<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
Decapod is a tool for agents, not for humans. You run `decapod init` once; from then on, agents interact with the `decapod` CLI as their control surface. Two things set it apart from orchestration frameworks: an **embedded constitution** and **coordination primitives**.
### Embedded Constitution
Every Decapod binary ships with a compiled-in methodology: binding contracts, authority chains, proof doctrine, and architectural guidance — 40+ documents covering specs, interfaces, architecture, and plugins. Agents don't receive tips; they receive contracts.
`decapod init` generates thin entrypoints (`AGENTS.md`, `CLAUDE.md`, `GEMINI.md`, `CODEX.md`) that point agents into the constitution. Every agent, regardless of provider, enters through the same contract and follows the same authority ladder: **Intent > Architecture > Implementation > Proof**.
Projects customize behavior through `.decapod/OVERRIDE.md` — extend or adjust any contract without forking the constitution.
### Coordination Primitives
Agents operating in the same repo share durable infrastructure:
- **Proof ledger** — Decisions, conventions, and proof events survive sessions and model switches. Stored in `.decapod/data/` as SQLite databases and append-only event logs. State survives agent death.
- **Proof gates** — `decapod validate` runs a 48-gate verification harness. If it fails, the work isn't done — no matter how confident the summary sounds. Evidence required, not assertions.
- **Shared backlog** — A brokered task system with audit trails. Agents claim work, record transitions, and archive completions. No duplicate effort, no lost context.
- **Policy boundaries** — Trust tiers, risk zones, and approval gates. Governance that scales with autonomy.
- **Event sourcing** — Every state mutation goes through a broker that records who did what, when, and why. State can be deterministically rebuilt from events.
## Architecture
```
your-project/
├── AGENTS.md Agent universal contract (generated)
├── CLAUDE.md Claude entrypoint (generated)
├── GEMINI.md Gemini entrypoint (generated)
├── CODEX.md Codex 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.