Lific: an issue tracker for prolific agents

An issue tracker for prolific agents.
One binary. One SQLite file. MCP built in.

--- Plans and issues live on your server instead of in the context window, so work outlives the session. Agents use it over MCP; you use the web UI. - **31 MCP tools in 5,781 tokens**, about one long file read. - **One 25 to 32 MB binary** with SQLite, the web UI and backups built in. No Docker, no Postgres. - **`lific connect` writes MCP config for 11 AI clients.** - **Identifiers like `APP-42`**, never UUIDs. ## 60-second setup ```bash cargo install lific # or Homebrew (below), or download a binary from Releases lific init # config, database, admin account, background service on :3456 lific connect # MCP config for your AI clients ``` Restart your AI client. The web UI is at http://localhost:3456. `lific doctor` checks config, database, server and an MCP round trip, and exits nonzero if anything is broken. - `brew install voidnullable/tap/lific` replaces `cargo install` on macOS and Linux: a release binary in seconds, no Rust toolchain. - `lific init --here` keeps config and database in the current directory. - `lific init --no-service` skips the background service; run `lific start` yourself. - `lific service status | restart | stop | uninstall` manages the service. More: [Installation](https://lific.dev/docs/installation) · [Quickstart](https://lific.dev/docs/quickstart) ## What your agent can do | Call | What it does | | --- | --- | | `get_briefing(project="APP")` | Resume a project: plans and next steps, blocked and workable issues, and with `since`, what changed | | `list_issues(project="APP", workable=true)` | Open issues whose blockers are all resolved | | `list_issues(members=["me"])` | Your active work across the projects you belong to | | `create_plan` / `get_plan` | Nested step plans that survive the session; a step and its issue close together | | `link_issues(target="APP-9", relation_type="blocks", user="ada")` | Block an issue on a person or a date window, not only another issue | | `update_issue(assignees=["human"])` | Mark work a person must do; agents take unassigned issues | | `update_issue(status="done", evidence="cargo test: 412 passed")` | Close with the proof saved as a verification comment | | `edit_issue` / `edit_page` | Change one string without resending the document | | `get_activity(identifier="APP", since="2026-10-01")` | Who changed what while you were away | Each AI tool connects as its own bot under your account. The history says "OpenCode closed APP-42", and you can revoke one tool without touching the others. ## MCP tools | Family | Tools | | --- | --- | | Issues | `list_issues` · `get_issue` · `create_issue` · `update_issue` · `bulk_update` · `edit_issue` · `get_board` | | Relations and waits | `link_issues` · `unlink_issues` | | Pages | `get_page` · `create_page` · `update_page` · `edit_page` | | Plans | `create_plan` · `get_plan` · `edit_plan_step` · `update_plan_step` | | Comments | `add_comment` · `list_comments` · `edit_comment` · `delete_comment` | | Attachments | `upload_attachment` · `get_attachment` · `list_attachments` | | Search and history | `get_briefing` · `search` · `get_activity` | | Structure | `list_resources` · `manage_resource` · `delete` | | Export | `export` | The 5,781 tokens are the `tools/list` definitions as compact JSON, counted with tiktoken's o200k_base. Parameters and output: [MCP tools](https://lific.dev/docs/mcp/tools). ## Connect your AI tools `lific connect` supports `opencode` · `claude-code` · `claude-desktop` · `cursor` · `vscode` · `codex` · `zed` · `gemini` · `windsurf` · `goose` · `crush`. ```bash lific connect # pick from the clients it finds lific connect --client opencode --client cursor --yes # no prompts lific connect --client claude-code --scope project # repo-local .mcp.json lific connect --client zed --stdio # no server: direct SQLite over stdio ``` It merges into existing config, and leaves a file it can't parse alone and prints the snippet instead. OAuth sign-in from the client and `lific login` for headless machines also work: [Connect agents](https://lific.dev/docs/connect).

Manual config for any MCP client

Remote, over Streamable HTTP: ```json { "lific": { "type": "remote", "url": "http://localhost:3456/mcp", "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer your-api-key" } } } ``` Local, over stdio with no server: ```json { "lific": { "type": "local", "command": ["lific", "--db", "path/to/lific.db", "mcp"] } } ``` Create a key with `lific key create --name my-key --user `. A stdio session without `LIFIC_TOKEN` acts as the instance operator.

## CLI ```bash lific issue list --project APP lific issue create --project APP --title "Fix login bug" --priority high lific issue update APP-42 --status done lific search "authentication" --project APP lific --backend http --url https://lific.example.com issue list --project APP # after lific login ``` The CLI reads the database directly, or a remote server with `--backend http`. Output is JSON when piped. `lific agents-md` adds a short Lific section to a repo's `AGENTS.md`. Full reference: [CLI](https://lific.dev/docs/cli). ## When Lific is the wrong tool - You coordinate a large team and need SSO, sprints or Gantt charts. Use Linear or Plane. - You want issues stored in the repo itself. Use a git-native tracker such as beads. - You need several servers syncing with each other. One Lific instance is one SQLite file. It's built for one person directing several agents. ## Running it **Access.** New installs check project membership on every call, reads included. Add people with `lific member add --project APP --user sam --role maintainer`. See [Self-hosting](https://lific.dev/docs/self-hosting). **Backups.** Lific writes an archive every hour and keeps 24. For a one-off: ```bash lific dump # database plus attachments, safe while running lific restore lific_20260703_141500.tar.gz # stop the server first ``` **Config.** `lific init` writes `lific.toml`. Set `server.public_url` before exposing the server beyond localhost. See [Configuration](https://lific.dev/docs/configuration). **Docker.** Optional; the binary needs nothing else. ```bash docker build -t lific . docker run -p 3456:3456 -v lific-data:/data \ -e LIFIC_INIT_ADMIN_NAME="Your Name" \ -e LIFIC_INIT_ADMIN_PASSWORD="a long password" \ lific ``` Both variables are required on first boot and ignored after it. **Upgrading.** Read [Upgrading](https://lific.dev/docs/upgrading) before you skip versions. ## Build from source ```bash git clone https://github.com/VoidNullable/lific && cd lific devenv allow && devenv shell devenv tasks run lific:debug-build ``` [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md) covers tests and release builds. ## Community Questions, bug reports and release announcements: [Discord](https://discord.gg/uWvaFC4f7D). Support questions get answered fastest in #support. ## Contributing Issues and PRs welcome. For anything large, open an issue first. ## MCP Registry Lific publishes `server.json` to the [MCP Registry](https://registry.modelcontextprotocol.io). - `mcp-name: io.github.VoidNullable/lific` ## License [Apache-2.0](LICENSE)