pi-crew

Coordinate AI agent teams inside Pi.

pi-crew is a Pi extension that orchestrates autonomous multi-agent workflows — research, implementation, review, testing, and more — with durable state, parallel execution, worktree isolation, and safe defaults.

npm: pi-crew
repo: https://github.com/baphuongna/pi-crew

v0.6.4: See CHANGELOG.md.

Highlights (v0.6.3 → v0.6.4)

• Visually rich tool rendering — team and Agent tool calls now render as framed cards in the Pi TUI with box-drawing borders, colored status badges, and structured layouts
• Merged call+result into ONE connected frame — the call header and result body now form a single seamless frame instead of two disconnected boxes
• Animated live progress bar during runs — real-time ████░░░░ N/M task progress with elapsed time, rendered DURING the run; indeterminate "starting" phase uses an animated scanning bar
• Compact completion summary — collapsed cards show ✓ crew run 3/3 done · 1m2s · 26k tok · $0.068 with expand hint and per-agent briefs
• Critical crash fix on session resume — renderCall was returning a string instead of a Text component, causing TypeError: child.render is not a function when Pi re-rendered stored tool calls
• Disabled brief tool overrides — reverted the experimental brief mode that replaced Pi's superior native renderers (syntax highlighting, diff views, full content)
• Flaky test fix — AnimatedMascot timing tests made CI-load-robust via polling loops
• CI green — 0 failures on Ubuntu, macOS, and Windows

Highlights (v0.6.2 → v0.6.3)

• 137 commits since v0.6.1 — 200 files changed (+16,955 / −2,057 lines)
• 4,792 tests, 506 test files — 0 failures across the entire suite
• Cross-platform CI green — 0 failures on Ubuntu, macOS, and Windows
• 366 source files, ~70K lines of TypeScript
• Worktree precondition validation — friendly errors instead of crashes when cwd is not a git repo or repo is dirty
• Cross-platform path handling — canonicalizePath with realpathSync.native for Windows short-name/long-name aliasing; macOS symlink resolution
• Scheduled job lifecycle — spawned runs are tracked, cancelling a job kills its runs
• Heartbeat false-positive fix — PID liveness gate prevents dead detection during long LLM responses
• ENOENT crash fix — prune/forget race no longer crashes pi when persisting to deleted runs
• Pipe buffer deadlock fix — test runner no longer deadlocks when OS pipe buffer fills
• Plugin registry — extensible framework context injection for Next.js, Vite, Vitest
• Health score system — penalty-based scoring with time-series snapshots
• CrewError taxonomy — E001–E006 structured error codes replacing raw throws
• Atomic write v2 — fsync + rename pattern for crash-safe state persistence
• Pre-push review: 56 unpushed commits reviewed, 1 release blocker found and fixed
• Security: sandbox constructor escape strengthened; env-filter provider key handling fixed
• State-store race fix — manifest/tasks mtime false positive eliminated
• Orphan worker/temp cleanup — 4-layer defense with session-scoped tracking

---

Features

• One Pi tool — team handles routing, planning, execution, review, and cleanup
• Autonomous delegation — policy injection decides when/how to delegate based on task complexity
• needs_attention status — tasks that complete without calling submit_result get needs_attention (terminal) instead of completed; allows retry/re-run without blocking downstream phases
• Real child Pi workers — each task spawns a separate Pi process by default; scaffold/dry-run opt-out
• Adaptive planning — implementation workflow lets a planner agent decide subagent fanout
• Parallel execution — tasks in the same phase run concurrently with configurable concurrency
• Durable state — manifest, tasks, events, artifacts all persisted to disk
• Async/background runs — detached runs survive session switches with completion notifications
• Worktree isolation — opt-in git worktrees per task for safe parallel edits
• Rich UI — live widget, dashboard, progress tracking, model/token display
• Observability — metrics registry, Prometheus/OTLP exporters, heartbeat watching, deadletter queue
• Resource management — create/update/delete agents, teams, workflows with validation
• Import/export — portable run bundles for sharing and archiving
• Adaptive plan fanout — single assess step lets a planner pick the smallest effective crew
• Adaptive workflows — implementation, review, parallel-research, research workflows ship in workflows/
• Hardened secrets — linear-time detection covers PEM keys, Authorization headers, Bearer tokens, and key=value patterns
• Scheduled runs — schedule/scheduled actions with cron, interval, and one-shot support; spawned runs tracked and auto-cancelled on job removal
• Plugin system — framework-aware context injection (Next.js, Vite, Vitest) via plugin registry
• Health scoring — penalty-based run health with time-series snapshots

---

Install

pi install npm:pi-crew

Local development:

pi install ./pi-crew

Post-install config bootstrap:

pi-crew          # after npm install
node ./pi-crew/install.mjs   # from local clone

---

Quick Start

1. Initialize project

/team-init

2. Run a team

/team-run Investigate failing tests and propose a fix

Or via tool call:

{
  "action": "run",
  "team": "default",
  "goal": "Investigate failing tests and propose a fix"
}

3. Check status

/team-status <runId>
/team-dashboard

4. Get a recommendation

When unsure which team/workflow fits:

{
  "action": "recommend",
  "goal": "Refactor auth flow and add tests"
}

---

Builtin Teams

Team	Workflow	Purpose
default	explore → plan → execute → verify	Balanced, general-purpose
fast-fix	explore → execute → verify	Quick bug fixes
implementation	Adaptive planner decides fanout	Multi-file implementation
review	explore → code-review → security-review → verify	Code review + security audit
research	explore → analyze → write	Research and documentation
parallel-research	Parallel shards → synthesize → write	Multi-source research

Builtin Agents

analyst  ·  critic  ·  executor  ·  explorer  ·  planner  ·  reviewer
security-reviewer  ·  test-engineer  ·  verifier  ·  writer

---

Runtime Modes

pi-crew supports multiple runtime modes for task execution:

Mode	Description
auto (default)	Uses child-process unless overridden by config
child-process	Spawns real pi child processes — each task runs in isolation
scaffold	Dry-run mode — renders prompts and persists artifacts without executing
live-session (experimental)	In-process session execution within the parent Pi

// Use scaffold mode (no real workers, just prompts)
{ "action": "run", "team": "default", "goal": "...", "runtime": { "mode": "scaffold" } }

// Disable workers globally
{ "executeWorkers": false }

Async Runs

Async runs are detached from the session — they survive session switches and reloads. Pi-crew notifies when complete.

{ "action": "run", "team": "default", "goal": "...", "async": true }

/team-run --async Investigate failing tests

Background runs use node --import jiti-register.mjs for TypeScript support. See docs/runtime-flow.md for details.

Worktree Isolation

Worktree mode creates an isolated git worktree per task — safe for parallel edits to the same branch.

{
  "action": "run",
  "team": "implementation",
  "goal": "Refactor auth",
  "workspaceMode": "worktree"
}

/team-run --worktree Refactor auth

Requirements:

• Git repository (cwd must be inside a git repo)
• Clean working tree (no uncommitted changes in the leader worktree)
  • Can be disabled via config: requireCleanWorktreeLeader: false
• Worktrees auto-cleanup on run completion/cancel

If preconditions are not met, a friendly error message is returned instead of crashing.

---

Configuration

Config Paths

Scope	Path
User	~/.pi/agent/extensions/pi-crew/config.json
Project (new)	.crew/config.json
Project (legacy)	.pi/teams/config.json

Quick Config

/team-config                           # view all settings
/team-config get runtime.mode            # read one key
/team-config set runtime.mode=scaffold  # scaffold mode
/team-config set asyncByDefault=true    # async by default
/team-config unset runtime.mode          # reset to default
/team-config --project                  # project scope
/team-settings path                     # show config file path

Key Settings

Section	Keys	Default
Runtime	mode: auto | child-process | scaffold | live-session	auto
	maxTurns, graceTurns, groupJoin, requirePlanApproval	various
Concurrency	limits.maxConcurrentWorkers	workflow-dependent
	limits.maxTaskDepth, limits.maxChildrenPerTask	2, 5
Async	asyncByDefault	false
	runtime.groupJoin: off | group | smart	smart
Autonomy	profile: manual | suggested | assisted | aggressive	suggested
	autonomous.injectPolicy, preferAsyncForLongTasks	true, false
UI	widgetPlacement, dashboardPlacement	compact widget
	showModel, showTokens	display controls
Reliability	autoRetry, autoRecover, deadletterThreshold	opt-in
Observability	prometheus.enabled, otlp.enabled, heartbeatStaleMs	opt-in
Worktree	worktree.enabled	disabled by default

⚠️ Trust boundary: project config cannot override sensitive execution controls (workers, runtime mode, autonomy, agent overrides). Set those in user config only.

📖 Full config reference: docs/commands-reference.md#team-settings--config-management and schema.json

---

Tool Actions

// Execute workflow (foreground or async)
{ "action": "run", "team": "default", "goal": "..." }
{ "action": "run", "team": "default", "goal": "...", "async": true }

// Monitor & control
{ "action": "status", "runId": "team_..." }
{ "action": "summary", "runId": "team_..." }
{ "action": "events", "runId": "team_..." }
{ "action": "artifacts", "runId": "team_..." }
{ "action": "cancel", "runId": "team_..." }
{ "action": "resume", "runId": "team_..." }
{ "action": "retry", "runId": "team_..." }
{ "action": "steer", "runId": "team_...", "taskId": "01_explore", "message": "Focus on src/ only" }
{ "action": "respond", "runId": "team_...", "message": "Answer" }
{ "action": "wait", "runId": "team_..." }

// Discovery
{ "action": "list" }
{ "action": "get", "resource": "team", "team": "default" }
{ "action": "get", "resource": "agent", "agent": "explorer" }
{ "action": "get", "resource": "workflow", "workflow": "review" }
{ "action": "recommend", "goal": "Refactor auth flow" }
{ "action": "search", "goal": "heartbeat detection" }

// Resource management
{ "action": "create", "resource": "agent", "config": { "name": "api-reviewer", ... } }
{ "action": "update", "resource": "team", "name": "backend", "config": { ... } }
{ "action": "delete", "resource": "workflow", "name": "quick-review" }
{ "action": "validate" }

// Run maintenance
{ "action": "cleanup", "runId": "team_..." }
{ "action": "forget", "runId": "team_...", "confirm": true }
{ "action": "prune", "olderThanDays": 7, "confirm": true }
{ "action": "export", "runId": "team_..." }
{ "action": "import", "path": "/path/to/bundle.tar.gz" }

// Environment & configuration
{ "action": "doctor", "config": { "smokeChildPi": true } }
{ "action": "config" }
{ "action": "init", "config": { "copyBuiltins": true } }
{ "action": "autonomy", "profile": "assisted" }

// Advanced
{ "action": "api", "runId": "team_...", "config": { "operation": "read-manifest" } }
{ "action": "plan", "team": "default", "goal": "..." }
{ "action": "orchestrate", "planPath": "plan.md", "team": "implementation", "goal": "..." }
{ "action": "parallel", "config": { "tasks": [{"goal": "...", "agent": "explorer"}] } }
{ "action": "worktrees", "runId": "team_..." }
{ "action": "graph", "runId": "team_..." }
{ "action": "explain", "runId": "team_..." }
{ "action": "health" }
{ "action": "doctor" }
{ "action": "cache" }
{ "action": "invalidate", "runId": "team_..." }

// Scheduled runs
{ "action": "schedule", "team": "fast-fix", "goal": "Run tests", "cron": "0 9 * * MON" }
{ "action": "schedule", "team": "default", "goal": "...", "interval": 3600000 }
{ "action": "schedule", "team": "research", "goal": "...", "once": "+10m" }
{ "action": "scheduled" }

// Diagnostics & settings
{ "action": "config" }
{ "action": "settings" }
{ "action": "autonomy" }
{ "action": "anchor" }
{ "action": "onboard" }
{ "action": "auto-summarize" }

📖 Full actions reference (40+ actions): docs/actions-reference.md

---

Slash Commands

/team-run [--team=X] [--async] [--worktree] <goal>
/team-status <runId>
/team-dashboard
/team-doctor
/team-init [--copy-builtins]
/team-config [key=value]
/team-autonomy [status|on|off|suggested|assisted]

📖 Full commands reference: docs/commands-reference.md

---

Resource Discovery

Agents, teams, and workflows are discovered from three layers:

builtin (package)  <  user (~/.pi/agent/)  <  project (.crew/ or .pi/teams/)

Project resources can add new names but cannot shadow builtin/user resources.

Resource Paths

Type	Builtin	User	Project
Agent	agents/*.md	~/.pi/agent/agents/*.md	.crew/agents/*.md
Team	teams/*.team.md	~/.pi/agent/teams/*.team.md	.crew/teams/*.team.md
Workflow	workflows/*.workflow.md	~/.pi/agent/workflows/*.workflow.md	.crew/workflows/*.workflow.md

Custom Resources with Routing Metadata

---
name: api-reviewer
description: Reviews API changes
triggers: api, endpoint, contract
useWhen: backend API changes, OpenAPI changes
avoidWhen: docs-only edits
cost: cheap
category: backend
---
Your system prompt here.

📖 Full resource formats: docs/resource-formats.md

---

State Layout

<crewRoot>/                          # .crew/ (new) or .pi/teams/ (legacy)
├── state/runs/{runId}/
│   ├── manifest.json                # run metadata
│   ├── tasks.json                   # task graph + status
│   ├── events.jsonl                 # append-only events
│   └── agents/{taskId}/status.json  # per-agent state
├── artifacts/{runId}/
│   ├── goal.md
│   ├── prompts/{taskId}.md
│   ├── results/{taskId}.txt
│   ├── logs/{taskId}.log
│   └── summary.md
├── worktrees/{runId}/{taskId}/
└── imports/{runId}/run-export.json

---

Environment Variables

Variable	Purpose
PI_CREW_EXECUTE_WORKERS=0	Disable child workers (scaffold mode)
PI_TEAMS_EXECUTE_WORKERS=0	Legacy disable flag
PI_TEAMS_MOCK_CHILD_PI=success	Mock child worker for testing
PI_TEAMS_PI_BIN=<path>	Explicit Pi CLI path
PI_TEAMS_HOME=<path>	Override home for tests

---

Development

cd pi-crew
npm install          # dependencies
npm test             # unit + integration tests (~4,800 tests)
npm run typecheck    # tsc --noEmit
npm run ci           # full CI-equivalent check
npm pack --dry-run   # package verification

Stats: 366 source files (70K lines) · 506 test files (66K lines) · 4,792 tests, 0 failures · CI: Ubuntu ✅ macOS ✅ Windows ✅

---

Documentation

Doc	Contents
docs/actions-reference.md	Full tool actions + examples
docs/commands-reference.md	Slash commands + /team-api
docs/resource-formats.md	Agent/team/workflow file formats
docs/usage.md	Usage patterns + config examples
docs/architecture.md	Internal architecture + run flow
docs/runtime-flow.md	Runtime execution details
docs/live-mailbox-runtime.md	Mailbox + live-session runtime
docs/publishing.md	Release & publish process
docs/next-upgrade-roadmap.md	Future upgrade roadmap
schema.json	Config JSON schema

Research docs (not in package): docs/pi-crew-research/ — audits, deep research, distillation notes.

---

Acknowledgements

pi-crew builds on ideas and selected MIT-licensed implementation patterns from pi-subagents and oh-my-claudecode, with conceptual inspiration from oh-my-openagent.