Getting Started

Bob does not brainstorm. Give it a name, a module path, and a description, and it hands back a plan. Approve the plan, and it builds. Five minutes, no surprises.

Prerequisites

• macOS or Linux
• Go 1.26.5 or newer
• Git
• Task is optional; direct Go commands work too

Install the release through the Homebrew tap:

brew tap abdul-hamid-achik/tap
brew install --cask bob
bob version

Alternatively, install with Go:

go install github.com/abdul-hamid-achik/bob/cmd/bob@latest

To build the current branch instead:

git clone https://github.com/abdul-hamid-achik/bob
cd bob
go install ./cmd/bob
bob version

Preview a repository

Choose a project name, public Go module, and one-line description:

bob new acme-tool \
  --module github.com/acme/acme-tool \
  --description "Agent-ready Acme CLI"

This is a preview. Bob prints the proposed bob.yaml and the number of files it would create, and it touches nothing on disk. No target directory, no surprise scaffolding waiting for you tomorrow.

Create it explicitly

Nothing gets built until you say --write. Repeat the command:

bob new acme-tool \
  --module github.com/acme/acme-tool \
  --description "Agent-ready Acme CLI" \
  --write

Bob writes the manifest, renders the recipe, applies one conflict-free plan, and publishes bob.lock last. The lock is Bob's receipt, not yours to edit.

Confirm convergence

cd acme-tool
bob plan
bob check
go test ./...

A newly created project reports only unchanged actions, with no lock change. bob check exits 0. Run it again if you don't believe it. Run it a third time out of spite. It stays 0. That is the feature.

What Bob created

The default manifest creates:

• a Go/Cobra CLI with human and JSON output;
• tests and explicit dependency injection;
• AGENTS.md plus a thin CLAUDE.md pointer;
• contribution, security, conduct, changelog, and license files;
• GitHub issue and pull-request templates for GitHub modules;
• CI, vulnerability scanning, and tag-driven GoReleaser configuration;
• Codemap and Vecgrep integration guidance plus a Glyphrun terminal contract.

The same recipe can add Cairntrace, TinyVault, and file.cheap seams when the manifest selects them. A selection adds guidance and capability checks. It does not mean Bob ran the tool, indexed anything, or vouches for it. Bob signs off on files, not on vendors.

If a coding agent is driving

Point it at Bob for coding agents and have it run bob learn --json first. That single, read-only command briefs the agent on the whole product contract before it plans anything.

Next steps

• Read Ownership & Safety before changing managed files.
• Review Configuration & local telemetry before opting into local stats.
• Open Bob Studio for a read-only interactive workspace view.
• Read the Manifest Reference before changing capabilities.
• Use MCPHub & local-agent to expose Bob to an agent.
• Onboard a coding agent with Bob for coding agents.