task tracking
- ✅ Always use
--jsonflag for programmatic use - ✅ Link discovered work with
discovered-fromdependencies - ✅ Check
bd readybefore asking "what should I work on?" - ❌ Do NOT create markdown TODO lists
- ❌ Do NOT use external issue trackers
- ❌ Do NOT duplicate tracking systems
For more details, see README.md and docs/QUICKSTART.md.
Landing the Plane (Session Completion)
When ending a work session, you MUST complete ALL steps below. Work is NOT complete until git push succeeds.
MANDATORY WORKFLOW:
- File issues for remaining work - Create issues for anything that needs follow-up
- Run quality gates (if code changed) - Tests, linters, builds
- Update issue status - Close finished work, update in-progress items
- PUSH TO REMOTE - This is MANDATORY:
git pull --rebase bd sync git push git status # MUST show "up to date with origin" - Clean up - Clear stashes, prune remote branches
- Verify - All changes committed AND pushed
- Hand off - Provide context for next session
CRITICAL RULES:
- Work is NOT complete until
git pushsucceeds - NEVER stop before pushing - that leaves work stranded locally
- NEVER say "ready to push when you are" - YOU must push
- If push fails, resolve and retry until it succeeds