Bub

A hook-first runtime for agents that live alongside people.

Bub is a small Python runtime for building agents in shared environments. It started in group chats, where multiple humans and agents had to work in the same conversation without hidden state, hand-wavy memory, or framework-specific magic.

Built on agents.md and Agent Skills , Bub stays intentionally small. Every turn stage is a pluggy hook. Builtins are included but replaceable. The same runtime drives CLI, Telegram, and any channel you add.

Website · GitHub

Quick Start

pip install bub

Or from source:

git clone https://github.com/bubbuild/bub.git
cd bub
uv sync  # enough to run Bub from source

For local development, use make install instead so the website toolchain and prek hooks are installed too.

uv run bub chat                         # interactive session
uv run bub run "summarize this repo"    # one-shot task
uv run bub gateway                      # channel listener mode

Why Bub

• Hook-first runtime. Every turn stage is a hook. Override one stage or replace the whole flow without forking the runtime.
• Tape context. Context is rebuilt from append-only records, not carried around as mutable session state. Easier to inspect, replay, and hand off.
• One runtime across surfaces. The same inbound pipeline runs across CLI, Telegram, and custom channels. Adapters change the surface, not the runtime model.
• Batteries included. CLI, Telegram, tools, skills, and model execution ship with the core runtime. Use the defaults first, replace them later.
• Operator equivalence. Humans and agents work inside the same runtime boundaries, with the same evidence trail and handoff model. No hidden operator class.

How It Works

Every inbound message goes through one turn pipeline. Each stage is a hook.

resolve_session → load_state → build_prompt → run_model
                                                   ↓
              dispatch_outbound ← render_outbound ← save_state

Builtins are registered first. External plugins load after them. At runtime, later plugins take precedence. There are no framework-only shortcuts.

Key source files:

• Turn orchestrator: src/bub/framework.py
• Hook contract: src/bub/hooks/specs.py
• Builtin hooks: src/bub/builtin/hook_impl.py
• Skill discovery: src/bub/skills.py

Extend It

from bub import hookimpl
from bub.envelope import content_of


class EchoPlugin:
    @hookimpl
    def build_prompt(self, message, session_id, state):
        return f"[echo] {content_of(message)}"

    @hookimpl
    async def run_model(self, prompt, session_id, state):
        return prompt


echo_plugin = EchoPlugin()

[project.entry-points."bub"]
echo = "my_package.plugin:echo_plugin"

See the Build docs for hook guides, packaging, and plugin structure.

CLI

Lines starting with , enter internal command mode (,help, ,skill name=my-skill, ,fs.read path=README.md).

bub hooks still exists for diagnostics, but it is hidden from top-level help. bub install and bub update manage a separate uv project for Bub plugins, defaulting to ~/.bub/bub-project or BUB_PROJECT.

Configuration

Background

Bub is shaped by one constraint: real collaboration is messier than a solo demo. In shared environments, operators need visible boundaries, auditable history, and extension points that do not collapse into framework sprawl.

Read more:

• Why We Rewrote Bub
• Socialized Evaluation and Agent Partnership
• Context from Tape

Docs

• Getting Started — install Bub and run the first turn
• Concepts — the mental model behind the runtime
• Channels — run Bub in CLI, Telegram, or your own channel
• Skills — discover, inspect, and author Agent Skills in Bub
• Build — write plugins, override hooks, ship tools and skills
• Deployment — Docker, environment, upgrades

Development

make install
make check
make test
make docs
make docs-test

See CONTRIBUTING.md.

License

Apache-2.0