<p align="center"><code>cargo install decapod</code></p>
<p align="center">
<img src="assets/decapod-ultra.svg" width="600" alt="Decapod">
</p>
<p align="center">
<strong>Decapod</strong> is a governance runtime for AI coding agents. Local-first, repo-native, built in Rust.
<br>
<sub>Named for the ten-legged crustaceans: hardened exoskeleton, distributed nervous system, no central brain. They coordinate anyway.</sub>
</p>
<p align="center">
<a href="https://github.com/DecapodLabs/decapod/actions"><img alt="CI" src="https://github.com/DecapodLabs/decapod/actions/workflows/ci.yml/badge.svg"></a>
<a href="https://crates.io/crates/decapod"><img alt="crates.io" src="https://img.shields.io/crates/v/decapod.svg"></a>
<a href="https://github.com/DecapodLabs/decapod/blob/master/LICENSE"><img alt="License: MIT" src="https://img.shields.io/badge/license-MIT-blue.svg"></a>
</p>
---
<table>
<tr>
<td align="center" width="50%">
<img src="assets/screenshot-task-1.png" alt="Create agent-agnostic tasks" width="100%">
<br>
<sub><b>Make Tasks</b> — agents create tasks to do later.</sub>
</td>
<td align="center" width="50%">
<img src="assets/screenshot-task-2.png" alt="Discover tasks with other agents" width="100%">
<br>
<sub><b>Share the Work</b> — other agents discover tasks and complete them.</sub>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
Demo: **[Watch on GitHub](https://github.com/DecapodLabs/decapod/raw/master/assets/decapod-demo.mp4)** (12 MB)
---
## What Is Decapod
Like Docker is a runtime for containers, Decapod is a runtime for agents. You set it up once, then agents operate inside a governed environment with persistent state, enforced methodology, proof gates, and coordination primitives.
Agents can write code. But they can't reliably **ship** because they forget what they built yesterday, treat best practices as vibes, say "done" without evidence, and trip over each other in parallel. Decapod fixes that.
Decapod is **not** a prompt pack, an agent framework, a hosted SaaS platform, or a review bot. It's infrastructure: the environment where agent work becomes enforceable.
## Quickstart
```bash
cargo install decapod
cd your-project
decapod init
```
That's it. Agents now operate inside the governed environment. You observe outcomes, review summaries, and merge when proofs pass.
## How It Works
**Persistent state** — Agents persist work to `.decapod/`: todos, conventions, decisions, proof events. Durable state that survives sessions and model switches.
**Enforced methodology** — An embedded constitution defines binding contracts for how agents operate. Generated entrypoints (`CLAUDE.md`, `AGENTS.md`, `GEMINI.md`, `CODEX.md`, `OPENCODE.md`) require agents to read the constitution, use the control surface, and follow Intent > Architecture > Implementation > Proof. Projects customize via `.decapod/OVERRIDE.md`.
**Proof gates** — Agents must satisfy validation gates before claiming completion. If `decapod validate` fails, the work isn't done. Evidence required, not assertions.
**Coordination** — A shared backlog with audit trail, shared conventions and preferences, a proof ledger, and policy boundaries. Multiple agents work in parallel without collisions.
## CLI Reference
```
decapod init Bootstrap a project (alias: i)
decapod docs Access methodology documentation (alias: d)
decapod todo Track tasks and work items (alias: t)
decapod validate Validate methodology compliance (alias: v)
decapod govern Governance: policy, health, proofs (alias: g)
decapod data Data: archives, knowledge, context
decapod auto Automation: scheduled, event-driven (alias: a)
decapod qa Quality assurance: verification (alias: q)
```
## Architecture
```
your-project/
├── AGENTS.md Agent universal contract (generated)
├── CLAUDE.md Claude entrypoint (generated)
├── GEMINI.md Gemini entrypoint (generated)
├── CODEX.md Codex entrypoint (generated)
├── OPENCODE.md OpenCode entrypoint (generated)
└── .decapod/
├── data/ State: SQLite DBs + event logs
├── generated/ Derived artifacts (auto-managed)
├── OVERRIDE.md Project-specific constitution overrides
└── README.md Control plane documentation
```
Agents interact through the CLI control surface. You don't touch `.decapod/data/` directly.
## Security
See [`SECURITY.md`](SECURITY.md). Agents must handle credentials securely — never log, never commit, always rotate. Violations are constitutional breaches.
## Contributing
Decapod is built with Decapod. To develop:
```bash
git clone https://github.com/DecapodLabs/decapod
cd decapod
cargo build
cargo test
decapod validate
```
## Support
- [File an issue](https://github.com/DecapodLabs/decapod/issues)
- [Support on Ko-fi](https://ko-fi.com/decapodlabs)
## License
MIT. See [LICENSE](LICENSE) for details.