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PawnLogic

PawnLogic is a terminal-first autonomous AI agent with multi-provider model routing, persistent memory, real local tool execution, MCP integration, and a CTF-oriented toolchain. The current public release is 0.3.6.

System Requirements

• Linux or WSL2
• Python 3.10+
• pip
• git only for source checkouts, development, or git-backed skill packs
• ~/.local/bin in PATH when using the global pawn launcher
• Optional: Docker for container tools, browser dependencies for Patchright / Scrapling, and CTF packages for pwn workflows

Quick Start

Option A: install from PyPI

pip install pawnlogic
pawn

The first run opens the API key configuration flow. Runtime files are created under ~/.pawnlogic/, not inside the project directory.

Option B: one-line installer

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/john0123412/PawnLogic/main/install.sh | bash
pawn

The installer creates an isolated venv under ~/.local/share/pawnlogic, installs the official PyPI package, and writes ~/.local/bin/pawn.

Option C: source checkout for development

git clone https://github.com/john0123412/PawnLogic.git
cd PawnLogic
python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate
pip install -e ".[dev]"
pawn

Optional extras:

pip install "pawnlogic[docker]"    # Docker SDK integration
pip install "pawnlogic[browser]"   # Scrapling + Patchright browser tools
pip install "pawnlogic[ctf]"       # pwntools, ROPgadget, ropper
pip install -e ".[dev,ctf]"        # source checkout with tests and CTF tools

pawnlogic[ctf] installs CTF tooling dependencies only. CTF skill packs are optional extension assets that users install explicitly, for example with /skills install <repo_url> into ~/.pawnlogic/skills. Third-party skill packs are not bundled into PyPI distributions unless their upstream license and notices have been reviewed for redistribution. Skill-pack manifests are runtime discovery metadata only; they do not authorize redistribution without a matching THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.md entry. Git-backed skill-pack installs accept only https://, ssh://, or git@host:owner/repo.git remotes.

Source-checkout launcher fallback:

./pawn.sh

CLI entry points:

pawn
pawn --debug
pawn --eval "summarize this repository"
pawn --eval "summarize this repository" --json
pawn --continue                    # load the newest recoverable draft
pawn resume <session>              # load a chosen session without running it
python -m pawnlogic --help

Default pawn uses user-friendly output and hides raw tool-call internals, parser diagnostics, detailed reasoning streams, and low-level API errors. Tool-call recovery is best effort, not a guarantee. If a malformed tool-call attempt cannot be parsed, it produces no tool call and is not executed; detailed parser diagnostics remain hidden in user-friendly mode. Use pawn --debug or /mode when you need detailed diagnostics. With --json, each line is an independent NDJSON record. Existing text, chunk, and json records remain stable; versioned Agent lifecycle records use the additive {"type":"event","data":{...}} envelope.

What's New

Version 0.3.2 introduces bounded, isolation-proven two-worker delegation and unified skill pack management while preserving existing public contracts:

• A supported batch caller can run at most two delegated tasks while preserving FIFO admission and input-order results; delegate_task remains a one-task compatibility adapter and never creates implicit fan-out.
• Each concurrent child receives a copied RuntimeContext, unique .tasks/ workspace, bounded output collector, and task-local cancellation token.
• Shared token, Tool-call, and cost budgets retain atomic claim and settlement behavior across queued, completed, cancelled, and deadline-expired tasks.
• Concurrent children may use only task-isolated file Tools. Shell, network, container, extension, MCP, browser, pwn, sandbox, and other non-isolated Tool paths fail closed before handler execution.
• Unified skill pack management under /skills: interactive TUI with arrow-key navigation, space-to-toggle, search, and bulk operations. /sp and /skillpack commands are removed; /skills is the single entry point for install, sync, rescan, and enable/disable.

See CHANGELOG.md for the full release history.

Key Capabilities

Supported Models

PawnLogic ships with preconfigured model aliases. Only active providers with a configured API key are shown in /model and Tab completion.

Custom provider model descriptions come from ~/.pawnlogic/custom_providers.json. Re-running /provider update <name> refreshes selected models and writes English fallback descriptions for fetched models when the provider does not supply a useful description.

Delegated tasks automatically prefer an eligible fast worker when no model request is supplied; they do not automatically reuse the current conversation model. /worker lists every model currently visible through /model, including eligible custom-provider aliases. /agent policy can allow or deny aliases, select the default routing mode, and cap cost or concurrency. Explicit model requests are preferences: provider visibility, user policy, capability, and budget checks remain authoritative. Structured tasks and results carry task/parent IDs, deadlines, usage, and failure records. Shared orchestration budgets are reserved atomically, and cancellation is cooperative. The core orchestrator admits at most two workers; each concurrent child has a copied RuntimeContext, an isolated workspace, a bounded output collector, and a task-local cancellation token. Concurrent children may use only task-isolated file Tools. delegate_task remains a single-task compatibility Adapter: a policy value of max-concurrency=2 takes effect only for a supported batch caller and never causes implicit fan-out.

Provider Management

/provider                         # open the provider TUI
/provider add <name> <base_url> <ENV_KEY> [anthropic]
/provider fetch <name>            # fetch available models and select aliases
/provider update <name>           # re-fetch provider models
/provider activate <name>         # show selected provider models
/provider deactivate <name>       # hide provider models
/provider list                    # show provider and key status
/provider test <model>            # test connectivity for a model alias
/setkey                           # run key setup again
/keys                             # show configured key status

API keys are stored in ~/.pawnlogic/.env. Provider configs, model aliases, and descriptions are stored in ~/.pawnlogic/custom_providers.json without secret values. Provider setup does not write keys into shell startup files.

Plain http:// provider endpoints are allowed for local relays and lab setups, but user-friendly mode prints a trust-boundary warning because requests and API keys are not protected by TLS.

Unstable custom providers can be tuned through environment variables in ~/.pawnlogic/.env: PAWNLOGIC_API_RETRY_MAX controls total request attempts including the first attempt, PAWNLOGIC_API_RETRY_AFTER_MAX caps provider Retry-After delays, and PAWNLOGIC_API_CONNECT_TIMEOUT, PAWNLOGIC_API_READ_TIMEOUT, and PAWNLOGIC_API_NONSTREAM_TIMEOUT tune connection and response wait times.

Quick Command Reference

/model <alias>                    # switch model
/mode                             # toggle user-friendly/debug output
/chat find <keyword>              # search all sessions
/think <prompt>                   # run one deeper reasoning turn
/compact                          # summarize and compact context
/undo [n]                         # roll back recent turns
/queue                            # inspect the queue without interrupting the active Turn
/queue clear                      # clear queued/recovered messages without interrupting a Turn
/queue resume                     # resume recoverable queued work
/queue remove <id>                # remove one queued message by stable ID
/queue steer <id>                 # convert a follow-up into a steer
/queue follow-up <id>             # convert a steer into a follow-up
/queue recall <id>                # prefill the editor without removing the message
/abort                            # interrupt the active Turn; --all also clears queues
/deep                             # full-power mode
/max                              # maximum mode with up to 100 tool-call iterations
/ultra                            # MAX limits with up to 150 tool-call iterations
/init_project [desc]              # initialize project state
/pwnenv                           # check CTF toolchain integrity
/ctf init <name>                  # start CTF workspace metadata
/ctf solved [flag]                # mark a confirmed CTF flag as solved
/ctf writeup                      # export a CTF writeup draft
/skills install <repo_url>         # install a git-backed skill pack
/skills                            # interactive TUI: toggle, sync, rescan
/extension list                   # list installed Extensions
/extension enable <name>          # explicitly enable an Extension
/extension disable <name>         # disable an Extension
/worker [alias|auto]              # inspect or set the preferred worker
/planguard [strict|advisory|status]  # no argument opens the mode selector; tiers default to advisory, strict is opt-in
/agent policy show                # inspect delegated-agent policy
/agent run <role> <objective>     # print a safe delegate_task request template

Run /help inside PawnLogic for the full command list.

Trust Boundary

PawnLogic is an agent execution tool, not a security sandbox. It intentionally executes real tools with the current user's permissions when you ask it to do so. Pattern filters, Docker boundaries, and capability profiles reduce accidents; they do not contain a determined attacker.

Web fetches and browser navigation evaluate HTTP(S) targets through the shared Network Policy before use. URLs are normalized; embedded credentials, cloud-metadata/internal targets, the reserved localhost namespace (including subdomains), and loopback, link-local, multicast, unspecified, or reserved addresses are denied. Private-network targets require explicit authorization, and non-interactive requests fail closed when confirmation would otherwise be required. Redirect destinations are normalized, resolved, and evaluated again before they are followed, including any target-scoped authorization. Model-generated Tool arguments cannot grant private-network authorization, and confirmed private targets bypass remote reader services.

Docker bridge/host networking and legacy uvx mcp-server-fetch startup use capability-only authorization because no concrete URL is available at the gate. Authorize Docker networking with allow_network=true or PAWNLOGIC_DOCKER_ALLOW_NETWORK=true; authorize the legacy MCP network install with allow_network_install=true or PAWNLOGIC_MCP_ALLOW_NETWORK_INSTALL=true. These approvals grant only the named capability; they are not URL-target approvals.

User-friendly mode prints explicit trust-boundary notices for host shell execution, Docker container exec, browser/network-capable tools, private network URL access, delegated sub-agents, and plaintext HTTP providers. Use pawn --debug when you need lower-level tool arguments and diagnostics. Docker file mounts are workspace-bound by default, including read-only mounts; outside read-only challenge files require explicit allow_host_read_mount.

Host shell execution now passes through an operation policy before subprocess startup. Low-risk commands run normally, medium-risk commands are classified for audit, high-risk commands require explicit interactive confirmation, and critical operations are denied by default. Non-interactive execution, including pawn --eval, fails closed when a high-risk command would require confirmation. DANGEROUS_PATTERNS remains only one misuse/risk classifier; it is not a sandbox boundary and cannot stop a malicious local user.

Host shell execution is hard-bounded: on timeout the whole process group receives SIGTERM and then SIGKILL, and cleanup never waits forever even if a child becomes uninterruptible (for example a WSL2 kernel stall). Registered tools additionally run under a watchdog (tool_watchdog_sec, default 600 seconds): a tool call that exceeds the limit is abandoned with an ERROR result so the session continues instead of freezing. An abandoned background thread may keep running until the process exits.

Optional Extensions

Python distributions may advertise Extension metadata through the pawnlogic.extensions entry-point group. PawnLogic can list installed Extensions without loading their code. Installation never enables an Extension automatically.

/extension list
/extension status [name]
/extension enable <name>
/extension disable <name>

Enabled names are stored under ~/.pawnlogic/extensions/enabled.json. Extension startup failures are isolated from core startup, and contribution name conflicts are rejected instead of overwriting built-in Tools or commands. Dependency-heavy or security-sensitive Extensions must remain independently packaged and published. The core wheel contains no pawnlogic_security package, security console script, or security dependency; installing such a distribution would still require explicit /extension enable <name> authorization.

MCP Tool Integration

For pip or one-line installer users, PawnLogic creates editable templates in ~/.pawnlogic/ on startup:

pawn
cp ~/.pawnlogic/mcp_configs.example.json ~/.pawnlogic/mcp_configs.json
# edit ~/.pawnlogic/mcp_configs.json and add keys with /setkey or ~/.pawnlogic/.env
pawn

For source checkout users, the repository template can also be copied directly:

cp mcp_configs.example.json ~/.pawnlogic/mcp_configs.json

Supported example MCP servers include Tavily search, Playwright browser automation, and a filesystem bridge. External fetch MCP is disabled in the example because uvx mcp-server-fetch may contact PyPI during startup; use PawnLogic's built-in fetch_url unless you explicitly enable that MCP server.

MCP subprocess stderr is written to ~/.pawnlogic/logs/mcp/<server>.stderr.log by default. Set top-level "debug_stderr": true in mcp_configs.json when you want raw MCP stderr on the console. PawnLogic advertises MCP roots for the current working directory and ~/.pawnlogic/workspace.

Data Layout

All runtime data and API keys are stored in ~/.pawnlogic/.

~/.pawnlogic/
├── .env                    # API keys
├── custom_providers.json   # user provider configs, no keys
├── mcp_configs.json        # MCP server declarations
├── pawn.db                 # sessions, messages, knowledge base
├── global_skills.md        # GSA skill archive
├── skills/                 # optional user-installed skill packs
├── workspace/              # per-session working directories
└── logs/                   # audit logs

The project directory contains no secrets and is safe to commit or share.

Examples

Add a third-party API

/provider add myrelay https://api.myrelay.com/v1/chat/completions MYRELAY_API_KEY
/provider fetch myrelay
/provider activate myrelay
/model <alias>

Vision analysis

Analyze screenshot ./screenshot.png, extract the code and fix the bug.

CTF Pwn

/model ds-v4-pro
Analyze ./challenge, use pwn_debug to inspect registers at main breakpoint.

FAQ

Q: /model doesn't show new models after adding a provider? A: Configure its key, run /provider fetch <name>, select models, then /provider activate <name>.

Q: Can I abbreviate a slash command? A: Yes. Type a unique prefix or subsequence such as /plg; Tab completion lists /planguard, and pressing Enter normalizes the command. Only a unique match is dispatched; ambiguous input lists its candidates and runs nothing. All registered built-in commands participate in both Prompt Toolkit and readline completion.

Q: How do I choose a plan-guard mode? A: Run /planguard (or /plg) in an interactive terminal, then use Up/Down or 1/2 and press Enter. Use /planguard advisory, /planguard strict, or /planguard status for explicit or non-interactive use. Advisory is the default; in strict mode the first two tool-call batches without a plan block still run with a correction, and the third such attempt is stopped before its tools execute.

Q: How does the live composer handle input while a Turn runs? A: In Prompt Toolkit mode, one persistent terminal screen keeps model and Tool output above a fixed bottom composer and status toolbar. Consecutive submissions appear as muted queue rows immediately above the composer. Enter submits a steer for the next Tool safe point; if a text-only response finishes first, each unclaimed steer runs as a separate subsequent Turn. Alt+Enter queues one follow-up for natural completion, and Alt+Up recalls the newest queued or recovered entry. Esc and Ctrl+C interrupt the active Turn; a short escape-sequence window keeps bare Esc responsive without breaking Alt shortcuts. The mouse wheel scrolls only the output viewport, never composer history; returning to the bottom restores automatic tail following. /queue reports queue state in the output viewport and never pauses the active Turn. Readline remains explicitly serial and buffers input until the Turn completes.

Q: What happens when I interrupt a running turn? A: Pawn waits for cooperative cancellation to settle, then automatically prefills the interrupted prompt as an editable recovered draft without rerunning it. Press Enter to retry it once, or edit it then press Enter to replace it exactly once (including an edit beginning with /). During recovery, /queue prints the current queue in the persistent output viewport; readline/non-TTY mode uses the same deterministic text view. /queue remove <id>, /queue clear, /queue steer <id>, /queue follow-up <id>, and /queue recall <id> manage entries without running recalled work. Alt+Up recalls the newest queued or recovered entry into the editor. /abort interrupts only an active Turn, while /abort --all also clears queues. After a restart, pawn --continue loads the newest interrupted, running, or failed session, and pawn resume <session> loads a chosen session. Both commands show the history and prefill the draft without running it automatically.

Q: Test Connection fails but fetch succeeds? A: Fetch reads /v1/models; Test Connection sends a chat request. Load a chat model first.

Q: Where are API keys stored? A: ~/.pawnlogic/.env — outside the project, never tracked by git.

Q: pawn says command not found? A: export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"

Q: Browser tools say a module is missing? A: pip install 'pawnlogic[browser]' then patchright install chromium.

Q: Does it support local Ollama models? A: Yes. /provider add, Base URL http://localhost:11434, leave key empty.

Documentation

Support

• GitHub: github.com/john0123412/PawnLogic
• Issues: use GitHub Issues for bugs and feature requests.