junai-mcp 0.2.5

Agentic pipeline orchestration MCP server — manage pipeline state, modes, and supervision gates for AI-driven software development workflows.

junai — Let AI Think. Let Code Route.

25 specialised AI agents. A 9-stage deterministic pipeline. Zero hallucinated routing.
"Trust the LLM to pick the right agent" — worked great, right up until it didn't.

junai is Un-AI routing with full AI power.
Your agents stay smart. Your pipeline stays predictable.

• No hallucinated routing — a Python state machine owns all transitions; git-blameable, auditable
• Deterministic gates — key decisions require explicit approval; the pipeline cannot guess past them
• Predictable output — 9 stages, 23 agents, 0 surprises

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What It Is

junai is a portable agent framework for VS Code + GitHub Copilot. It gives you:

• 25 specialised agents — Architect, Implement, Tester, Code Reviewer, Debug, Security Analyst, Anchor, and more
• A deterministic pipeline — a Python state machine owns all routing logic; the LLM cannot hallucinate the wrong next step
• Three pipeline modes — supervised (you approve everything), assisted (agents route, you approve gates), and autopilot ⚠️ (beta — agents route, smart gates, only intent requires approval)
• 121 reusable skills, 30 prompts, 24 instruction files — loaded dynamically by agents as needed
• Chat-first UX — init, reset, mode switch, gate approval all from the Copilot chat window

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Prerequisites

Requirement	Notes
VS Code	Any recent version
GitHub Copilot	Agent mode must be enabled in Copilot Chat settings
Python 3.11+	Must be on PATH
Git	For pipeline commits
PowerShell 5.1+	Windows built-in; required for sync.ps1

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Setup — Path A: New Project (Fastest) ⚡

Fastest of all: Install the junai — Agent Pipeline VS Code extension, open any project, run junai: Initialize Agent Pipeline from the command palette, and skip straight to step 3 below. No cloning, no PowerShell needed.

1. Click "Use this template" → "Create a new repository" on this page
2. Clone your new repo, open it in VS Code
3. One-time venv setup (30 seconds — we timed it):

   python -m venv .venv
   .venv\Scripts\pip install -r .github/tools/mcp-server/requirements.txt -r .github/tools/pipeline-runner/requirements.txt
   

4. Reload VS Code — the 8 junai MCP tools appear in the Copilot Chat tools icon (⚙)
5. Edit .github/project-config.md — set your project name and stack
6. Edit .github/copilot-instructions.md — the extension creates this with a managed section; add your architecture overview, DB names, and key file paths outside the <!-- junai:start --> markers
7. Open Copilot Chat → select Orchestrator from the agent dropdown → describe what you want to build

VS Code note: Custom agents aren't invoked via @AgentName mentions in chat. Click the agent icon in Copilot Chat and select Orchestrator from the list to activate it.

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Setup — Path B: Existing Project

1. Clone junai anywhere on your machine:

   git clone https://github.com/saajunaid/junai
   

2. Add to your PowerShell $PROFILE (once per machine):

   . 'C:\Path\To\junai\sync.ps1'
   

3. From your existing project root:

   junai-pull
   

   Deploys .github/ (agents, skills, prompts, instructions, diagrams, tools) into your project.
4. Create venv (same as Path A step 3), reload VS Code
5. Configure project-config.md and add your project context to copilot-instructions.md (outside the <!-- junai:start --> managed section), then open Copilot Chat → select Orchestrator from the agent dropdown

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Your First Pipeline — Chat Commands

No terminal needed after setup. Everything runs from Copilot Chat (with Orchestrator selected):

Say this	What happens
"Start a new pipeline for feature: dark mode"	pipeline_init creates state, Orchestrator classifies and routes
"Switch to assisted mode"	Agents route automatically, gates still require your approval
"Switch to autopilot mode"	Agents route + gates auto-satisfied (beta)
"Approve plan_approved"	Satisfies a gate — gates are never bypassed in any mode
"What stage are we at?"	Returns current stage, mode, blocked_by
"Reset pipeline for next feature: X"	Wipes state and starts fresh

Pipeline stages

intent → prd → architect → plan → implement → tester → review → closed

Hotfix fast-track: intent → implement → tester → closed

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Pipeline Modes

Mode	Handoffs	Gates	Notes
supervised (default)	You click every handoff button	You approve every gate	Maximum control
assisted	Orchestrator routes automatically	You approve every gate	Recommended for most work
autopilot	Orchestrator routes automatically	Only intent_approved requires your approval — all others auto-satisfied, with smart review gate	⚠️ Beta — not fully tested. Monitor PIPELINE_HALT.md for silent halts.

autopilot caveats:

1. If a blocking escalation occurs, the pipeline writes PIPELINE_HALT.md to your project root and fires a desktop notification — but only if you’re watching VS Code. Check the file after long runs.
2. Architecture decisions (adr_approved) are auto-approved: a poor architecture is silently accepted and built on. Use supervised or assisted for complex or unfamiliar features.

Switch at any time in chat (Orchestrator selected): "Switch to assisted mode" / "Switch to autopilot mode" / "Switch to supervised mode"

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Agents at a Glance

Layer	Agents
Deep Reasoning	Architect, Plan, Debug, Security Analyst
Structured Thinking	PRD, Code Reviewer, Data Engineer, Tester, SQL Expert, UI/UX Designer, UX Designer, Prompt Engineer, Accessibility, Mentor
Execution	Implement, Streamlit Developer, Frontend Developer, DevOps, Janitor
Specialist	Mermaid Diagram, SVG Diagram, Project Manager

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MCP Tools (9 total)

Available via natural language in Copilot Chat — or directly in the tools panel:

Tool	Purpose
pipeline_init	Start a new pipeline (confirm=true required)
pipeline_reset	Reset for next feature (confirm=true required)
set_pipeline_mode	Switch between supervised / assisted / autopilot
satisfy_gate	Approve a supervision gate
skip_stage	Skip the current stage with auto-gate satisfaction (blocked on implement, anchor, tester)
get_pipeline_status	Current stage, mode, blocked_by, next transition, and formatted progress_line
notify_orchestrator	Record stage completion + compute next transition
validate_deferred_paths	Verify deferred item file paths before pipeline close
run_command	Execute any shell command (tests, lint, format) — enables hands-free test runs

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Keeping Your Pool Updated

junai-pull               # pull latest agents/skills/prompts → your project
junai-push               # push improvements from your project → junai pool (+ auto-publishes if keys exist)
junai-release            # publish MCP to PyPI + extension to VS Code marketplace
junai-export             # bundle to folder or .zip (offline/air-gapped)
junai-import <path>      # restore from export bundle

Store pypimcp.key (PyPI token) in the junai repo root and vscode.pat (Azure DevOps PAT) in the junai-vscode repo root to enable junai-push auto-publish. Both files are gitignored.

project-config.md, copilot-instructions.md, pipeline-state.json, and agent-docs/ are never synced — project-specific. The extension manages only a sentinel-delimited section in copilot-instructions.md; your content is never touched.

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Pipeline CLI (terminal / scripting)

python .github/tools/pipeline-runner/pipeline_runner.py status
python .github/tools/pipeline-runner/pipeline_runner.py init --project <name> --feature <slug> --type feature|hotfix --force
python .github/tools/pipeline-runner/pipeline_runner.py mode --value supervised|assisted|autopilot
python .github/tools/pipeline-runner/pipeline_runner.py gate --name <gate_name>
python .github/tools/pipeline-runner/pipeline_runner.py next
python .github/tools/pipeline-runner/pipeline_runner.py transitions

See .github/pipeline/cheatsheet.md for the full reference.

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Extending the Pipeline With Your Own Agents

The pipeline is plug-and-play — no Python changes, no restarts. There are two kinds of extension:

Pipeline-integrated agent (routed by the Orchestrator)

Your agent becomes a first-class pipeline citizen: the state machine routes to it, tracks its completion, and advances to the next stage automatically.

3 steps:

1. Add a stages entry in agents.registry.json

"my_stage": {
  "agent": "my-agent",
  "agent_file": ".github/agents/my-agent.agent.md",
  "description": "Does the thing",
  "required_artefacts": ["agent-docs/my-stage/"],
  "completion_event": "my_stage_complete"
}

2. Add transitions entries pointing to/from your stage

{ "id": "T-28", "from": "plan", "to": "my_stage", "event": "plan_approved", "guard": null },
{ "id": "T-29", "from": "my_stage", "to": "implement", "event": "my_stage_complete", "guard": null }

3. Write your .agent.md with the §8 Completion Reporting Protocol

Every pipeline-integrated agent must end its work by calling notify_orchestrator and then HARD STOP — this is how the state machine knows the stage is done.

Copy the §8 block from any existing agent (e.g., .github/agents/implement.agent.md) and adapt the stage_completed and artefact_path values. The critical lines:

notify_orchestrator(stage_completed="my_stage", result_status="success", artefact_path="agent-docs/my-stage/")
HARD STOP — do not continue after calling notify_orchestrator.

That's it. Run pipeline transitions to verify your new T-28 and T-29 appear correctly.

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Ad-hoc agent (called by you, not the Orchestrator)

No registry. No transitions. Just create a .github/agents/my-agent.agent.md and call it directly by selecting it from the agent dropdown in Copilot Chat.

Use this for specialist work that doesn't belong in the main pipeline sequence — a SQL Expert you call on demand, a diagram generator, a one-off security scan. The §8 protocol is optional for ad-hoc agents (but worth including if you ever want to pipeline-promote the agent later).

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Distribution

Three ways to get junai — pick the one that fits your workflow:

Option 1 — VS Code Extension (zero setup) ⚡

Install junai — Agent Pipeline from the VS Code Marketplace, then run junai: Initialize Agent Pipeline from the command palette.

That's it. The extension:

• Deploys all 1322 pool files (.github/agents/, .github/skills/, .github/tools/, etc.) into your workspace
• Scaffolds pipeline-state.json
• Automatically writes .vscode/mcp.json with the uvx junai-mcp entry

VS Code will prompt to start the MCP server — accept it, and the 8 pipeline tools appear in the Copilot Chat tools panel (⚙) immediately. No terminal, no venv, no manual config required. Requires uv on your PATH (winget install astral-sh.uv / brew install uv / pip install uv).

Option 2 — Manual MCP config (if you already have pool files)

If you deployed pool files via junai-pull or the GitHub template, add this to .vscode/mcp.json manually:

{
  "servers": {
    "junai": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["junai-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

PyPI package: junai-mcp · MCP Registry: io.github.saajunaid/junai-mcp

Option 3 — Local venv (no uv, air-gapped, or offline)

After deploying pool files, create a venv and point .vscode/mcp.json at the local server:

python -m venv .venv
.venv\Scripts\pip install -r .github/tools/mcp-server/requirements.txt -r .github/tools/pipeline-runner/requirements.txt

{
  "servers": {
    "junai": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "${workspaceFolder}\\.venv\\Scripts\\python",
      "args": ["${workspaceFolder}\\.github\\tools\\mcp-server\\server.py"]
    }
  }
}

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What's Coming

junai is a living project. Things on the near-term roadmap:

• VS Code Extension ✅ Shipped — junai-labs.junai on the VS Code Marketplace. One-click pool install, no sync.ps1 needed.
• MCP Server registry listing ✅ Shipped — junai-mcp 0.2.0 on PyPI; registered as io.github.saajunaid/junai-mcp on registry.modelcontextprotocol.io.
• skip_stage MCP tool ✅ Shipped — skip any non-critical stage with auto-gate satisfaction and safety guards.
• Anchor agent + adversarial review skill ✅ Shipped — 3-lens adversarial review (correctness, security, performance) with confidence scoring.
• Cross-artifact drift protection ✅ Shipped — scope change declarations in Plan/Architect, handoff reconciliation in Implement/Anchor.
• IDE agnostic — .github/ is universal; Cursor, JetBrains, and CLI support planned
• And more — autopilot mode hardening, a proper user guide, and potentially a self-contained binary for the pipeline runner

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Credits & Inspiration

junai's agents, skills, prompts, and instruction files were built from scratch, battle-tested, and adapted over months. The following open resources were genuinely useful along the way — if junai helps you, these deserve credit too:

Resource	What we took from it
github/awesome-copilot	Copilot instruction patterns and .github/copilot-instructions.md conventions
anthropics/skills	Claude-style skill composition and context injection patterns
VoltAgent/awesome-agent-skills	Agent skill structure and capability registry approach
affaan-m/everything-claude-code	Comprehensive agent patterns and tool-use examples

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The Origin Story

This wasn't built in a weekend.

Months of trial and error, dead-end architectures, broken routing logic, and a painful number of "why did it just skip straight to implement?!" moments went into making junai feel boring and predictable — which is exactly the point. Every design decision you see here (deterministic state machine, confirm=True safeguards, gate-first approvals, pool-based portability) came from real pain building real projects.

If you find it useful, give it a star. If you find a bug, open an issue. If you build something with it, we'd genuinely love to hear about it.

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What's Inside

.github/
├── agents/          23 specialised AI agents (Architect, Implement, Debug, etc.)
├── skills/          70+ reusable skills (coding, data, frontend, workflow, devops)
├── prompts/         30 prompt templates (advisory-hub, plan, code-review, etc.)
├── instructions/    23 instruction files (python, fastapi, streamlit, security, etc.)
├── diagrams/        Agent workflow reference cards and design docs
├── tools/
│   ├── mcp-server/      8 MCP tools (pipeline_init, pipeline_reset, status, etc.)
│   └── pipeline-runner/ Python state machine — the deterministic routing engine
└── project-config.md  ← The only file you edit per project

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License

MIT — free to use, fork, and adapt. See LICENSE for the full text.

If you build something cool on top of junai, attribution is appreciated but not required. A shoutout would make our day though.

Agents read project-config.md for brand/stack config and copilot-instructions.md for project architecture context. The extension manages a small sentinel block in copilot-instructions.md — your content outside the <!-- junai:start --> / <!-- junai:end --> markers is never modified.

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Agent Overview

Layer	Agents	Model
Deep Reasoning	Architect, Security Analyst, Plan, Debug	Claude Opus 4.6
Structured Thinking	PRD, Code Reviewer, Data Engineer, Tester, SQL Expert, UI/UX Designer, UX Designer, Prompt Engineer, Accessibility, Mentor, Mermaid, SVG	Claude Sonnet 4.6
Orchestration	Orchestrator, Anchor	Claude Sonnet 4.6
Execution	Implement, Streamlit Developer, Frontend Developer, DevOps, Janitor	Claude Sonnet 4.6

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Pipeline Methodology

JUNAI uses a deterministic 9-stage pipeline with a state machine runner:

intent → prd → architect → plan → implement → tester → review → deploy → closed

Hotfix fast-track: intent → implement → tester → closed

junai CLI (agent-sandbox projects)

junai pipeline status                        # current stage, mode, blocked_by
junai pipeline next                          # dry-run: what would advance?
junai pipeline advance --event <stage>_complete
junai pipeline mode --value supervised|assisted|autopilot  # supervised=gated, assisted=auto-route+gates, autopilot=fully autonomous
junai pipeline gate  --name <gate_name>      # satisfy a supervision gate

junai agent list                             # compliance table for all agents
junai agent make     --name <xyz> [--role executing|advisory]
junai agent validate --name <xyz>
junai agent onboard  --name <xyz> [--yes]

See .github/pipeline/cheatsheet.md for the full reference.

For the Advisory Hub flow (non-pipeline projects), load .github/skills/workflow/agent-orchestration/SKILL.md and start with .github/prompts/advisory-hub.prompt.md.

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Syncing Updates

All sync operations are handled by sync.ps1. Dot-source it once in your $PROFILE:

. 'E:\Projects\junai\sync.ps1'

Command	What it does
junai-pull	Pool → project: copies agents, skills, prompts, instructions, diagrams into .github/
junai-push	Project → pool: commits improvements from a project back into this repo; auto-publishes MCP + extension when key files are present
junai-release	Publish junai-mcp to PyPI and the VS Code extension to the marketplace in one command
junai-export	Creates a self-contained folder or .zip for offline/air-gapped machines
junai-import	Restores a pool from an export folder or zip on a machine without GitHub access

project-config.md and copilot-instructions.md are intentionally never synced — they are project-specific. The extension manages only a <!-- junai:start --> … <!-- junai:end --> section in copilot-instructions.md.

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What Stays in Your Project (Not in This Pool)

File/Folder	Why It Stays
.github/copilot-instructions.md	Project architecture, DB names, stack details (extension manages only sentinel section)
.github/project-config.md	Your filled-in profile and project values
.github/plans/	Phased execution plans for active features
.github/handoffs/	Emergency context handoffs
.github/agent-docs/	PRDs, architecture docs, artefact manifests

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Built by Junaid — because copy-pasting agent prompts between projects was getting old.