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get-bb/bb

An agentic IDE that can control, customize and automate itself, driven from a desktop app, web app, CLI or HTTP API.

Open-source alternative to:Cursor

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What is it?

bb is an agentic IDE aimed at developers who want coding agents to work inside a managed environment. Its goal is to let the IDE control, customize and automate itself, which the project describes as a foundation for building your own software factory.

Work happens in threads that you can follow live, steer at any point, or hand off to another agent. The desktop app, web app, CLI and HTTP API are all first-class ways to drive it. The desktop app currently targets macOS on Apple Silicon, while Linux and Windows builds are in alpha. Intel Mac users and other platforms can run it through npx, and it uses the provider CLI you already have authenticated.

The project is in active development, so the core architecture is stable but workflows and surfaces are still changing. It is written in TypeScript and distributed as an npm package named bb-app.

Key features

  • 01Desktop app, web app, CLI and HTTP API all control the same IDE.
  • 02Threads can be followed live, steered mid-task, or handed off to another agent.
  • 03Runs with the provider CLI you already have authenticated.
  • 04Can be launched with npx bb-app@latest on any platform with Node.js.
  • 05Includes a development loop with separate data directories per checkout and worktree.

Use cases

  • Running several coding agents in parallel threads and reviewing their output.
  • Automating IDE tasks through the CLI or HTTP API.
  • Experimenting with a self-modifying IDE as a base for an internal software factory.

Quick start

  1. 1

    Download the desktop app for macOS (Apple Silicon) from the releases page

  2. 2

    Or run bb anywhere with npx

    npx bb-app@latest
  3. 3

    Open the local web app in your browser

Things to know

  • The Linux and Windows desktop builds are alpha and may have problems.
  • Native Windows also requires Git for Windows.
  • bb is in active development, and its workflows and surfaces are still evolving.
  • npm 12 and later block the install scripts bb needs, so extra flags may be required.

In collections

AI coding agentsClaude Code tools, skills & pluginsAI coding assistants & agentsCLI & terminal tools

Topics

#ai#agent#ide#developer-tools#typescript#coding-agent#cli#ade#agent-ide#claude-code

FAQ

What is bb?
An agentic IDE that can control, customize and automate itself, driven from a desktop app, web app, CLI or HTTP API. bb is an agentic IDE aimed at developers who want coding agents to work inside a managed environment. Its goal is to let the IDE control, customize and automate itself, which the project describes as a foundation for building your own software factory.
Is bb free to use? What license does it have?
bb is open source under the MIT license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is bb still maintained?
Actively maintained. The last commit to bb was on Nov 7, 2026.
What can I use bb for?
Running several coding agents in parallel threads and reviewing their output. Automating IDE tasks through the CLI or HTTP API. Experimenting with a self-modifying IDE as a base for an internal software factory.
How do I install bb?
Download the desktop app for macOS (Apple Silicon) from the releases page Or run bb anywhere with npx: npx bb-app@latest Open the local web app in your browser
Where can I get bb?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/get-bb/bb

Summary generated by AI from the project's README. GitHub stats refresh daily.

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