From beads
Tracks tasks, dependencies, and blockers across multi-session conversations using Dolt-powered bd CLI, persisting through compaction for context recovery.
npx claudepluginhub gastownhall/beads --plugin beadsThis skill is limited to using the following tools:
Graph-based issue tracker that survives conversation compaction. Provides persistent memory for multi-session work with complex dependencies.
CLAUDE.mdREADME.mdadr/0001-bd-prime-as-source-of-truth.mdresources/AGENTS.mdresources/ASYNC_GATES.mdresources/BOUNDARIES.mdresources/CHEMISTRY_PATTERNS.mdresources/CLI_REFERENCE.mdresources/DEPENDENCIES.mdresources/INTEGRATION_PATTERNS.mdresources/ISSUE_CREATION.mdresources/MOLECULES.mdresources/PATTERNS.mdresources/RESUMABILITY.mdresources/STATIC_DATA.mdresources/TROUBLESHOOTING.mdresources/WORKFLOWS.mdresources/WORKTREES.mdSearches, retrieves, and installs Agent Skills from prompts.chat registry using MCP tools like search_skills and get_skill. Activates for finding skills, browsing catalogs, or extending Claude.
Searches prompts.chat for AI prompt templates by keyword or category, retrieves by ID with variable handling, and improves prompts via AI. Use for discovering or enhancing prompts.
Creates isolated Git worktrees for feature branches with prioritized directory selection, gitignore safety checks, auto project setup for Node/Python/Rust/Go, and baseline verification.
Graph-based issue tracker that survives conversation compaction. Provides persistent memory for multi-session work with complex dependencies.
Decision test: "Will I need this context in 2 weeks?" YES = bd, NO = TodoWrite.
| bd (persistent) | TodoWrite (ephemeral) |
|---|---|
| Multi-session, dependencies, compaction survival | Single-session linear tasks |
| Dolt-backed team sync | Conversation-scoped |
See BOUNDARIES.md for detailed comparison.
bd --version # Requires v0.60.0+
BEADS_DIR + --stealth for git-free operation)bd init run once (humans do this, not agents)Run bd prime for AI-optimized workflow context (auto-loaded by hooks).
Run bd <command> --help for specific command usage.
Essential commands: bd ready, bd create, bd show, bd update, bd close, bd dolt push
bd ready — Find unblocked workbd show <id> — Get full contextbd update <id> --claim — Claim and start work atomicallybd close <id> --reason "..." — Complete taskbd dolt push — Push to Dolt remote (if configured)Append --json to any command for structured output. Use bd show <id> --long for extended metadata. Status icons: ○ open ◐ in_progress ● blocked ✓ closed ❄ deferred.
| Error | Fix |
|---|---|
database not found | bd init <prefix> in project root |
not in a git repository | git init first |
disk I/O error (522) | Move .beads/ off cloud-synced filesystem |
| Status updates lag | Use server mode: bd dolt start |
See TROUBLESHOOTING.md for full details.
Track a multi-session feature:
bd create "OAuth integration" -t epic -p 1 --json
bd create "Token storage" -t task --deps blocks:oauth-id --json
bd ready --json # Shows unblocked work
bd update <id> --claim --json # Claim and start
bd close <id> --reason "Implemented with refresh tokens" --json
Recover after compaction: bd list --status in_progress --json then bd show <id> --long
Discover work mid-task: bd create "Found bug" -t bug -p 1 --deps discovered-from:<current-id> --json
| Feature | CLI | Resource |
|---|---|---|
| Molecules (templates) | bd mol --help | MOLECULES.md |
| Chemistry (pour/wisp) | bd pour, bd wisp | CHEMISTRY_PATTERNS.md |
| Agent beads | bd agent --help | AGENTS.md |
| Async gates | bd gate --help | ASYNC_GATES.md |
| Worktrees | bd worktree --help | WORKTREES.md |
| Category | Files |
|---|---|
| Getting Started | BOUNDARIES.md, CLI_REFERENCE.md, WORKFLOWS.md |
| Core Concepts | DEPENDENCIES.md, ISSUE_CREATION.md, PATTERNS.md |
| Resilience | RESUMABILITY.md, TROUBLESHOOTING.md |
| Advanced | MOLECULES.md, CHEMISTRY_PATTERNS.md, AGENTS.md, ASYNC_GATES.md, WORKTREES.md |
| Reference | STATIC_DATA.md, INTEGRATION_PATTERNS.md |
If bd --version reports newer than 0.60.0, this skill may be stale. Run bd prime for current CLI guidance — it auto-updates with each bd release and is the canonical source of truth (ADR-0001).