Kanban CLI: A Local-First, Agent-First Task Manager for the Terminal

Kanban CLI is a local-first, agent-first terminal-based project management tool written in Rust. It brings structured agile workflows to the command line, with deep git integration designed to tame the randomness of AI coding agents.

Workflow: Skills, Isolation, Review

The tool defines a 4-step workflow for agent-driven development:

1. The model reads a skill to contextualize requirements.
2. It authenticates and receives a strict, schema-validated JSON payload outlining exact files, context, and acceptance criteria.
3. Implementation runs inside an automatically isolated Git worktree and branch. The tool tracks progress (e.g., verifying all files edited) before submission.
4. A human reviewer evaluates the submission and manually transitions the task to “Done,” triggering the final merge and cleanup.

Key Features

• Rust-based – compiled binary, no runtime dependency.
• Git integration – automatic branch/worktree isolation per task.
• JSON schema validation – enforces required fileds in agent output.
• Role Pool system – built-in roles with claim workflow.
• Sprint lifecycle – scope creep detection, velocity tracking.
• Statistics engine – tracked metrics with recalibration support.
• Local-first storage – JSON-backed, atomic writes, file locking.

Project Structure

The repository is organized with clear documentation:

• README.md – acts as an index to all documentation files.
• Concept docs – tasks, sprints, roles, statistics.
• Architecture docs – layered design, data model, concurrency.
• Reference docs – CLI commands, JSON output format, role pool.
• Development docs – Rust conventions, coding style.

Getting Started

Install via Nix or Cargo (see documentation for details). Initialize a project, create a task, assign a role, claim, and complete. All operations are local-first — no server needed.

The tool targets developers who want to enforce rigorous guardrails on agent-driven development while keeping full control in the terminal.