`safe-chains`

A command safety checker that auto-allows safe bash commands without prompting. Works as a Claude Code pre-hook, a CLI tool, or an OpenCode plugin.

safe-chains knows 450+ commands. For each one it validates specific subcommands and flags: allowing git log but not git push, allowing sed 's/foo/bar/' but not sed -i. Commands in piped chains, &&, and ; sequences are each validated independently. Compound commands (for, while, if) are parsed recursively.

Documentation and supported command reference

Install

brew install michaeldhopkins/tap/safe-chains

Or cargo install safe-chains, or download a binary from GitHub Releases.

Configure

safe-chains --setup

This adds the Claude Code pre-hook to ~/.claude/settings.json. Restart Claude Code to activate. See the documentation for manual setup and OpenCode configuration.

Usage

With the hook configured, safe-chains runs automatically. No interaction needed. Safe commands are approved, everything else goes through the normal permission prompt.

As a CLI tool:

safe-chains "ls -la | head -5"    # exit 0 = safe
safe-chains "rm -rf /"            # exit 1 = unsafe

Use --level to set a threshold; only commands at or below it auto-approve. The levels, from most locked down to most open, are paranoid (barely reads), reader (reads your project), editor (edits it, no delete/run/network), developer (the everyday dev default, runs your project, deletes your own files), the two admin flavors local-admin (runs this machine) and network-admin (operates your remotes), and yolo (no limits except rm -rf /). Default: developer.

safe-chains --level paranoid "cargo test"   # exit 1 (reads the tree, above paranoid)
safe-chains --level reader "cargo test"     # exit 0

The legacy names inert / safe-read / safe-write still work. They map to paranoid / reader / developer and print a one-line notice.

Custom commands

Drop a .safe-chains.toml in your repo (or ~/.config/safe-chains.toml for all projects) to add tools safe-chains doesn't know about, or to lock down a built-in command. See the Custom Commands docs.

Contributing

Found a safe command safe-chains should support? Submit an issue.

See the documentation for how to add commands.