Preview This is the v1.0 preview line. It documents a rebuild that is still in alpha — schemas, tool names, and package contents change without notice, and nothing here is covered by a stability guarantee. For the released line, see the v0.x documentation.

CLI and automation interfaces

Human lifecycle commands and the stable automation protocol.

processkit has two deliberately separate command interfaces. Human lifecycle commands optimize for reviewable output and safe project operation. The machine interface uses a versioned JSON request and result contract for aibox and other automation.

Release and development status: v1.0.0-alpha.5 supports the local lifecycle commands below except doctor and mcp. The v1.x-dev line adds read-only native diagnosis and MCP supervision for the next prerelease. Commands in “Target human lifecycle” remain planned unless listed as current.

Current v1 alpha commands

The current prerelease supports:

processkit plan
processkit install
processkit update
processkit verify
processkit verify-release
processkit doctor
processkit mcp verify
processkit mcp prepare
processkit mcp prepare --offline
processkit mcp serve --transport stdio
processkit mcp proxy --url http://127.0.0.1:8000/mcp
processkit inspect-compatibility
processkit migrate-v0
processkit recover
processkit uninstall
processkit execute --request request.json

plan, install, update, compatibility inspection, and migrate-v0 currently require an explicit local release directory through --distribution. Mutating commands also require --yes. This makes the alpha suitable for offline use and for callers that already acquire and verify an exact release.

migrate-v0 --plan-only emits exact-release and corpus dispositions without modifying either the source or the empty target. Omit --plan-only and add --yes only after every blocking finding is resolved.

For example:

processkit plan \
  --root . \
  --distribution /path/to/processkit-v1.0.0-alpha.5 \
  --profile managed \
  --harness codex

Target human lifecycle

The human-facing CLI will grow into these lifecycle groups without changing the Python implementation of the MCP servers:

processkit init
processkit plan
processkit install
processkit update
processkit verify
processkit inspect
processkit migrate
processkit recover
processkit uninstall
processkit package
processkit harness
processkit mcp

Human commands will eventually resolve an exact canonical version and verify its signed release metadata before planning. --distribution will remain the explicit offline and development override. Moving branches and unverified latest URLs are not release identities.

The Rust mcp command will diagnose and supervise the installed Python gateway. It will not become a second MCP implementation. Direct uv run .../server.py configurations remain supported.

Stable machine interface

Automation uses:

processkit execute --request request.json

The request and result use the versioned installer schema. The request names the target root, operation, release input, profiles, harnesses, and mutation acknowledgement. The command emits one result envelope. Callers must use its status and the process exit code rather than parse human output.

The execute protocol remains the opaque aibox integration boundary. New human commands may compile their intent into the same internal operations, but they must not silently change the versioned machine contract.

See the installer contract for transaction, ownership, and recovery guarantees and aibox integration for the consumer protocol.