b7d650bd8e
* fix(sync): read sync.mode from yaml first, then database bd config set sync.mode writes to config.yaml (because sync.* is a yaml-only prefix), but GetSyncMode() only read from the database. This caused dolt-native mode to be ignored - JSONL export still happened because the database had no sync.mode value. Now GetSyncMode() checks config.yaml first (via config.GetSyncMode()), falling back to database for backward compatibility. Fixes: oss-5ca279 * fix(init): respect BEADS_DIR environment variable Problem: - `bd init` ignored BEADS_DIR when checking for existing data - `bd init` created database at CWD/.beads instead of BEADS_DIR - Contributor wizard used ~/.beads-planning as default, ignoring BEADS_DIR Solution: - Add BEADS_DIR check in checkExistingBeadsData() (matches FindBeadsDir pattern) - Compute beadsDirForInit early, before initDBPath determination - Use BEADS_DIR as default in contributor wizard when set - Preserve precedence: --db > BEADS_DB > BEADS_DIR > default Impact: - Users with BEADS_DIR set now get consistent behavior across all bd commands - ACF-style fork tracking (external .beads directory) now works correctly Fixes: steveyegge/beads#??? * fix(doctor): respect BEADS_DIR environment variable Also updates documentation to reflect BEADS_DIR support in init and doctor. Changes: - doctor.go: Check BEADS_DIR before falling back to CWD - doctor_test.go: Add tests for BEADS_DIR path resolution - WORKTREES.md: Document simplified BEADS_DIR+init workflow - CONTRIBUTOR_NAMESPACE_ISOLATION.md: Note init/doctor BEADS_DIR support * test(init): add BEADS_DB > BEADS_DIR precedence test Verifies that BEADS_DB env var takes precedence over BEADS_DIR when both are set, ensuring the documented precedence order: --db > BEADS_DB > BEADS_DIR > default * chore: fill in GH#1277 placeholder in sync_mode comment
bd - Beads
Distributed, git-backed graph issue tracker for AI agents.
Beads provides a persistent, structured memory for coding agents. It replaces messy markdown plans with a dependency-aware graph, allowing agents to handle long-horizon tasks without losing context.
⚡ Quick Start
# Install (macOS/Linux/FreeBSD)
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/steveyegge/beads/main/scripts/install.sh | bash
# Initialize (Humans run this once)
bd init
# Tell your agent
echo "Use 'bd' for task tracking" >> AGENTS.md
🛠 Features
- Git as Database: Issues stored as JSONL in
.beads/. Versioned, branched, and merged like code. - Agent-Optimized: JSON output, dependency tracking, and auto-ready task detection.
- Zero Conflict: Hash-based IDs (
bd-a1b2) prevent merge collisions in multi-agent/multi-branch workflows. - Invisible Infrastructure: SQLite local cache for speed; background daemon for auto-sync.
- Compaction: Semantic "memory decay" summarizes old closed tasks to save context window.
📖 Essential Commands
| Command | Action |
|---|---|
bd ready |
List tasks with no open blockers. |
bd create "Title" -p 0 |
Create a P0 task. |
bd dep add <child> <parent> |
Link tasks (blocks, related, parent-child). |
bd show <id> |
View task details and audit trail. |
🔗 Hierarchy & Workflow
Beads supports hierarchical IDs for epics:
bd-a3f8(Epic)bd-a3f8.1(Task)bd-a3f8.1.1(Sub-task)
Stealth Mode: Run bd init --stealth to use Beads locally without committing files to the main repo. Perfect for personal use on shared projects.
Contributor vs Maintainer: When working on open-source projects:
- Contributors (forked repos): Run
bd init --contributorto route planning issues to a separate repo (e.g.,~/.beads-planning). Keeps experimental work out of PRs. - Maintainers (write access): Beads auto-detects maintainer role via SSH URLs or HTTPS with credentials. Only need
git config beads.role maintainerif using GitHub HTTPS without credentials but you have write access.
📦 Installation
- npm:
npm install -g @beads/bd - Homebrew:
brew install steveyegge/beads/bd - Go:
go install github.com/steveyegge/beads/cmd/bd@latest
Requirements: Linux, FreeBSD, macOS, or Windows.
🌐 Community Tools
See docs/COMMUNITY_TOOLS.md for a curated list of community-built UIs, extensions, and integrations—including terminal interfaces, web UIs, editor extensions, and native apps.
