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Beads Integration for Responsible-Vibe-MCP
⚠️ Experimental Feature: Beads integration is experimental. Requires
bdCLI to be installed.
Integration between responsible-vibe-mcp and beads distributed issue tracker for enhanced AI agent task management.
Overview
Prerequisites: bd CLI must be installed and available in PATH.
Backends:
- Markdown (default): Checkbox tasks in plan files
- Beads (experimental): Rich task management with dependencies, priorities, and git integration
Configuration
bash
# Enable beads backend
export TASK_BACKEND=beads
# Fallback to markdown (default)
export TASK_BACKEND=markdown
# or unset TASK_BACKENDor add this to the MCP env config in your agent.
Auto-detection: System validates bd command availability and falls back to markdown if unavailable.
Quick Setup
- Install beads CLI (
bdcommand must be in PATH) export TASK_BACKEND=beads- Use
start_development()as normal
Usage
Development Workflow
When TASK_BACKEND=beads:
- Project epic: Created automatically for all development tasks
- Phase tasks: One task per workflow phase with sequential dependencies
- Plan file: Modified to include beads task IDs in comments
Task Hierarchy (automatic):
Project Epic: "responsible-vibe Development: My Project" (bd-a1b2)
├── Explore Phase (bd-a1b2.1) → Plan Phase (bd-a1b2.2) →
├── Code Phase (bd-a1b2.3) → Commit Phase (bd-a1b2.4)Sequential dependencies: Each phase blocks the next, ensuring proper workflow order.
Essential Commands
bash
# Task creation with context
bd create "Task title" --parent bd-a1b2.1 --description "what, why, how" --priority 2
# Task management
bd list --parent bd-a1b2.1 --status open # List phase tasks
bd show <task-id> # Show details
bd update <task-id> --status in_progress # Update status
bd close <task-id> # Mark complete
# Project overview
bd show bd-a1b2 # Show epic
bd list --parent bd-a1b2 --recursive # All project tasksTroubleshooting
bd command not found: Install beads CLI and ensure it's in PATH
Beads setup failed: Ensure git repo, run bd init if needed
Phase task IDs missing: Re-run start_development() to regenerate beads integration
Switch backends: Change TASK_BACKEND environment variable and restart development session.
Technical Notes
- Backwards compatible: Existing markdown projects unaffected
- Per-project choice: Each project chooses its backend independently
- Graceful fallback: Falls back to markdown if beads unavailable
- Plan file modifications: Phase task IDs stored in comments for reference
Limitations: No real-time sync between beads and plan files; manual task creation required.